Paul Broun condemns town hall question, ‘Who’s going to shoot Obama?’
U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, R-Athens, just issued a sharp condemnation of a constituent who, at a town hall meeting this week, raised the prospect of violence against President Barack Obama.
A spokesman for Broun also confirmed that his office contacted the Secret Service to report incident.
Broun’s relatively quick reaction is an indication of a changed climate since last month’s shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona. The incident happened on Tuesday night, but didn’t get widespread play until Thursday.
A Broun staffer, as reported by the Athens Banner-Herald, almost immediately called the question “inappropriate.” Broun himself weighed in once it became clear that — this morning — the incident was developing national legs.
From Broun:
“Tuesday night at a town hall meeting in Oglethorpe County, Georgia an elderly man asked the abhorrent question, “Who’s going to shoot Obama?” I was stunned by the question and chose not to dignify it with a response; therefore, at that moment I moved on to the next person with a question.
After the event, my office took action with the appropriate authorities. I deeply regret that this incident happened at all. Furthermore, I condemn all statements—made in sincerity or jest—that threaten or suggest the use of violence against the President of the United States or any other public official. Such rhetoric cannot and will not be tolerated.”
The Washington Post has dipped in with this:
According to Ed Donovan, a Secret Service spokesman, the situation has been looked into.
“We’re aware of the incident and the appropriate steps were taken,” Donovan told me. “At this point it’s a closed matter.”
A law enforcement source confirmed that the Secret Service interviewed the constituent and determined that he or she was an “elderly person” who now regrets making a bad joke.
Here’s the original post on the incident, first recounted by Blake Aued of the Athens Banner-Herald. The remark, Aued wrote, got a big laugh from the crowd.
Aued also captured what he said was Broun’s immediate response:
“The thing is, I know there’s a lot of frustration with this president. We’re going to have an election next year. Hopefully, we’ll elect somebody that’s going to be a conservative, limited-government president that will take a smaller, who will sign a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare.”
Broun spokesman Austin Carson disputes that. “[Broun] made no response to the original question except to say, ‘Next question,’” Carson said. The words above that Aued reported, the spokesman said, was Broun’s answer to the next question. Which was also apparently critical of the president.
Clearly, many people will question whether Broun’s response was swift or strong enough. Among them are Senate Minority Leader Robert Brown, D-Macon:
“Congressman Broun showed no leadership, no tact, and no courage. No elected official should tacitly agree that shooting the president is an acceptable act. He should apologize for his stunning lack of moral courage to the citizens of Georgia, and to the president himself.”
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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202 comments Add your comment
Cutty
February 25th, 2011
3:07 pm
A day late, and a dollar short. Literally.
Bmipp
February 25th, 2011
3:08 pm
@ AsMyGuitarGentlyWeeps — I do not disagree with your retort…see my post “Throwing epithets from both sides of the aisle rather than considering the real issues at hand, however, is not productive.” I did not imply that only liberals/dems do this. It is a nationwide, political wide epidemic.
@ middler and so tired of all the rhetoric — First off, to ignore is not to condone…that is really just too broad a statement. I overhear people in public say things I disagree with all of the time, and I often choose not to confront them; doesn’t mean I therefore condone what they said. And to say that [Obama] is the first president to be so disrespected as a person and as a president proves you have a short memory. I don’t think George Bush was a great president, and I disagreed with a lot of his policies, but at least based on what I heard during his 8 years, he was very much publicly disrespected as a person by his opponents. And he was not the first to be personally attacked.
hotlanta
February 25th, 2011
3:16 pm
Here is my Friday night activities. Eat dinner, wash dishes and channel surf from Dateline and Primetime Live to see how other folks kill their husband/boyfriends/wives and girlfriends. Got some batteries in case my remote wears out from all of that channel surfing. I miss my Thursday night fix of “To Catch A Predator”.
Tired of the BS
February 25th, 2011
3:22 pm
Let’s get the same person who shot Bush……WOW! Completely inappropriate on both ends but why am I so not surprised. The day I stand to say the pledge or voluntarily contribute to this country in anyway is the day that someone is planning to shoot me! SCREW AMERICA!
