RSS Feed MenuLast week, the Young America’s Foundation (YAF) sent out an email blast urging members to twitter the fact that Congressman Joe Wilson would be headlining their annual conference on leadership at the Reagan Ranch.
YAF urged potential participants to ‘RESIST’ (what, exactly?) by attending the West Coast Leadership Conference at Reagan’s old digs in Santa Barbara, California:
Those who knew Reagan describe him as the polar opposite of Rep. Joe Wilson – or at least the public image that Wilson has established. President Reagan “was even-tempered. When you look back on it, over eight years in California, eight years as President, he never attacked people in [Joe Wilson's] sense… Reagan is a different kind of a person… He didn’t get upset,” pointed out Martin Anderson, co-author of three books on Ronald Reagan and one of the late President’s senior policy advisors.
When asked by NewMajority what Ronald Reagan might have thought of him speaking at the Reagan Ranch, Representative Wilson admitted that he “made a mistake [and] acted inappropriately,” noting that he had offered an apology to the White House. Wilson hypothesized that “Reagan would have… accepted my apology and moved on.”
YAF spokesperson Jason Mattera defended Joe Wilson in an interview with NewMajority, asserting that Wilson has “been a conservative leader in the House with a solid conservative voting record… students want to hear him. He’s a gutsy guy who is bold and says it like it is.”
But the fact remains that Rep. Wilson’s only claim to notability was his interruption of the President of the United States during a joint session of Congress. Had he not displayed incredible rudeness during the President’s speech, it is highly unlikely that he would have been invited to talk at the YAF conference.
It’s a poor recommendation for a position of leadership – and a sad decline from the standards set by the great president at whose ranch Wilson will speak- presumably uninterrupted by jeering.
Churl // Oct 8, 2009 at 4:15 pm
“Bonzo, not Reagan”
What do the Sisters of Our Lady of Civility have to say about this one?
Geoff C // Oct 8, 2009 at 4:35 pm
Groan…
mlindroo // Oct 8, 2009 at 4:56 pm
The following bit would seem to be beyond dispute:
> Rep. Wilson’s only claim to notability was his interruption of the President of the United States
> during a joint session of Congress. Had he not displayed incredible rudeness during the
> President’s speech, it is highly unlikely that he would have been invited to talk
> at the YAF conference.
As annoying as George W. Bush sometimes was, it would be fairly silly if some lefty Middle East policy foundation would invite Muntazer al-Zaidi just because he once threw a shoe at “the Shrub” during a press conference…
MARCU$
ottovbvs // Oct 8, 2009 at 5:47 pm
……..Wilson is a bumpkin and hence in 2009 a Republican hero
FRANKCOLLATT // Oct 8, 2009 at 5:55 pm
We’ll keep Joe Wilson, and give you libs Rep. Alan Grayson from Florida; since all you both seem to do is poor mouth others, and offer no solutions to America’s Problems. Libs find it easier to fault-find, belittle, humiliate, and demean someone, rather than think positively, offer solutions, and truly help one another. No wonder you left wing loons are so miserable as human beings!!
Is Liberalism a Mental Illness?
Chekote // Oct 8, 2009 at 8:32 pm
The man apologized for his outburst. Give it a rest. And, yes. Obama was less than truthful during his speech to Congress.
greg_barton // Oct 8, 2009 at 11:27 pm
You lie!
johnmarzan // Oct 9, 2009 at 2:55 am
Those who knew Reagan describe him as the polar opposite of Rep. Joe Wilson
OBAMA IS REAGAN! did you not get the memo?
mlindroo // Oct 9, 2009 at 10:14 am
> The man apologized for his outburst. Give it a rest.
You miss the point, Chekote. Wilson’s apology is of course perfectly valid and acceptable.
But the point here is that he is essentially an almost total nonentity who was invited *ONLY* because he rudely interrupted the President’s speech. He wasn’t famous in conservative circles the way the other headline act (Victor Davis Hanson) is.
MARCU$