Rep. Randy Neugebauer Owns Controversial Comment
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By Rachel Howell Stockton
At eleven p.m. last night, Rep. Randy Neugebauer made a name for himself that will likely go down in the annals of history.
As Rep. Bart Stupak (MI) was elaborating on abortion funding as related to the new health care bill, Neugebauer yelled “baby killer!”
Neugebauer, a conservative from the Texas panhandle, owned the now infamous remark; simultaneously, he apologized to Stupak, emphasizing that when spouting out the moniker, he was not referring to Stupak, but to the health care bill in general.
Randy Neugebauer’s outburst is leading some to compare him to Joe Wilson, who shouted out a similarly controversial remark last fall: while Obama spoke about the key points of the health care bill, Wilson yelled “you lie!”
Whether or not Neugebauer’s declaration will hurt his election bid next November remains an open debate. According to Newsweek, the legislator has no viable competitor in his staunchly conservative district. Indeed, his cohort Joe Wilson garnered three million dollars in donations after HIS outburst.
Foreshadowing of Things to Come?
Although the health care bill passed the House after making it through the Senate late last year, there are many critics of the package; what that actually means in terms of re-election for Democrats who voted for it remains to be seen.
Randy Neugebauer’s comment came a few days after the United States Council of Bishops made a formal declaration denouncing the bill, as the organization maintains that the federal government will be funding abortions (albeit indirectly),regardless of the fact that such financial aid has been illegal since the 1970s. According to the Council, the “right to life” is fundamental, and must come before every other social agenda that passes in front of the House and Senate.
Some political pundits are asserting that Randy Neugebauer’s comment is a clue as to what lies ahead in terms of political backlash because of the controversial passage of the health care bill.
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