Steve
February 25th, 2011
3:23 pm
“I condemn all statements—made in sincerity or jest—that threaten or suggest the use of violence against the President of the United States or any other public official. Such rhetoric cannot and will not be tolerated.”
IOW, It’s perfectly okay to suggest the use of violence toward individuals in general, but heaven forbid you do that in reference to an elected official, because they are ‘worth more’ or something; this is why they ‘deserve’ things like whopping pensions and health care that is far superior to everyone else’s.
P.S. Robert Brown is a jackass too.
adavis62
February 25th, 2011
3:23 pm
It’s sad that people are showing thier true colors. 1st you have a person making threats against the President of The United States and then you have an elected offical who heard the comment and decided to overlook it until days later. I’m sure that once the comment was made, someone else either cheered or agreed with the guy making the comment. It doesn’t matter any more, people are still mad because we have a black president. Say whatever you want in your home about the president, but out in public it’s not repectful. No matter what or who it’s our president.
Brin
February 25th, 2011
3:25 pm
Congressman Broun was caught off guard…give him a break..Just imagine if you are in a town hall meeting fielding questions and out of nowhere comes a question like that..the normal reaction would be to move on to another question and ignore it rather than make an issue out of it , especially if the person was elderly and obviously not a threat..I think he just moved on to diffuse what could have been mishandled and turned into something ugly given how some of the town hall meetings have gone lately. Back off people and give the congressman a break – he had to think on his feet and you were not there to read the mood of the room..he was.
Say whaaa?
February 25th, 2011
3:27 pm
Before you dismiss this joker as another elderly nutcase, remember that Von Brunn — the man who shot up the Holocaust Museum — was 89 years old.
ATL Guy
February 25th, 2011
3:28 pm
I’ll just chalk this up to an old racist narrow minded Conservative speaking his mind to people of his own mindset.
melvinowens
February 25th, 2011
3:30 pm
once again, a conservativwe, so-called religious republican congressman, with his silence condoned the suggestion of violence against the president because he is not a conservative, or maybe because he is also not white
George W Bush
February 25th, 2011
3:30 pm
When all of you stupid people start condemming all the attacks the lame-stream media and the wacked-out left made ab out me and my family THEN and only THEN do you have a right to speak on this issue. Idiot Obama supporters…
tim pattillo
February 25th, 2011
3:30 pm
I’ve been reading about this for 3 days. He didn’t condemn anything. He laughed and empathized. Been waiting for any newspaper in GA to report this. Too late, and WRONG.
old biker
February 25th, 2011
3:31 pm
once again you have all bought into jim g’s kool aid….he writes a few measley words and all of ga weighs in with insults, rancor and deliberate jabs at one another. meanwhile, jim is having a soy latte with artifical sweetner with his feet up on the desk waiting for his paycheck to be cut…..silence is golden. quit commenting on his drivel and see how long he is around. traditional news is dying anyway…..my 2 cents…keep the change
Mike4590
February 25th, 2011
3:32 pm
Coming from up north it’s obviously problems down south.In the suburbs I’ve never seen so many confederate flags in my life.And now hearing comments like this does not surprise me being down here.It’s totally on called for by anyone.
Road Scholar
February 25th, 2011
3:34 pm
Larry: (I apologize to all people of color and heritage, and to the AJC now.) Yas Masta, that liberation was mighty white of you. Esp the threats of the Klan and the hangings, lynchings, rapes,etc your race caused while they didn’t allow us to have the equal rights of free men after our liberation for over 100 years.
What crap you are filled with!
The far right has no awareness of fairness, lost rights, compassion or Christianity. Everything is ok as long as it agrees with their uneducated,little minds and their total lack and understanding of history.
To all: A poster above stated that we have to rise above the left/right, repub/demo, conserve/liberal namecalling or else we are doomed as a free nation. I agree! Instead of calling names, find solutions that ALL can live with. Solve our problems instead of creating or being one! Enough is enough! Move forward after learning from the past!
George W Bush
February 25th, 2011
3:35 pm
Then go back North Mike……or come out to Texas with me.
Let the Big Dawg Eat
February 25th, 2011
3:36 pm
Representative Broun is to be commended for his prompt, unequivocal response to the abhorrent rhetoric of his constituent.
