Opponent of Republican who shouted "You lie!" at Obama is given $25,000 $69,000 by outraged voters

Simon sez, "I managed to track down a spokesman for ActBlue, the online fundraising tool for Democratic politicians, and found out that within two hours after Joe Wilson yelled out 'You lie' to the president, his opponent Rob Miller raised $25,000 from people who linked to his page on Twitter and blogs."

The numbers are still going up.

Update: and UP! More than $69,000 now.

Joe Wilson's opponent raises $41,000 on ActBlue within hours of Obama's speech (Thanks, Simon!)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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Hosidax

I got an email from his campaign about 15 min ago [8:31 PM] claiming “You lie!” cost Joe Wilson $300k per word — (that’s 100k per letter):

“As a result of your outrage, in the last 24 hours, over 18,000 people from all over South Carolina and all over our great country spoke out and we have raised a jaw dropping $600,000!”

Now he’s looking to bring in a $million. Here’s hoping. I think Wilson’s goose is cooked, and frankly it’s been a long time coming…
Anonymous

What a buffoon. In all fairness though, there were plenty of Democrats that booed Bush during his 2005 State of the Union address. I once sat in the gallery during a session of Congress and it was like a circus. People yelling, pointing fingers, making fools of themselves. It’s a shame that civility and politics don’t mix.
Anonymous

@12, sorry, but you’re totally misguided on that one. This is materially different than any “heckling” Dems did during the Bush years. Please list an occasion when a Dem yelled “you lie” or anything equally obnoxious at the President during his speech.

The buildup of frustration that led to him being unable to hold even that tiny amount of respect (seriously, just let the man talk during his speech. That’s all.) is a testament to how marginalized he and his party has become. People with a strong argument have no need to yell out crap during a speech.
mdh

125K to defeat the man who yelled ‘liar’.

125K overnight.

-1 internet for you, Mr. Wilson.
ratcity

Folks, help needed! Can anyone point to statements or explanations for the opposition to the Heller amendment? (The Heller amendment would have required the use of some specific technology to avoid providing benefits to illegals.)

I googled it and the results are nothing but page after page of the right-wing reaction to this. Nothing on the other side. I assume it’s not indefensible?
Brainspore

When I first heard who shouted at the President I thought it was former ambassador Joe Wilson, husband of outed spy Valerie Plame Wilson.

As I recall he too once made a public statement about the President not being completely honest with the American people. We’ll see which man ends up paying a higher price for his words.
SomeGuy

Typical republikkkan.

Now the teabagger slimeball’s web site has been taken off line. Perhaps they’ve taken a bit of a hit to the bandwidth limit at their ‘contact us’ link?
jbad

stupid move– money talks . But to me this is less about “respect” for the office and more about not just wing nuts haveing a voice.

if YOU want a public option and not some watered down piece of S*@! YOU need to email YOUR representative and demand it. Especially if you live in a conservative Democrat’s district. WTF are you commenting here for? Here’s the link…

http://www.house.gov/
nezzyidy

It’s now up to $1.5 Million!

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/09/14/2068663.aspx
zikzak

I mean, Obama does lie. And he should probably get it shouted at his during speeches, since it’s really the only way to hold him accountable at this point. His entire campaign has been a fantastic lie about peace, justice, civil liberties and integrity. Just because a conservative asshole is the one who shouted it doesn’t make it untrue.

It’s funny to see self-described progressives suddenly up in arms about respecting the office of the president, when I’m sure they’d have been delighted to see a politician heckle Bush during his term. Progressives have become defenders of “the system” overnight.

Politicians lie, deceive, and play us against each other. Even Obama. Stop defending a man who won’t defend you.
MadRat

You mean after years of unrelenting mockery, Conservatives are angry? The strategists at the Democratic National Committee should have remembered the most important rule of Army psy-ops: when you’re trying to get people on the other side to surrender, you can lampoon their leaders but never make the rank and file look bad. It doesn’t matter which party you’re in, if you try to “energize your base” by insulting the other side all you’ll end up doing is pissing them off and “energizing” (i.e. polarizing) both sides
Stefan Jones

#46: Conservatives are ALWAYS angry. They live in a constant state of self-righteous pissoffery.
AirPillo

American politics, where the truth is considered bad form… no wonder we are so screwed up.

According to the AP’s fact-checking, on this particular statement no lying was done.

