October 20th, 2007
08:13 AM ET
8 years ago
Raving mad over Stark's comment
Rep. Stark's comments on Thursday were not the first controversial comments he has made on Capitol Hill. Dana Bash has more.
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Democrats in the House of Representatives failed Thursday to come up with enough votes to override President Bush's veto of a bill that would have expanded funding for children's health insurance. But, the words of a California Democrat during the debate on the legislation have garnered arguably as much attention as the stand-off between the President and Congressional Democrats over the bill. Dana Bash reports on the reaction to comments by Rep. Peter Stark, D-California.
Related video: Congressmen talk about SCHIP
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Most of America is extremely angry at Stark and his fetid remarks. He should be fired as he can't seem to do his job anymore. Vote the old med-head out of office. Are you going to delete this comment also, CNN? Hypocrite.
How dare he speak the truth! He should be interrogated.
All hail the Emperor and Long live the Empire!
Rep. Stark SHOULD NOT apologize. He was absolutely right and I believe in "Free Speech". Republicans are constantly trying to put Democrats on the defensive and always pretending to be "offended". Give me a break. I don't understand how the Bush Administration can spend BILLIONS of dollars for the supposed "war on terror", but won't fund children's health care. Pres. Bush is truly out of touch with the American people. With illegal aliens invading this country, a nationwide mortgage crises...thousands of families losing their homes and don't have health care, Pres. Bush remains oblivious.
Stark is 100% right. What CNN is not saying is WHY did the Democrats in the House fail to come up with enough votes to override our sick Presiden's veto???? Perhaps the few remaining Republicans has something to do with it?...you think? Republicans are self-serving...if they are not getting a piece of the pie then nobody gets a piece...If Corporate America/Republican cronies/Bush cronies...and on and on and on would benefit then the bill would have been passed. The rest of us Americans can, and are, just baggage to them.
This guy is a real Nitwit. Arnold recall this man. He just slapped every Armed Forces persons face. Active & Retired. Like me.
Give 'em hell, Pete. DO NOT apologize. Bush is a maniacal, fascist war criminal by any reasonable standard of judgement. Remember Bush as Governor laughing and imitating a woman who was begging him for her life? She died for his amusement.
YOUR WORDS MAY HAVE BEEN HARSH BUT THESE ARE HARSH TIMES WHICH DEMAND HARSH WORD THAT THIS PRESIDENT MIGHT UNDERSTAND.
I find it funny that Rep. James Clyburn will not say that the comments that Rep. Peter Stark were inappropriate. If a Republican said such totally ignorant and inappropriate remarks they'd be admonished. When will common sense replace politics in Washington? Who do these people in Washington represent?
This man is clearly mentally defective in som eway. His remarks are slanderous and reprehensible in every way. Beyond the fact it is devoid of any truth, the House' "non-response" and failure to shut him down during this diatribe makes them complicit in giving aid and succir to our avowed enemies who are applauding this type of discord and vitriole in our own ranks. Shame, Shame.
>>>have garnered arguably as much attention
According to WHO??? The Right. And CNN.
This is another trademark distraction from the real issue of George Bush's VETO OF CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE and the GOP who sustained the veto.
The words were *NOT* found to be out of order. The words were *NOT* stricken from the record.
NON-ISSUE.
CNN's own poll:
Should he apologize?
Yes 8% 741
No 92% 8690
More sensationalist garbage by CNN trying to boost ratings. Nice try.
Let's get back to SCHIP and providing health care for ALL CHILDREN please.
A real class act, this character. I don't care what he "feels" in his heart of hearts, or what motivates him - this was a total and disgraceful lack of character. Prozac, anyone?
If one is going to bring notes to the podium, use them. Starkie shows his age and confusion here... let's watch him closely. It may be ime to call him home.
This is so silly. The GOP is using this to hide their own House problems. Look at these very recently released House rankings with detailed descriptions of every race to see how much Dems have an advantage.