LawDawg
February 25th, 2011
3:37 pm
Just a tip: if you want to be taken seriously, using the name “Vick Supporter” is starting you out at a deficit with most people who read this blog.
Jim T
February 25th, 2011
3:40 pm
Terrible talk and totally uncalled for.
Wonder if Congress will condemn Rep Michael Capuano of Mass. for telling the union ‘thugs’ it’s time to bloody some noses?
When are the people in this country going to wake up and see this diviseveness is going to destroy all of us.
Maybe when a “non-divisive” president takes office?
Sad Day
February 25th, 2011
3:41 pm
By the way, I don’t care that he is black, but I CAN care to not like his politics!
Sad Day
February 25th, 2011
3:43 pm
I would never condone the kind of garbage that was said at the meeting, but I am tired of the race thing being brought out every time someone disagrees with Obama’s politics/agenda.
bigdawg
February 25th, 2011
3:46 pm
Please send me the link where someone on the left asked “who is going to shoot Clarence Thomas.”
Broun is just the latest neo-con to give tacit approval to nutjobs with guns – that is until the national media puts it out and now he’s peeing all over himself to try to rewrite history.
With the tripe they keep running up the flagpole, the G-NO-P stands NO CHANCE IN 2012
fergie
February 25th, 2011
3:46 pm
Jim. Can you put another picture of yourself on the internet. You are one stupid looking white man.
Traci
February 25th, 2011
3:46 pm
Why do people always have to reach back — to such and such says it too! — STICK with the issue – right now. This person is WAAAAAAY WRONG. and NO ONE bellied up to the bar to say —- enough of this stuff. This is exactly how – CRAZY stuff happens. then no one wants to take blame when it goes down.
We all know this should have been SHUT DOWN — the minute it came out of his mouth.
George W Bush
February 25th, 2011
3:47 pm
Remember Jim T…………the RIGHT is the only group who has to apologize for making sick, racist, unbelievable statements. The radical leftists can say anything and everything they want because it is never seen as mean-spirited by the lame-stream media and Jim Galloway at the AJC ( Cynthia Tucker as well ). The left just blames their abhorrent talk on……hmmmmmmm…wait…its coming to me…..the leftists moonbats blame everything on…….ME!!!! George W. (sigh….)
bigdawg
February 25th, 2011
3:50 pm
Why do so many people on here hate people who are smart?
Old biker: smart people built your Suzuki…many of them liberals who believe science is a good thing!
Of course, you’re going to write that you “wouldn’t own any Jap POS, I got me a Harley!” Yes, you and your three teeth look great in you Kaiserhelm!
bigdawg
February 25th, 2011
3:51 pm
Hey W, who has the left killed? Name me someone, anyone!?! We don’t kill doctors! We don’t kill Denver radio hosts! We don’t KILL TO SOLVE OUR IMAGINED PROBLEMS OR SLIGHTS!
ncgreybr
February 25th, 2011
3:52 pm
Considering it was Broun speaking to the group, I’m surprised you didn’t hear cheers from the crowd when the fool made his remark. He put a large sign in an area at my business. It’s a “strip mall” with a common area. He is disliked by some of us so much that we got together and banned all political signs from the common area. He is an embarrassment to us. In order to keep myself from being rude and not shaking his hand I just made myself busy with customers when he came in my store to meet me. I literally didn’t want to touch the man. There are only two or three people I feel that strongly about.
To say the guy lacks a concept of morality is a gross understatement. This is just another example that proves it.
George W Bush
February 25th, 2011
4:00 pm
Uh bigdawg…..that’s not the issue I am talking about…..put down all your lottery tickets for just a minute and go back and read my post without any distractions, then you might understand what I am talking about. You are a great example of why America needs a voucher system for education. Reading your posts makes me wish I would have done more to save the children from government education.
Have a good sir.
Drew
February 25th, 2011
4:02 pm
Someone should investigate Paul Broun for his comments on socialism. His comments give aid and comfort to the enemy.
