Washington (CNN) - The Republican congressman who gained notoriety for shouting "You Lie" at President Obama is happy that a gun seller has stopped selling a part for a semi-automatic rifle that was engraved with his infamous words.
This comes amid the debate over whether provocative political rhetoric inflames violence. The issue is getting fresh scrutiny in the aftermath of the deadly Arizona shootings that left six dead and 13 wounded, including Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-South Carolina, wrote a letter to the head of the Palmetto State Armory thanking him for discontinuing the sale of the rifle part. The company is based in the state capital of Columbia.
"I have been made aware of a AR-15 lower receiver being sold by Palmetto State Armory," Wilson wrote to Jamin McCallum.
"I thank you for quickly suspending sales of the product that uses my words."
Wilson signed the letter, which is dated Wednesday. Neal Patel, the congressman's Communications Director, forwarded it to CNN.
Patel told CNN that the gun and parts seller informed Wilson's office that it had pulled the product. "The Congressman was pleased with this news," Patel said in an email.
The ad for the "You Lie"-engraved AR-15 is no longer active on Palmetto State Armory's website.
However, the Free Times weekly newspaper in Columbia captured screen grabs of the Internet page before the ad was taken down.
The ad said, "Palmetto State Armory would like to honor our esteemed congressman Joe Wilson with the release of our new 'You Lie' AR-15 lower receiver." It added that only 999 would be produced and urged buyers to, "get yours before they are gone!"
The Free Times also featured a photo showing the "You Lie" AR-15 receiver next to a photo of Wilson holding a rifle next to another man who is also holding a gun.
Patel told CNN, "The picture was from a ribbon cutting in August 2010. It is unrelated to the AR-15."
Wilson screamed the words "You Lie" at President Obama during the president's health care address to Congress in September 2009. The outburst came after the president denied that health care legislation would provide free coverage for illegal immigrants.
Wilson later apologized.
CNN contacted Palmetto State Armory. But a phone message said, in part, "due to high order and call volume, we are not taking phone calls at this time." The message directs listeners to email the company.
CNN sent an email but did not receive a response.
From CNN Politics
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This incident, Palin's map, Angle's Second Amendment Remedy, the Tea Party's call to Water the Tree of Liberty, Beck and Limbaugh cries about the End of America as we know it, and more, did not cause but all contributed to the atmosphere that created the Arizona Hate Crime. Own it. Man up.
Thank you.
Joe Wilson was very disrespectful towards the President. I am glad that he apologized but his actions are part of a greater ugliness and division that has swept our nation.
This really shows how low people will lower theirselves to make a dollar.
Congressman Joe Wilson was only telling the truth. So, what's wrong with that?
you people need to get a grip......its about mental illness.... a lone mental deranged killer... thats it....
Shame on these partisan extremists that have hi-jacked the Republican party. This is just totally out of control.
Sure, he's thanking him now but was all sorts of happy about last week prior to the shooting. Hypocrites.
These are some really sick individuals. Palin and her crosshairs and Wilson and his rifle parts...which are connected to guns that transparently are intended with aim at the President. Had the Secret Service maybe considered doing its job and shutting this violence-inspiring nonsense down?
If I were Mr Wilson I would'nt want to show my face after his disrespectful remarks to a sitting president. He is just one in a long line of politicians who have shown they have no class or breeding. Disgraceful.
so it took a mass-murder to give joe a conscience? what a gelding. he has no cojones if he's going to back off his positions that easily.
He only wanted it stopped after this attack and they can't understand why people are connecting the dots between hate speech, total us or them attitudes in politics and these homegrown terrorists. By the way, who was it that said you're wity us or against us about Iraq?
These guys are sick. Sick, sick, sick.
I bet he was overjoyed when they FIRST started selling them. I bet he was flattered, and honored when he was told some sicko would put his quote on a gun part and sell it to the world. He's only happy now because there is no longer a weapon of violence out there with his words on it that can now hurt him politically, now that the current climate has shifted from violent rhetoric and inciteful words to that of peace and unity. Joe... you are a tool. A disrespectful tool for the Right.
Hindsight is always 20/20.
No longer being SOLD??? Why was it sold in the first place? What did it mean to engrave "YOU LIE" on a pistol??? Think about it and think about where it is coming from!!
Joe Wilson is nothing more than opportunistic lying scum...just like his brethren “Sarah Reload Palin” and the rest of the Cross Hairs Republican Party of Hate who freely and proudly spewed their vile fabricated 'patriotism' up until last Saturday.
Much like Palin, do the country a favor and finally shut your vile ‘patriot’ mouth.
All praise to God.
I want to know if he isi also lying about not knowing about this gun. I would think that the gun manufacturer would have had wilson's permission to sell the gun with his trademark tirade of "you lie".
If so, he is the liar, but then again, we knew that!
This LOOSER is why the GOP'ers are hate mongers/ They do not have a program except to enrich the rich, so they have to rely on cheap shots that are enticing to those who hate for the sake of hating.
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-South Carolina should think befor acting, what and how long dose it take for him to act like a gentman and a fellow human being ?
Kudos to congressman Wilson for requesting the gun not be sold. Good can come out of bad.
Oh but we dont have a problem with extreme rhetoric, as all of the defenders on the right would have us believe!
This guy and all who would buy an AR15 engraved with "You lie" are complete nutobs.
We get your message loud and clear. Bringing guns to rallies where the POTUS is speaking. making statements such as "Don't retreat reload". Using cross hairs on maps for political purposes. All of this is inflamatory and provoked a dangerous environment.
Now some nutjob has been pushed to the limit and goes out and shoots 19 people. and of course those who fanned the flames will claim no wrong doing. Some will even claim to be victims.(Blood libel? really???)
You fool NO ONE. I won;t buy an AR15 with any engraving nor will I buy any lame excuses, but I will say this: "YOU LIE".
The pathetic thing about this guy is that his 'heroic' outburst wasn't even factually correct. He just wanted to burst in and get his 15 minutes of fame, and he timed it at the wrong moment too. The fact was that Obama didn't lie in his statement, as factcheck.org itself pointed out.
But of course, facts aren't important to politicians. Their constituents will believe anything they want to hear. If this guy told them Bill Clinton conspired to sell nukes to Cuba, they would have believed that too.
It's politics. It's about them playing our anger. And boy are we suckers for it.
It's not that there is no shame in the world anymore, it's that people don't even realise that their conduct is shameful.