CNN

Rep. Joe Wilson's wife has swine flu.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Rep. Joe Wilson's wife Roxanne has been diagnosed with swine flu, the congressman's office confirmed to CNN on Thursday.

The South Carolina Republican who gained instant notoriety in September for shouting "You lie!" at the president told The Hill newspaper on Thursday that he plans to keep his distance from his wife when he returns home this weekend.

Wilson said he plans to get the H1N1 vaccination soon, but only after "the majority of the American people" receive it.

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Washington, is the only member of Congress to have contracted swine flu. He tweeted the news on Monday, revealing plans to head off to "seclusion for a while" while he recovers.

Rep. Joe Wilson's wife has swine flu.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Rep. Joe Wilson's wife Roxanne has been diagnosed with swine flu, the congressman's office confirmed to CNN on Thursday.

The South Carolina Republican who gained instant notoriety in September for shouting "You lie!" at the president told The Hill newspaper on Thursday that he plans to keep his distance from his wife when he returns home this weekend.

Wilson said he plans to get the H1N1 vaccination soon, but only after "the majority of the American people" receive it.

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Washington, is the only member of Congress to have contracted swine flu. He tweeted the news on Monday, revealing plans to head off to "seclusion for a while" while he recovers.

Rep. Joe Wilson has raised $2.7 million so far this year, much of it as a result of his outburst.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Rep. Joe Wilson's congressional campaign spent nearly a quarter of a million dollars on an aggressive marketing and fundraising operation in the days after the South Carolina Republican shouted "You Lie!" at President Obama in early September, financial disclosure reports reveal.

So far this year, Wilson has collected about $2.7 million in contributions, most of which came in after the infamous outburst on Sept. 9 turned the little-known congressman into a household name. After the shout, his 2010 campaign organization set out to capitalize on the outpouring of support he received from conservatives around the country.

On Sept. 14, Wilson's campaign doled out $52,250 to the Virginia-based digital communications firm Active Engagement for web design and online advertising. On Sept. 16, the campaign paid $42,400 to retain the David All Group - a Washington-based Republican new media firm - to help boost Wilson's profile on Twitter and other social networking sites.

Piryx, a firm that processes online donations, received $72,007 from the campaign in September. Wilson's team also spent nearly $30,000 to rent a mailing list from the Richard Norman Company, a conservative fundraising organization in northern Virginia.

All told, the Wilson campaign spent roughly $235,000 on services related to fundraising and communications strategy.

Read the rest of this entry »

Wilson's infamous comment has resulted in $4.4 million of campaign cash.

(CNN) - How much are the words "You Lie" worth when directed at President Barack Obama on national television?

Well over $4 million collectively, newly filed campaign finance reports show.

According to the new Federal Elections Commission disclosure forms, South Carolina Republican Joe Wilson raised $2.7 through September 30 of this year, nearly all of it coming after the infamous outburst during Obama's September 9 prime-time address to Congress, Wilson's campaign told CNN.

Rob Miller, Wilson's likely Democratic opponent in next year's congressional election, has collected close to $1.7 million through September 30, 95 percent of which came after the "You Lie" incident, according to Miller's campaign. Wilson beat Miller by eight points in last year's election.

The combined $4.4 million cash haul has transformed what was once a low profile congressional race into what appears will be the most expensive campaign for a House seat in South Carolina history.

– CNN's Peter Hamby, Rob Yoon, and Alexander Mooney contributed to this report

Rep. Joe Wilson has become in demand on the GOP fundraising circuit since shouting at President Obama.

(CNN) – In the days after Joe Wilson shouted "You lie!" at President Obama during his address to Congress last month, the South Carolina congressman reached out to several of his longtime confidantes.

A graduate of Washington and Lee University, a school with a strict honor code, and a veteran of the Army Reserves, Wilson was worried he had disappointed those close to him by showing a lack of civility.

"Joe has always operated as a gentleman, and I think for anyone to question if he was continuing to do that is something that concerned him," his friend Ed McMullen said.

But the people close to Wilson assured him that beyond apologizing for the outburst, he did not need to be ashamed for questioning the president's sincerity in the health care debate. Wilson made the outburst after Obama denied his health care plan would cover illegal immigrants, then apologized to the White House later that night.

Full story

Rep. Joe Wilson sent a fundraising email to Republicans on Friday.'

