Q of the Day: Which GOP Lawmaker Yelled “Baby Killer!” At Bart Stupak?
And nooooo, it wasn’t South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson…
So far, no one is owning up although speculation is rampant:
During last night’s health care debate, a Republican member of Congress apparently shouted “baby killer” at Bart Stupak at a time when everyone else in the room was also yelling at Stupak. This has made it difficult to tell which representative called out which ad hominem attack.The Internet, as it is wont to do, has a few hypotheses: TPM believed they identified the shout as emanating from John Campell (R-CA). In turn, Campell denied the accusation and blamed a Texan-any Texan.
“That is where the Texans sit. Californians are in one row, Texans sit behind us. I am being told it’s a Texan. The people who know won’t give it up,” he told a reporter.
Journalist Max Blumenthal Tweeted (via Gawker) that he is hearing that “baby killer” belonged to George Radanovich (R-CA), although this, of course, doesn’t jive with Campbell’s Texan theory.
Texan Joe Barton thinks he knows, but won’t say.
Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.) acknowledged late Sunday night that a Republican yelled “baby killer” as Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) urged his fellow Democrats to vote down a Republican amendment on abortion services in the health-care legislation.Campbell, initially suspected as the lawmaker who shouted the phrase, told reporters that he didn’t say it and believed that it came from a member sitting a row behind him, where the Texas Republicans usually sit. Campbell said he heard “a Southern accent”.
Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) said he heard the remark and said it did come from in the area of where the Texas and California delegations sit. He said he believes he knows who yelled it, but declined to say anymore.
“I can make a guess,” Barton said.
David Obey certainly isn’t naming names– but others in the House weighed in.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.), who was in the chair at the time, said he saw a Republican lawmaker shout out “baby killer” – but he wouldn’t say who it was, either.
“I think members have a right to make an idiot of themselves once without being exposed,” he said.
House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who was subjected to an anti-gay epithet from a protestor Saturday, said the “baby killer” shout showed the close alignment between the GOP and some of its most extreme allies in the health care fight.
“The difference between some of the Republicans and some of their raucous followers appears to be, unfortunately, diminishing,” Frank said. “Obviously, that’s not the whole party, but there’s a disturbing tendency to forget about civility.”
Republican Reps. Michele Bachmann and Tom Price said they believed the voice came from the gallery and not from a lawmaker. Price declined to say whether the comment was inappropriate.
But Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King – not known to mince words in attacking the Democrats – said he didn’t approve of the “baby killer” shout.
“There are a lot of other words I would’ve used – not that,” he said.
See if you recognize the voice, Blenders…
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