Obama, Liberals Crippling the Nation, Wilson Says

A small, attentive — and approving — crowd of constituents came out Monday night as S.C. congressman Joe Wilson held a town hall meeting in Lexington as part of his annual district tour. 

About 70 people, mostly middle-aged and seniors, showed up to hear the conservative Wilson of Springdale decry federal deficit spending, the continued lack of job creation and what he sees as the Obama Administration's failure to bolster small business.

"My heart is heavy right now about the direction of our country," Wilson said about the nation's unemployment situation. 

What's needed, he said, are policies to help small businesses create jobs. But costly Obama Administration stimulus packages, such as the one undertaken two years ago, and a new jobs plan being pushed by the White House are the wrong remedy, he argued.

Democrats and the White House, he said, have a "false belief you can spend yourself to happiness, to borrow yourself to happiness."

Wilson chided the Democratic-controlled Senate for erecting roadblocks and failing to take up a House-passed budget plan, drawn up by House Budget Committee chairman, Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), that would slash $6.2 trillion from the federal deficit over 10 years and dramaticaly reform entitlement programs such as Medicare.

"We have the legislation passed in the House" that would remedy the country's ills, "but sadly it has been blocked in the Senate," he said.

While town halls for members of both parties in recent years have often been marked by rancor among constituents, the crowd that came to hear Wilson on Monday night was squarely in his corner. The crowd often punctuated his statements with applause on any number of issues, which ranged from border security, to the economy, to Boeing's fight against the National Labor Relations Board regarding its new Charleston manufacturing plant, or to what Wilson called the nation's "culture war." 

Though typically and unfailingly affable and polite, Wilson created a national stir when he yelled, "You lie!" during President Obama's 2009 State of the Union speech. None of that impetuousness was on display Monday night, but several attendees gave Wilson high marks for his willingness to take a stand for his — and their — beliefs.

"I've always found him to be very articulate and very honest. I like his straightforwardness," said Janet Reynolds of Columbia. "I'm just thankful this man has the energy to keep going back every day and knocking his head against the brick wall. Because I think we're in a very frightening time in the nation. I feel we have a president that's taking us all the wrong way. And I pray that Joe Wilson is one of many up there that we may not be seeing, that we may not be hearing. We need to know that these men are there."

Wilson's remarks were brief. Mostly he responded to questions and comments from the audience. Some highlights:

One promoting religious values: "Sadly, we're in a culture war. And it breaks my heart…. We need to stand up for what's right…. We have to stand up for values in our country. We have the numbers [in Congress to do that] and I believe our numbers will increase next year…. We are at war with moral relativists. These are people where there is no right, no wrong, no good or no bad. It's not all in one party, but predominantly in one party [Democrats]. It's the ACLU and people like that."

On seniors and entitlement reform, primarily Social Security: "Anyone 55 and up, there would be no effect at all — because those people wouldn't be able to adjust their lives. Whatever you hear — 55 and up? No changes. People who are below 55, they would be given options. Such as personal accounts, where young people would be able to determine what they want to do…. But we are protecting senior citizens."

On utilizing the military and National Guard to secure our borders: "I do support that…. That could be a part of their training…. I think that's a great suggestion, and I do believe we can secure our southern border. I also believe that must be done…. I also believe in a fence, too. Good fences make good borders."

On restrictions to the Second Amendment: "I'm a staunch defender of the Second Amendment. I believe in the right to bear arms, and I'm grateful I've worked with the National Rifle Association all my life…. I'm very grateful that I was the floor leader (in the S.C. General Assembly) for the [state] concealed weapons permit [law]. We passed it by one vote. The liberals said, if law-abiding citizens could carry weapons it would be like the shootout at the OK Corral, and people would be shot on the streets. We know that's not the truth. In fact, we know that when people are armed, that reduces crime."

On the executive branch bypassing Congress, and regulatory overreach: "South Carolina, as you well know, has been under attack, beginning with Boeing…. Through regulation and (National Labor Relations Board) overreach under the Obama Administration, they are planning to close that plant. This is perverse…. This is unprecedented [trying to close a plant after it has been built]…. Eleven hundred families are at risk, and we asked the president about it, and he said he didn't have anything to do with it. But he appointed [a number of key people] at the NLRB, so he had a lot to do with it…. I'm just appalled. The federal government is just overreaching too much."

On "Obamacare" and repeal: "Reforms need to be done, but sadly Obamacare is really a centralization of power. It really has nothing to do with healthcare, all it is is placing in the hands of government officials the ability to determine your life…. I want a doctor-patient relationship. We don't need three people involved…. It's a board determining our lives. And these are unelected people…. I would vote to repeal Obamacare."

On tax reform: "[The tax code] is 65,000 pages. I support very much we look into eliminating that code, and that we look at alternatives. That can be a flat tax, it could be a form of fair tax. If we had a tax code that made sense, businesses could grow and hire people."