American Morning
Wilson: 'You lie' remark spontaneous
WASHINGTON (CNN) - The GOP congressman from South Carolina who shouted out during President Obama's health care address to Congress insisted Thursday that his outburst was "spontaneous."
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/09/10/obama.heckled.speech/art.joe.wilson.heckling.gi.jpg caption="Rep. Joe Wilson shouts, "You lie!" after President Obama denies the health plan would cover illegal immigrants."]
Rep. Joe Wilson shocked many observers Wednesday night when he shouted, "You lie!" after the president denied that health care legislation would provide free coverage for illegal immigrants.
Some people using Twitter suggested that Wilson's retort was planned and pointed to a comment the lawmaker posted on Labor Day:
"Happy Labor Day! Wonderful parade at Chapin, many people called out to oppose Obamacare which I assured them would be relayed tomorrow to DC," the tweet from Wilson's account said.
However, on the way to his office Thursday morning, Wilson said his outburst wasn't planned.
"It was spontaneous. It was when he stated, as he did, about not covering illegal aliens, when I knew we had those two amendments, and I say that respectfully," Wilson said.
He was referring to two amendments on one version of proposed health care legislation, which he said would have provided for verification of citizenship. Both of the amendments were defeated, he said.
Dial test: Health Care focus group rates Obama's speech
President Obama laid out his plan for health care reform in a prime-time speech to Congress last night. How's it playing with rank-and-file Americans? Our Jim Acosta watched the speech with a group of Virginia residents who put the president to the "dial test."
Wilson shouts 'you lie' at Obama, then apologizes
WASHINGTON (CNN) - A Republican House member shouted "You lie" during President Obama's health care speech to Congress on Wednesday, and members of both parties condemned the heckling.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/09/10/obama.heckled.speech/art.joe.wilson.heckling.gi.jpg caption="Rep. Joe Wilson shouted "You lie" after President Obama denied health reform would cover illegal immigrants."]
After the speech, South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson issued a statement apologizing for his outburst.
"This evening, I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the president's remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill," the statement said. "While I disagree with the president's statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility."
Wilson also called the White House to apologize and spoke with Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who accepted the apology on the president's behalf, according to a senior administration official.
"We can disagree without being disagreeable," Emanuel said to Wilson, according to the official. "That was the point of the president's speech."
The outburst came when Obama denied that proposed health care legislation would provide free health coverage for illegal immigrants. Immediately, Wilson shouted, "You lie!"
Obama presents health plan, rips 'scare tactics'
WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Obama told Congress on Wednesday that while he is not the first president to take up the cause of health care reform, "I am determined to be the last."
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/09/09/obama.speech/art.obama.speech.03.pool.jpg caption= "President Obama told a joint session of Congress that the 'time for bickering' over health care is over."]
In an address to a joint session of Congres Obama presented the most detailed description of his idea of health reform, and at the same time posted an outline of his plan on the White House Web site.
Obama has been criticized as the health care debate has devolved into rancorous town hall meetings and a partisan split over reform plans. Obama has also faced a split in his own party over how to best go about reforming the nation's health care system.
"Well the time for bickering is over. The time for games has passed. Now is the season for action," Obama said. "Now is when we must bring the best ideas of both parties together, and show the American people that we can still do what we were sent here to do. Now is the time to deliver on health care." Read the full story »
- Transcript of the speech
- Video of the full speech
- Read Obama's health care plan (PDF)
- GOP: Obama plan too costly
What is your reaction to the speech? What do you think of the president's plan? Add a comment below.
Health care tag line wars
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/09/09/obama.down.art.jpg caption="President Obama will deliver a health care speech to a joint session of Congress Wednesday."]
If President Obama’s summer has been one of discontent, all those tough tag lines about his health care plan may have had something to do with it:
“Rationing”
“Death Panels”
“Kill Grandma”
“We Won’t Pay for Murder”
“Socialism”
“Government Takeover”
Taken together with those falling poll numbers and it’s enough for a president to say “ouch.”
Susan Molinari is a former congresswoman from New York who now lobbies for a firm that deals in health care matters. She says the president “has seen himself, if you will, the superman falling to Earth.”
Part of the president’s problem, says Molinari, is that he hasn’t found a way to convince Republicans that reform is really needed. When the president speaks to Congress and the nation about health care, “he really needs to rise above the partisan bickering,” says Molinari. He needs to “become the leader of the United States and talk about what are those things that he needs to see in the health care bill and urge the two parties, Republicans and Democrats, to get together and make it happen as quickly as possible.”
Obama's speech a health care 'game changer'?
CNN
WASHINGTON (CNN) - After months of criticism that he has failed to outline a specific health care reform plan, President Obama will address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night in a speech aides say will be to the point.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/09/09/obama.speech/art.obamabooks.gi.jpg caption="President Obama will lay out heatlh care reform specifics in a speech before Congress on Wednesday."]
At stake for the president: getting Democratic factions on board with his plan and convincing Americans of the need for health care reform.
"He's going into full campaign mode" with this speech, said Gloria Borger, CNN senior political analyst.
Some have even deemed it one of the key legislative speeches of his presidency to date.
"Wednesday night's health care speech may be one of the toughest he has faced," said CNN contributor David Gergen.
Obama, for the most part, has issued broad reform ideas, but he has left most of the specific legislative details to leaders in Congress, who have faced sometimes contentious negotiations.
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