WASHINGTON (CNN)– The man made famous for shouting 'you lie!' at President Obama is now making his pitch to Republican voters in a new e-mail accusing Democrats of being secretive and misleading the public to advance their health care agenda.

"Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats have continually rushed major legislation to a vote to ensure little to no public scrutiny," Wilson writes in the e-mail sent out by the National Republican Congressional Committee Friday.

According to Wilson, Republicans have asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to post 'major legislation' online for a minimum of 72 hours before votes are tallied so citizens have the opportunity to read the legislation.

"If we succeed, Americans can finally separate fact from fiction," He added.

On Thursday, Rep. John Boehner, the House minority leader, also criticized Democrats for continuing what he characterized as hurried efforts to force through their legislative proposals.

The American people "know that this majority, especially on major bills this year, haven't given lawmakers much of any time to actually read the bill," said Boehner, R-Ohio. "Each time this happens, the trust the American people have in their Congress is undermined."

Read the rest of this entry »

Georgia congressman: Wilson's outburst 'carefully calculated'.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Rep. Hank Johnson is standing by his comments that Rep. Joe Wilson's "You lie!" outburst at President Obama "instigated more racist sentiment" and could lead to a resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan.

Johnson, a Georgia Democrat, wrote in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on Monday that he doesn't think that most of Obama's opponents are motivated by racism, but that he believes Wilson's comments "winked at a racist element" and that there is a small but "racially motivated fringe" among those who disapprove of the president and his policies.

"Wilson is a canny politician," Johnson said. "His outburst was a carefully calculated appeal to a particular constituency who question the legitimacy of Barack Obama's presidency. The symbolism of his act, which violated the rules of the House and attacked the dignity of the president's office, emboldened and validated those who believe that President Obama, despite having been lawfully elected, is an illegitimate occupant of the White House."

Johnson said that some feel "resentment that the president of the United States is a black man" and that the "risk of violence is real." He said he believes some of the angry protests during town hall meetings over the summer were also motivated by racism and warned that if that element of some opposition is ignored, it will "fester, grow and come back to haunt us in ways we haven't seen in decades."

Read the rest of this entry »

Georgia congressman: Wilson's outburst 'carefully calculated'.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Rep. Hank Johnson is standing by his comments that Rep. Joe Wilson's "You lie!" outburst at President Obama "instigated more racist sentiment" and could lead to a resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan.

Johnson, a Georgia Democrat, wrote in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on Monday that he doesn't think that most of Obama's opponents are motivated by racism, but that he believes Wilson's comments "winked at a racist element" and that there is a small but "racially motivated fringe" among those who disapprove of the president and his policies.

"Wilson is a canny politician," Johnson said. "His outburst was a carefully calculated appeal to a particular constituency who question the legitimacy of Barack Obama's presidency. The symbolism of his act, which violated the rules of the House and attacked the dignity of the president's office, emboldened and validated those who believe that President Obama, despite having been lawfully elected, is an illegitimate occupant of the White House."

Johnson said that some feel "resentment that the president of the United States is a black man" and that the "risk of violence is real." He said he believes some of the angry protests during town hall meetings over the summer were also motivated by racism and warned that if that element of some opposition is ignored, it will "fester, grow and come back to haunt us in ways we haven't seen in decades."

Read the rest of this entry »

Joe Wilson and his online team turned what could have been a PR disaster, in to an online success story.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - When Rep. Joe Wilson yelled "You lie!" at President Obama, the South Carolina Republican's political team quickly launched an online strategy to capitalize on the incident.

Wilson's heated outburst came on the House floor as Obama addressed a joint session of Congress about health care.

Within 12 hours, Wilson media consultant Brian Donahue had sketched out a plan that included buying ads on Google, cutting videos on YouTube and using Twitter and Facebook to raise money and counter the congressman's critics.

"We knew that influencers and news outlets would want to find out more information about what happened and what Joe Wilson's response was, and they would be looking for this information online," Donahue told CNN. "The events were happening by the minute and by the hour. Online was where we needed to be to respond and provide new information from Congressman Wilson. Traditional print media couldn't keep up with the pace of this issue."

Full Story

Follow Eric Kuhn on Twitter @KuhnCNN

South Carolina congressman Joe Wilson has raked in more than $2 million since he shouted at President Obama.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – South Carolina Republican congressman Joe Wilson has now raised over $2 million in campaign contributions since he shouted "You lie!" at the president earlier this month.

