As NewsBusters reported Friday, Rep. Pete Stark (D-Cal.) made some rather disgusting comments on the floor of the House last week about kids being sent "to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president`s amusement."
On Tuesday, Stark took to the floor once again, this time remarkably to apologize for his previous statement.
As the broadcast networks almost completely ignored Stark's comments Thursday - not one of the evening news programs bothered to report it all - one wonders whether the Congressman's statement today will get any more attention.
After all, what left-thinking media outlet is going to want to report a Democrat Congressman actually apologizing to a Republican President this way (video available here, h/t Hot Air):
I want to apologize to my, first of all my colleagues, many of whom I have offended, to the President and his family, to the troops that may have found in my remarks as were suggested in the motion that was just voted on. And I do apologize. And, for this reason: I think that we have a serious issue before us. The issue of providing medical care for children. The issue of what we do about a war we are divided about ought to end. I hope that with this apology I will become as insignificant as I should be, and that we can return to the issues that do divide us, but that we can resolve in a better fashion.
Any bets as to whether or not this gets covered tonight?
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Follow him at Facebook and Twitter.
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What a class act. I
October 23, 2007 - 17:14 ET by NortonalecWhat a class act. I ALMOST believed him, until he started talking about the schip stuff. He just could'nt help himself, he had to inject some anti-war b.s. in his "apology" also. What a jerk.
Nortonalec
They'll report it, but they
October 23, 2007 - 17:19 ET by KevroyThey'll report it, but they won't play the line where he apologizes to the President and First Lady. They'll play the part where he apologizes to his 'colleauges" and then the reporter will vaguely mention that the apology was also directed at "Mr. Bush".
Then at the bottom of the screen, we'll see the banner, "Democrats Reaching Across The Aisle?", while the reporter intones something along the lines of, "Are Democrats making a concerted effort to break the partisan divide with their Republican colleauges? It certainly seems so. Why, just this week Sen. Reid worked hand in hand with rightwing conservative talk show host, Rush Limbaugh, to raise 2 million dollars for charity..."
The blathering, spattering
October 23, 2007 - 17:22 ET by bigtimerThe blathering, spattering Matthews mentioned it....
Barely..
Just so he will be able to say he reported this despicable tripe from Stark, just like most other talking heads may... and use the word may lightly here, do the same tonight on the other shows, they have their talking points in...and if they comment on it, it will be spun to death...again.
he's not sorry
October 23, 2007 - 17:23 ET by CatherwoodMore sugar! I never heard him actually apologize. He did not say I am sorry. Here we have a perfect example of a liberal dim who hates President Bush so much that he cannot think straight. It's scary to think that imbeciles like him have power in this country. Maybe the liberals have already taken over.
Where's the video coverage
October 23, 2007 - 17:48 ET by DaMavWhere's the video coverage of him reportedly blubbering and crying after he left the floor? Nobody got it? Doesn't the media cover Congress anymore?
from the Fox story:
"After his mea culpa, Stark walked walked off the floor to the Democratic
side of the chamber and for at least five minutes stood sobbing while
fellow Democrats gathered around him. Reporters close to the Speaker's Lobby were not able to hear why he was crying."
http://www.foxnews.c...
Oh boo-hoo-hoo...have Barney
October 23, 2007 - 17:50 ET by bigtimerOh boo-hoo-hoo...have Barney Frank pass him an all day sucker.
Yes, this would add a
October 23, 2007 - 18:21 ET by DaMavYes, this would add a certain... uh, 'schadenfreude seasoning' to the wormwood and bile stew the nutroots are currently downing at key locations throughout the internets, complementing the generous side of crow alla bolognese.
Come on, didn't someone the
October 23, 2007 - 19:08 ET by motherbeltCome on, someone the other day, posted some of the other hateful things Stark has said over the years. Here is a sampling: (original posting cited Wikipedia).
Rep. Stark
# called then Republican congresswoman Nancy Johnson a "whore" of the pharmaceutical industry.
# Called United States Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Wade Sullivan, an African American, "a disgrace to his race".
# Declared that conservative former California state welfare director Eloise Anderson would "kill children if she had her way" because she opposed particular policy proposals.
Hard to believe that this one had him in tears.
Or is this the first time he was actually called on something?
He was in tears because he
October 23, 2007 - 19:08 ET by MikeBHe was in tears because he had to apologise. I would bet that there were enough e-mails, faxes, and phone calls from ticked off constituents threatening to vote Republican if Stark is an example of how the Democrat Party thinks of our country and military to force Pelosi and company to apologise or else. While the extreme left was thrilled Stark "spoke truth to power" (their definition of what we would call slander), the Democrat leadership probably found out in a hurry that the nutroots are not the biggest faction within the Party, and the rank and file Democrats did not appreciate Stark's comments.
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
This was a lousy
October 23, 2007 - 19:43 ET by motherbeltThis was a lousy non-apology.
First, he didn't say what he was apologizing for. He didn't say he was sorry that he accused President Bush of being amused by soldiers' deaths in Iraq. He didn't say he was wrong.
He "apologized" first to his colleagues; not to the person he insulted. He could have apologized to his colleagues for misusing the Congress' time and for misusing his speaking time and the speaker's podium for such a purpose., but President Bush should have been first on the list.
Also, he said he apologized because "we have a serious issue before us"...not because what he said was a reprehensible thing to say about anyone. Just like Her Speakerness Pelosi's "reprimand" of him didn't say he said something terrible about the Commander-in-Chief, but that it "distracted" from the serious work they had to do.
That was NOTa "reprimand" and this was NOT an "apology" in my opinion.
Faker!
