americanfreepress.org� in association with the Liberty Project� presents
associalisticpress.com� 30 Jul 2003
Back to the ap | The ap archives | Contact the ap | ap Retractions | tha malcontent
ap
/ associalisticpress.com�
Vs.
�
Congressman Admits to 'Poor
Judgment'
By DAVID ESPO
(Direct
descendent of Karl Marx! - tha malcontent)
Associated Press Writer Jul
23, 8:45 PM EDT (Posted for the Record on Jul 30)
WASHINGTON (AP)
�
The mighty stood humbled in the well of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Rep. Bill Thomas choking back tears as he confessed to poor judgment in approving the use of Capitol police to break up a meeting of Democrats on the committee he
chairs.
(ap)
- Leave it to the AP to focus on a REPUBLICan's response to a DemocRATS harassing,
sexist, and vulgar attacks against another in the House, along with other (D)'s
misbehaving, as opposed to focusing
on Starks (D) insinuation that another member in the House, of the other Party, was
a Homosexual by calling him a "fruit-cake" and a
"****-sucker". You can substitute a variation of
"Rooster" in the four letter form, for "****" and figure it
out yourself. Had this been Tom Delay (R) attacking a DemocRAT, Delay would
have been forced to resign by now, with the direct help of incessant coverage
and harping on it, day after day, on the part of the "Free Press". Instead, since
Stark is a DemocRAT, the focus is not on him, but on the REPUBLICan who tried to
put an end to Stark's offensive and threatening behavior by calling the Capitol Police because people were beginning
to be concerned for their personal safety thanks to these obscene attacks by a
DemocRAT! Classic protecting of your Party once again AP, I expect nothing less!
I am not interested in commenting the rest of this, what I have said in my
opening rant is all that needs to be said, the rest is self-evident! -
tha malcontent)
"As my mother would have put it, `when they were passing out moderation, you were hiding behind the door,'" said the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee - acknowledging the confrontational style that has been his trademark in a quarter-century in Congress.
"I learned a very painful lesson on Friday. As members you deserve better judgment from me and you'll get it," he said.
By his remarks, Thomas and fellow Republicans hoped to quell a controversy that flared on Friday when a routine committee meeting ended in a partisan clash that spilled onto the House floor. Democrats objected to changes Republicans had made overnight in a pension bill, and filed into the adjoining committee library to consider their next move.
Rep. Fortney Stark, the Democrat delegated to remain behind, objected futilely as Republicans approved the revised bill. Erupting in anger, he called one Republican a "fruitcake" and "wimp," and, Republicans allege, directed far coarser terms at Thomas.
Thomas' remarks on the House floor Wednesday amounted to an act of contrition but less than the full apology that Democrats had sought. Republicans applauded as he concluded his mea culpa, and many Democrats stood and clapped, as well, although less vigorously.
As soon as Thomas spoke, Rep. Charles Rangel of New York said, "I thank the chairman of my committee for what had to be a very difficult task for him ... and expressing regret for poor judgment."
Even so, neither side seemed fully content to let the matter rest.
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, one of a few members of her party not to stand in applause after Thomas spoke, told reporters that the record "does not bear" out a portion of the remarks he made. "So while I'm sympathetic to the generosity of spirit that it took for him to make those statements, and I respect the fact that he did that, it didn't mean that I had to stand up and cheer," she said.
On the other hand, Rep. Scott McInnis, R-Colo., the target of Stark's insults on Friday, said he would file a complaint with the ethics committee if Democrats pursue claims against Thomas. "This guy needs professional help," he said, noting Stark's history of using demeaning terms to describe Republicans.
Stark issued a statement last week saying he had used "words that were not becoming."
Other Republicans said they hoped Thomas' remarks should ease tensions. "It should lower the temperature," said Rep. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, sponsor of the pension bill that became caught up in the dispute.
Thomas' speech was an unusual event in the House, where heated oratory, not self-effacement, is the rule.
It was even more striking in the case of the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, a man with an acerbic style whose legislative domain extends to taxes, Medicare, trade and more. The Californian has long rubbed both Republicans and Democrats the wrong way, most recently this summer when he angered Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Thomas' negotiating partner in crafting a compromise tax cut.
"I believe my intensity has served useful purposes, fixing problems and passing laws that otherwise may not have made it," he told the House. "But when you're charged and entrusted with responsibilities by you, my colleagues, as I have been, you deserve better. Moderation is required," he said and promised to pursue it.
"I need your help and I invite it," he said.
Thomas said that "as a result of decisions made by members of the committee and by me as chairman, there was a breakdown of order and decorum" during the committee meeting. He said he asked his staff to call the sergeant at arms to re-establish order, and added "that was proper."
His mistake, he said, was to instruct his staff to have Democrats leave the library "and to enlist the support of the Capitol Police to do so if necessary."
Thomas did not say which of the two decisions was made first - one of the lingering disputes in the case. Democrats say the authorities were called to evict them before Stark's outburst.
� Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All
rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
(That depends on what the meaning of "may" is...
All commentary included on this website is the opinion of tha malcontent and is
based in the Truth. No Liberals, Marxists, Stalinists, Socialists,
Communists or DemocRATS were harmed in the making of this website, I promise!
- tha malcontent)
Don't do what you're polled to do!�
This web site is designed, maintained and edited by tha malcontent...
"what have you done for Liberty today?"
associalisticpress.com� is protected speech pursuant to the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and is faithfully enforced by tha malcontent via the Second Amendment to that same Constitution. Any reproduction or redistribution of this article will be seen as an awakening of a Patriot in this Great Republic by tha malcontent, and subsequently applauded! (copyrightwing 2000-2003)
associalisticpress.com�
an americanfreepress� organization 2000-2003
The ap� & The afp�
- the Liberty Project� -
Back to the ap | The ap archives | Contact the ap | ap Retractions | tha malcontent