South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson is turning his infamous “you lie” moment into a fundraising tool for his 2012 re-election campaign. In a blog post titled “I Was Right,” posted Friday on his “Joe Wilson for Congress” website, the Republican argues that he has been proven right in the two years since his outburst against President Obama.
“Nearly two years ago I made national news when I voiced your outrage at the misrepresentations being perpetuated by the Obama administration,” wrote Wilson. “The media and Obama’s liberal allies attacked me for only pointing out the truth that ObamaCare would cover illegal immigrants.”
“Yesterday, my point was vindicated when the Department of Health and Human Services announced its newest ObamaCare grant,” he added.
Wilson was referring to news that health care centers receiving “ObamaCare money” would not be required to check patients’ immigration statuses.
“He misled all of us,” Wilson wrote, without specifically accusing Obama again of lying.
“By serving as your voice, Nancy Pelosi made me one of her top targets in 2010. Her allies from all over the country dumped millions of dollars into my district and we spent record amounts of money, but in the end — we won — and we kicked Pelosi out of her speaker’s chair.” (RELATED: Court of Appeals strikes down Obamacare individual mandate)
Wilson asks for donations of $1,000, $500, or $250 on the Web page, while reminding prospective donors that an individual is limited to giving $2,400 per federal election cycle.
Joe Wilson made national headlines in September 2009 when he yelled “You Lie” during an address by President Obama to a joint sessions of Congress. The outburst, a significant breach of decorum, sparked immediate and harsh criticism. He later issued an apology, which the president accepted, and in 2010 Wilson won re-election with 53 percent of the vote.