George W Bush
February 25th, 2011
4:04 pm
@ncgreybr
Dude…….your district is LUCKY to have a guy or Broun’s intelligence and work ethic. He made a mistake….he apologized….end of story……..You should really take the Obama Kool-Aid off of your menu. It’s distorting otherwise intelligent people.
what a fine state of denial we live in
February 25th, 2011
4:08 pm
He was only about 2 and a half days too late. He should have layed into the idiot on Tuesday night.
Let the Big Dawg Eat
February 25th, 2011
4:16 pm
In the immortal words of Rodney King, “Can’t we all just get along?”
what a fine state of denial we live in
February 25th, 2011
4:17 pm
Brin Broun apparently cannot think on his feet, while sitting or laying down. Another fine Georgian Republican who has never had an original idea of his own, in his life.
ncgreybr
February 25th, 2011
4:17 pm
George W…You need to give me whatever you’ve been smoking because with that I won’t need any kool-aid! Intelligence and work ethic? I sure hope you’re not driving today!
George W Bush
February 25th, 2011
4:24 pm
In the immortal words of Johnnie Cochran…..If da glove don’t fit….you must aquit.
George W Bush
February 25th, 2011
4:27 pm
Not smoking anything…….and not driving……just tired of all the “thrill up my leg ” Chris Matthews mentality going on in America today.
This is change you can believe in? Wonder if Obama would like to eat those words right about now…record debt, unemployement hovering at 10%, riots all over the Middle East, gas prices going up, his ban on drilling for oil in the US and Gulf because one awl may die, etc.
George W Bush
February 25th, 2011
4:28 pm
owl…sorry
not impressed
February 25th, 2011
4:29 pm
I just don’t know what the republicans are thinking. this is just the kind of crap that happens whe you demonize a person. I think the whole tea party needs to be looked at by the secrete service
ncgreybr
February 25th, 2011
4:33 pm
And if McCain and Barbie were in the White House the unemployment would be 5%, the budget would be balanced, gas would be .99, the Gulf spill would not have occurred and peace would be everywhere….yeah…keep smoking it!
Alpha23
February 25th, 2011
4:35 pm
He was just saying something that is on everyone’s mind!!!!
Pass the pretzels!
February 25th, 2011
4:40 pm
Obama should invite Ol’ Grandpa to the White House for a Beer Summit!
james
February 25th, 2011
4:50 pm
what happened to the republicans and tea party,all i hear sounds like the 1948 dixiecrats.like mr deals crack about”ghetto grandmothers .
Stuart
February 25th, 2011
4:56 pm
Honestly, who’s really surprised by this? And who’s surprised that gutless halfwit waited 3 days to say anything? All someone has to do is read the comments to this site for a week and you’ll see why Georgia still has some of the most bigoted idiots in the country, along with some of the finest, intelligent and most creative people in this country. This isn’t Republican or Democrat. It’s just absolute shame for the lack of respect being shown a man who was undoubtedly far more intelligent at 5 than any of the mouthbreathers criticizing him are now.
1 st. amendment
February 25th, 2011
4:57 pm
Actually kind of tame compared to comments that our founding fathers made. That’s what the first amendment is all about. You don’t condemn the language just the act if it is committed.
ncgreybr
February 25th, 2011
4:58 pm
Alpha…NO! There are only a small group of very sick people like you who have that on their minds…or what you call a mind.
crass realist
February 25th, 2011
4:59 pm
Liberal = LOSER.
Obama is the worst president EVER. He makes Jimmy Carter look like an accomplished genius by comparison.
VOTE HIM OUT before our republic is no more!!!!!!
kj
February 25th, 2011
5:00 pm
Apparently everyone who thinks all the “violence and hatred” is only coming from the right hasn’t seen any of the videos of union protesters in WI, OH and other states over the last week or so. Pot, meet Kettle. Both sides are doing this, it matters not who started, it’s the fact both continue it. Shameful.
catlady
February 25th, 2011
5:00 pm
Quick? Quick?! It happened Tuesday night. Rep. Broun HEARD IT SAID Tuesday night. Then on FRIDAY he he issues a statement???!!! And that is quick??? Thank God no one was bleeding to death!!!
Ann Culter
February 25th, 2011
5:02 pm
if liberals had brains they would be republicans