The closest thing to “lying” he did about the issue is that some conservatives are not satisfied with the amount of preventative measures so far proposed to ensure someone’s citizenship, which isn’t to say that illegal immigrants will be included, it just means that some people aren’t satisfied with the amount of scrutiny in the process to prevent it.

As it stands the programs intend to exclude illegal immigrants, so it’s fair to say calling the president a liar on national television was inaccurate and inappropriate.
Takuan

no, now they live in fear.
Anonymous

Has anyone bothered to check to see how much the “teabagging” “republikkkan” congressman has gained in contributions since last night? I’d hold the celebrations until you find out how much, if at all his actions energized his own base.

What he did was indeed rude, and I’ve heard that the congressman in question has apologized, so good on him for that.

Here at my office in Franklin Park, IL (a close-in suburb of Chicago), the general reaction to this congresscritter from literally everyone I’ve talked to this morning has been positive! A common perception amongst my co-workers is that Obama seemed mean-spirited. If people in the Chicago area are having this type of reaction, what’s the thoughts of citizens in areas where Obama isn’t so popular?
mdh

I thought it was former ambassador Joe Wilson

No No, this was the Joe Wilson that bashed hard on Strom Thurmonds illegitimate daughter for daring to exist.
buddy66

@#18,

hear hear
Anonymous

Let the Obama Outburst Meme battle begin!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCTnabi8M_I
ab3a

People, particularly those in Congress would be remiss if they DIDN’T argue with the President on some issue or another.

Whether I agree with Joe Wilson is irrelevant. His sin is not that he called the President a liar. Many people called George W. Bush a liar too. And by the way, while it is not illegal speech in any form, that kind of name calling doesn’t make any points with those whose minds aren’t made up yet.

Nevertheless, one must give the holder of the office a chance to voice his opinion before voicing one’s own. That is why I am appalled at the behavior Joe Wilson displayed. If someone can’t voice his views with decorum and respect, he has no business in public office.

For the good of the country, I hope his opponent wins. And I’m saying that as a registered Republican. The GOP doesn’t need Joe Wilson that badly.
AirPillo

Moral of the story: If you’re a congressman, remember not to conduct yourself at a presidential speech the exact same way you conducted yourself as an angsty freshman at a high school assembly.
Anonymous

I would happily give money to Miller’s campaign, but I was apparently cursed by an itinerant soothsayer hell-bent on election finance reform.

You see, every candidate I have ever given money to has lost. I’ve even tested the curse by donating to campaigns I didn’t support. And I doomed them all. Doomed!
ambiguous

Sigh, looks like the distraction plan worked as it always does. Everyone’s chattering about the rude and uncivil congressman from SC when they should be talking about the health care disaster. Bread and circuses, now without the bread!
AnoniMouse

@45 Hahaha!
Sorry bout that! I guess I should voluntarily give up my title.

Late nights and all..
regeya

“Here at my office in Franklin Park, IL (a close-in suburb of Chicago), the general reaction to this congresscritter from literally everyone I’ve talked to this morning has been positive!”

I work at a newspaper in southern Illinois, in a county that’s predominantly Republican (this town was the home of the “10 OUT OF 10 TERRORIST AGREE ANYONE BUT MCCAIN” billboard: http://tinyurl.com/6dctl4 ), that voted overwhelmingly Republican in the last Presidential election, in a newspaper office with ‘Republican’ in its name, in an office full of registered Republicans. And although many people here dislike Obama with a vengeance and they had snide things to say about Pelosi (who doesn’t?) the overwhelming reaction was that Joe Wilson was very rude.
Anonymous

I’m glad Congress will quickly punish him for this outburst. Meanwhile Charles Rangel continues his Chairmanship unabated. Priorities Congress…priorities.
Dan

I made a LOLWilson: http://twitpic.com/h5zzr

Really, though, I hope this is the beginning of people waking up to insanity of the tea-bagging crowd.
Anonymous

I happily gave $100, myself, although I had never heard of Joe Wilson or Rob Miller before tonight.

I thought it was funny that I couldn’t even get on the guy’s web server to leave my own angry comment. I feel sorry for this guy’s staffers tomorrow, they’re going to be sailing through a shitstorm.
AnoniMouse

Resident historian here…

This isn’t the most outrageous thing to happen in U.S. political history. Charles Sumner called Illinois Rep. Brooks a “noise-some, squat, and nameless animal . . . not a proper model for an American senator” during a Senate address. He also talked trash about the South Carolina Sen’s mistress.

