Seeking committee gavel, Joe Wilson looks to move on from 'You lie'
BY EMMA DUMAIN
edumain@mcclatchydc.com
March 28, 2018 09:42 AM
Updated March 28, 2018 10:09 AM
WASHINGTON - Rep. Joe Wilson, best remembered outside Washington as the guy who shouted “You lie” at President Barack Obama, is exploring a bid to be the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
It would be a chance for the South Carolina Republican to push a legislative agenda he’s been cultivating for years as a foreign policy wonk and prolific world traveler.
But it would also be a chance for Wilson to earn a title and distinction on the national stage beyond the one he now endures: As the guy who became nationally known for interrupting Obama as the president was addressing a joint session of Congress about health care, taking issue the commander-in-chief’s claims that undocumented immigrants would not receive insurance under the new law.
The congressman is still widely known solely for that act, and the reputation even follows him back home. In April 2017, Democratic constituents chanted “You lie” in a taunting slogan during a town hall event. This year, his Democratic challengers are reminding voters of the incident on the campaign trail, even if it’s just to refer to their Republican opponent as “Joe ‘You lie’ Wilson.”
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