A campaign aide confirmed that Wilson surpassed the $2 million mark on Monday.

Wilson and his 2010 opponent, Democrat Rob Miller, each raised more than $1.5 million in the week after Wilson's outburst, which occurred during President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress on September 9.

The House voted to formally reprimand Wilson last week, amidst an aggressive online fundraising effort by the congressman's staff.

Miller is scheduled to visit Washington on Wednesday for a pair of fundraisers on Capitol Hill.

South Carolina congressman Joe Wilson has raked in more than $2 million since he shouted at President Obama.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – South Carolina Republican congressman Joe Wilson has now raised over $2 million in campaign contributions since he shouted "You lie!" at the president earlier this month.

A campaign aide confirmed that Wilson surpassed the $2 million mark on Monday.

Wilson and his 2010 opponent, Democrat Rob Miller, each raised more than $1.5 million in the week after Wilson's outburst, which occurred during President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress on September 9.

The House voted to formally reprimand Wilson last week, amidst an aggressive online fundraising effort by the congressman's staff.

Miller is scheduled to visit Washington on Wednesday for a pair of fundraisers on Capitol Hill.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Embattled Rep. Joe Wilson said Friday his congressional outburst was his "town hall moment."

"I have to give credit to my son Alan," who is running for South Carolina attorney general. "He said, 'Dad I know you, I know what happened. You were there on the House floor and you had a town hall moment.' And that was it," said the Republican congressman.

Speaking in his hometown of Columbia, South Carolina for the first time since shouting "you lie" at President Obama, Wilson said that moment has made him the prime target of attack.

"It was speaking at the wrong place, wrong time," Wilson said. "And now, I am the number one target of Washington Democrats, the number one target of MoveOn, the number one target of ACORN."

Wilson called himself a "gentleman" for immediately contacting the White House to apologize, and commended the president for disagreeing with the sentiment that his outburst spurred from racism.

"I appreciate very much President Barack Obama has indicated this is not correct," Wilson said of the claims that he is racist. "...A number of people have all indicated that this truly we need to be discussing the issues and not (descend) into the level of name calling," he added.
Read the rest of this entry »

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford says he can feel Joe Wilson's pain.

(CNN) - South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford says he can feel Joe Wilson's pain.

Sanford on Thursday compared the scrutiny of Wilson - the Republican congressman who was formally reprimanded by the House of Representatives for shouting at President Obama - to the ongoing political war he has faced since revealing an extramarital affair in June. Sanford called it "the same dynamic."

"The guy apologized, and then you can have a bunch of other people come back and say, 'We want you to apologize again and again and again,'" Sanford told CN2 News in Rock Hill, South Carolina. "But what do people want out of federal representation? They want somebody representing them up in Congress."

"At some point in all of life, the question is not, 'When is someone going to make a mistake?', but 'When do the rest of us move on?,'" he said. "He apologized to the president. Does he have to issue 25 more apologies before folks will leave him alone?"

"Having seen some of this process a little up close and personal, my thought is it's time to move on," he concluded.

Rob Miller first challenged Republican congressman Joe Wilson in 2008.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Rep. Joe Wilson's Democratic challenger Rob Miller has collected more than $1 million online since Wilson shouted "You lie!" at President Obama, but next week Miller will be raising money the old-fashioned way.

The South Carolina Democrat, who has yet to make a public appearance since Wilson's outburst, will head to Washington for a pair of fundraisers on Capitol Hill.

A group of ex-staffers for former South Carolina Sen. Fritz Hollings and Rep. Jim Clyburn will host an event for Miller at a Capitol Hill restaurant on Wednesday, with a minimum suggested donation of $250, according to an invitation provided to CNN.

Later in the evening, Miller will head over to a Pennsylvania Avenue bar for a low-dollar meet-and-greet with "young professionals." The entry fee for that gathering is $20.10.

Wilson, meanwhile, continues to soak up online donations - the Republican has raised nearly $1.8 million since last Wednesday, including several thousand dollars since he was formally punished by the House on Tuesday for his outburst.

Follow Peter Hamby on Twitter @hambypCNN

Rob Miller first challenged Republican congressman Joe Wilson in 2008.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Rep. Joe Wilson's Democratic challenger Rob Miller has collected more than $1 million online since Wilson shouted "You lie!" at President Obama, but next week Miller will be raising money the old-fashioned way.