Democrats want to take us from SCHIP to Universal Health Care to COMMUNISM! Republicans on the other hand just want to takes us to Larry Craig's meeting place.
Amusement was the wrong choice of words. I think He should have said for Bush's giant ego gratification. Other than that i don't see much wrong with his comments. As a decorated veteran i am not in the least offended, Blatant stupidity and blindly following a failed leader offend me more. Have at it hate jocks. None of which have EVER served, No, None folks. The local one said he wanted to serve in vietnam but his eyesight was to bad, Hmm. I remember setting on a listening post in vietnam when my glasses broke because as the captain said," You don't need your eyes to hear them." So much for that line of crap .
Peter Stark is a disgrace to the congress. His comments ought to require an apology. First of all We do not need goverment health care. We need to take care of the illegal imigrants then they won't need goverment funded health care. If they come here legally they can. Pay taxes and recieve health care they helped pay for. The way to solve health care is to stop the Trial Lawyers from getting rich on medical libility suits. Put a cap on the amount doctors and hospitals can charge. Make health care more affordable. Has anyone ever stood in line to pay property taxes or renew your drivers license. Is that the way you want health care. Other countries with goverment health care come to the United States because their is a long wait on treatment for basic emergencies like cancer Heart bypass's last I knew that is not something you can wait on. We already have health care for the poor its called medicaid. when some one is down on their luck and need health care medicaid is awesome but I hope it goes to people who are legal and have paid taxes to help provide it. But more important I don't want the goverment telling me what doctor I have to see and what hospital I have to go to. Have you kept up with the goverment hospitals lately Walter Reid and any VA hospital have a bad reputation. Any one who has dealt with the goverment knows often you a waiting on funds for congress to approve each year for you to operate on. That's not how I want my health care.
Pete tells the truth and the warmongers get upset. Well, live with it.
This man's comments were beyond the pale! Censure would be VERY appropriate in this case, I hope Harry will be as quick to condem this outrageous remark that he heard firsthand.
I see again that CNN took my comments down because it blasted this Nitwit who spit in the faces of the troops and America in a time of war.
Disgusting. You know you've descended into partisan oblivion if you give this guy a pass on his remarks about the President.
Disgusting. You know you've descended into partisan oblivion if you give Rep. Stark a pass on his remarks. Shameful.
This Stark is a nut case, it is scary to think a mentally challegened is a member of the Congress, either that I think he should be tested for illegal drugs.
What a disgrace!
There's the old adage "TRUTH HURTS."
In this case it has obviously disturbed politicians (and others)who are encased in their own environment of lies and falsehoods as spewed forth by the administration and the folks on capitol hill!
Oh, thanks ever so much, Dana and CNN, for letting the GOP continue to create a "controversy" to distract from the facts: they can't find an extra $30B over 5 years to keep kids in this country healthy, but they can dump that same amount down the Iraq war money pit every 6 months (one Freidman Unit) indefinitely.
Your reporting on this is at least as shameful as the behavior of the GOP congresscritters themselves. I'm sure it was Republican leaders who spoon-fed Dana the previous quotes from Stark about his GOP colleagues to keep this "story" going.
Please – do us all a favor, stop letting the Republicans lead you by the nose, and realize that the country wants CNN to focus on policies and not personalities.
This will probably lead to another letter or bill condemning what he said. Maybe he can auction it on ebay and donate it to volunteer community health clinics. Seems like the only things these clowns can get passed in the Congress is bagging on someone when they say something the other doesn't agree with.
So much to do in this country and all they can do is call names, then decry the name calling with 'legislation' or a 'letter'.
Turks-Armenians, Limbaugh-Reid, Obama-Tanner, MoveOn-Patraeus.
These jokers have all taken their eye off the ball. Get rid of them all and hold a lotto type representative government.
Pick 5 registered voters that are citizens for each district, have them debate and the then the people vote on which of the 5 they want to send forward as a representative. 2 terms and you go home, period.
We need a Viagra for this type of ED (Electile Dysfunction).
I am SICK and TIRED of the moronic do nothings in this government.