Brooks caned Sumner until he was unconscious.

http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/The_Caning_of_Senator_Charles_Sumner.htm
Hosidax

#44 – You got the story a little mixed up, but thanks for the link. I had never heard it before.
mdh

200K in donations almost equals what his opponent has taken in to date from the insurance industry.
Anonymous

Joomla! Logo
Joe Wilson
This site is down for maintenance.
Please check back again soon.

orly?
Anonymous

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/
Cicada

Of course, before the back-patting begins, we might have to wonder how much money Joe Wilson is getting _for_ yelling it…
AnoniMouse

The Wikipedia update…
http://twitpic.com/h59di/full
mdh

He must have thought it was Prime Ministers Questions.

I look forward to his come-uppance.
Anonymous

Zikzak: I’m probably not alone in being appauled by the Congresskritter’s behavior. Party affiliation has nothing to do with it. I would feel the same if a Dem had yelled “traitor” at GDub. It’s unseemly behavior regarless of how truthful the vitriol might be.
Cicada

@6- You never know– South Carolinians do have a bit of a history of rewarding rambunctious congressmen. See Preston Brooks for the notable example.
Anonymous

@ZIKZAK – Obama wasn’t lying about this particular issue. The legislation he was discussing will not aid illegal immigrants. Now, being a liberal, I think it would be better to treat people like people rather than finding reasons to discriminate against them. Which – I truly believe – is what this boils down to. Some people (read: Republicans) will never show our President respect because he is black. I just don’t think there is any other explanation for the birthers, indoctrinators, and you-liers. There is nothing the Obama can do to reason with these people and there is nothing he could do to make it any worse. So, I think it is time to leave the minority out of the discussion. Dems have the majority. It’s time to unilaterally use it. The Republicans have shown that they will never debate in good faith about the issues so we should stop trying to include them in our plans to better the country. They only want America to fail and we don’t need them.
Paul

@MDH

If he was at PMQs he’d have been barred from the house for a while.

Calling someone a liar in the House of Commons is considered *very* bad form. You are supposed to rebut “miss-truths” with facts, not by insulting the character of your opponent.

Besides, our MPs do a very good job of impugning their own characters without anyone else having to point it out.
roselucile

bwahaha

I love democracy in action.
Teresa Nielsen Hayden

I thought it was a hell of a speech, and I just wish Obama had made it months earlier. It was great hearing him say that the lie about “death panels” that the Republicans (esp. Palin) have been spreading so energetically is, to be blunt, a bare-faced lie.

The real reason the Republicans are upset is that overall support for the health care initiative jumped about twenty points overnight — and they’ve spent a hell of a lot more than $125K trying to defeat it.

No wonder they hate arguing issues on facts and merits.
Anonymous

I guess this is kinda obvious, or at least expected…”Obama speech disruptor a health industry darling” to the tune of $200k+

http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/09/10/obama-speech-disrupter-a-health-industry-darling/
Avram / Moderator

It’s up to $188 thousand.
Anonymous

American politics, where the truth is considered bad form… no wonder we are so screwed up.
Timothy Hutton

Oh, if only money could buy votes…
Phikus

I’m even more appalled about the mainstream media coverage I have glimpsed today of the event. Instead of discussing the fine speech; its content and intent; our president actually showing some backbone, they have given Joe Wilson a great deal of coverage and a soapbox. I saw one piece where they described the outburst and then cut to another rep talking about how he can understand why Joe feels the way he does on the issue. WTF? If anything like this had happened during the last administration, when it truly deserved to be (w lied every time he opened his mouth) public opinion would have come down on the uppity democrat like a ton of bricks and he would have been strung up for treason by the republicans while the dems distanced themselves…

This week’s This Modern World lampoons this inequity quite well.

Meanwhile, the GOP spin machine is hard at work blaming the president for the outburst. However, according to Salon, contributions to Rob Miller, Wilson’s opponent are now up to $400,000 since last night!
redconsensus

@ #14

You mean it doesn’t? American electoral history seems to suggest otherwise.
Anonymous

actually, that’s just the Kossacks donation page. He’s well over $230,000 altogether since yesterday at this point.
Dean Putney

It’s up to $500,000 now. Unbelievable.

http://www.thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/58077-wilson-dem-challenger-raises-100k-in-8-hours
Tdawwg

If only someone had yelled “You lie” when Obama pretended that single-payer was some chimera of the far left….

That said, respect the office, Repubs, even though (especially?) you don’t (can’t?) the man.