The South Carolina Democrat, who has yet to make a public appearance since Wilson's outburst, will head to Washington for a pair of fundraisers on Capitol Hill.

A group of ex-staffers for former South Carolina Sen. Fritz Hollings and Rep. Jim Clyburn will host an event for Miller at a Capitol Hill restaurant on Wednesday, with a minimum suggested donation of $250, according to an invitation provided to CNN.

Later in the evening, Miller will head over to a Pennsylvania Avenue bar for a low-dollar meet-and-greet with "young professionals." The entry fee for that gathering is $20.10.

Wilson, meanwhile, continues to soak up online donations - the Republican has raised nearly $1.8 million since last Wednesday, including several thousand dollars since he was formally punished by the House on Tuesday for his outburst.

Follow Peter Hamby on Twitter @hambypCNN

Michael Steele admonished Democratic critics Wednesday on CNN.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele on Wednesday sharply criticized a statement made by prominent Democrats - including Former President Jimmy Carter - that members of his party hold negative views of President Obama solely because he is black.

Steele accused Carter of being "dead wrong" and said he thinks the former Democratic president "was out of line."

"I think that he takes this to a point - to a level that is not reflective of what's been transpiring" in the current health care debate, Steele said. "When you go down this road and you start to just willy-nilly - as I believe President Carter has - throwing race out there, you diminish real instances of racism that needs to be addressed."

Carter on Tuesday said that he believes an inclination toward racism still exists in parts of the country and that it has "bubbled up to surface because of the belief by many white people not just in the south but around the country that African Americans are not qualified to lead this great country."

Carter made similar comments Wednesday night at a Town Hall in Atlanta, where he said that carrying signs equating Obama with Adolf Hitler and or urging that the president be buried with the late Sen. Ted Kennedy “are beyond the bounds” of how presidents have been treated in the past.

“And I think people who are guilty of that kind of personal attack against Obama have been influenced to a major degree by a belief that he should not be president because he happens to be African American,” Carter said. “ ... And my hope is, and my expectation is, that in the future both Democratic leaders and Republican leaders will take the initiative in condemning that kind of uprecendented attack on the president of the United States.”

Read the rest of this entry »

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The House of Representatives on Tuesday formally admonished Republican Rep. Joe Wilson for shouting "you lie" during President Barack Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress last week.

The House passed a resolution of disapproval on a 240-179 vote that was mostly along party lines, reflecting the Democratic majority in the chamber.

Five representatives voted "present."

According to the Office of the House Historian, it was the first time in its 220-year history that the House has disciplined a member for speaking out during a presidential speech in the chamber to a joint session of Congress.

During debate on the resolution, Wilson called the measure a waste of time and failed to offer an apology to the chamber as demanded by House Democrats.

Boehner: Wilson resolution a 'diversion'.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – House Minority Leader John Boehner told CNN a resolution of disapproval against South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson is a "diversion" to help Democrats avoid talking about health care.

Many Democrats have attacked Wilson for yelling "you lie" during President Obama's address to Congress last week, and the House is expected to vote on a resolution Tuesday disapproving of the Republican lawmaker's conduct on Tuesday afternoon. Boehner called Wilson, who has since apologized, a "good man" and said that he was "thankful that the president accepted his apology."

"This tactic on the floor today is nothing more than a diversion so that they don't have to talk about their government run health care plan," Boehner told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "I just think we ought to be talking about what the American people sent us here to do, and that's to solve the issues they're concerned about."

Read the rest of this entry »

Rep. Joe Wilson, R-South Carolina, shouts 'You lie!' during President Obama's recent address to Congress.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - House Democrats said Tuesday they will formally admonish Rep. Joe Wilson for yelling out in Congress that President Barack Obama lied, calling it a serious violation of the chamber's rules that must be rebuked to maintain civil discourse.

Republicans, meanwhile, rallied around Wilson, with many saying a planned resolution disapproving of Wilson's heckle is a petty partisan distraction from more serious issues.

The shout of "you lie" by Wilson during Obama's health-care speech to a joint session of Congress has become a major story on its own, with the House scheduled to vote later Tuesday on a resolution expressing disapproval. It is the mildest form of discipline the House can exercise for misconduct on the House floor.
Read the rest of this entry »