October 23, 2007 - 19:57 ET by DanoLook,Look,! ........he had his fingers crossed behind his back!
why do we need an apology from this ass
October 23, 2007 - 20:13 ET by lunaticcringeradiothe wonderful thing about free speach is it allows idiots to self identify themselves. we should be laughing this idiot out of office instead of asking for an appology.
lunaticcringeradio
I wasn't appeased at all.
October 23, 2007 - 20:17 ET by LighthouseJI wasn't appeased at all. These democrats are terrible at their apologies. They seem to only apologize for getting caught to their Democratic overlords (Clinton, Pelosi and the rest of the gaggle of idiots).
"Boats are safe in the harbor, but that's not what they're made for." -- Maritime quote
Stark Wars
October 23, 2007 - 20:28 ET by GoodiePack, fly back to CA, pack more of your crap and leave this Country, then Fed Ex your Passport back. We will not remember you, except as a disgrace and a worthless political hack from CA. BTW, can you think of anything you have done during your term from CA that has been productive? OUT OF HERE......
Mr. Stark, the following is
October 23, 2007 - 20:34 ET by MikeBMr. Stark, the following is an example of what you should have said if you really meant to apologize:
On (date) I made statements that were stupid, false, and completely out of line. Mr. President, I know you are not amused by the death of a soldier. I apologize to you for having made that statement. There is no excuse for such statements being made in this chamber, in the Senate, in the newsmedia, in op-ed pieces, or anyplace else in America. The first amendment is no excuse for making any such statement anywhere by any American. My statement was a blatant lie. For having uttered this lie, and the pain it caused to my President and to the troops, I apologize to them. By making such a false statement, I have brought disgrace upon the Democrat Party. For having disgraced my Party, I apologize to them. For having made statements that have been and can be used by the enemy of our country in propaganda, I apologize to every citizen of our country.
That, Mr. Stark, is the apology you should have made, and can still make. I doubt very seriously that you have the courage or decency to do so.
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
HAHAHAHAHA.
October 23, 2007 - 21:33 ET by pbthinkerIf they cover it, they won't emphasize the repercussions of it, not will they play the whole thing. They will find a way to make the President and Republicans look bad, I'm just not sure how yet.
Democrats: Specializing in "high tech lynching" since 1987.
Nose grew longer
October 23, 2007 - 21:39 ET by celatorLooks like ol Pete's nose grew a bit longer as he mouthed his "apology". The more interesting question is why George Soros forced Starks to apologize. Normally George allows the politicians he's bought and paid for to insult President Bush 24/7. Something else is going on here.
Pelosi made him do it
October 23, 2007 - 22:32 ET by candancePelosi made him do it because her back was pinned to the wall. Republicans in the house proposed a vote to censure Stark (which is one step shy of impeachment). Of course the voting went down party lines, but five Democrats got on board with it, so Stark was spared by about twenty votes.
If Pelosi had defended him, she would have lost much of the respect she has now, including some Democrats, making her job twice as hard down the road.
So as a compromise, she made him apologize in the hopes Congress would move on. Like others pointed out, the apology was half-hearted and bitter. Pelosi is having trouble keeping her ducks in a row.
card holding member of the vast right-wing conspiracy
Candance
October 23, 2007 - 22:50 ET by BlondeThanks for the spot-on commentary.
I have to laugh, tho.....
she would have lost much of the respect she has now, including some Democrats, making her job twice as hard down the road.
The first Madame Speaker is a plus-perfect idiot.
This may be the only "positive" thing she's done as Speaker.
So.....how inept is Pelosi?
I think the description of Her Speakerness' ineptness probably deserves its own forum post.
Sheesh...spare me from these idiot liberals!
David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive
Yes, we could easily fill a
October 23, 2007 - 23:07 ET by candanceYes, we could easily fill a whole page with Pelosi's lame-brain job in Congress. My personal favorite was when she said she prayed for Bush - Chris Wallace called her out as to what she prayed about. After a hesitation, she quickly backpedaled and said she prayed for him to pass SCHIP.
card holding member of the vast right-wing conspiracy
Blonde, you called Pelosi
October 24, 2007 - 06:01 ET by motherbeltBlonde, you called Pelosi "Her Speakerness"!!!!
Yay!! it's taking hold!! I love it!! LOL
Anyone who thinks that
October 23, 2007 - 21:51 ET by motherbeltAnyone who thinks that Stark just got a little carried away during that little SCHIP episode, go here and read Michelle Malkin's roundup of Stark's out-of-control behavior:
Diary of an Unhinged Democrat
This was definitely not out of the ordinary. How this man can escape being forced by the leadership to submit to a psycological exam, nevermind continue to get re-elected, is completely beyond me. Is the ability to "bring home the bacon" so important that it trumps common decency and civil manners?
"How this man can escape
October 24, 2007 - 08:34 ET by MikeB"How this man can escape being forced by the leadership to submit to a psycological [sic] exam, nevermind continue to get re-elected, is completley beyond me." Mother, he is a liberal (marxist) Democratic from San Franciscograd in the People's Republic of California. Therefore, anything he says is either accepted as unassailable truth or covered over and ignored by the press. Remember, if you are a Democrat, you can be re-elected several times after you have been caught having sex with minor congressional pages, whereas a Republican will be forced to resign just for sending inappropriate e-mails to congressional pages. If you are a Democrat, you can be re-elected if you are a known homosexual whose "friend" runs a male prostitution operation out of your apartment, but if you are a Republican, having a "wide stance" in an airport men's room is enough to bring you to disgrace.
You know all this, so I figure your next sentence was rhetorical in nature.
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
Will Pole Joe Love His Scamp Stark
October 23, 2007 - 23:01 ET by Lame CherryLast time busters we tuned into Msnbcville where all was left leaning and utopia was declared.
We heard Bubbles Brz exclaim, "Oh my I didn't know George Bush even laughed".
We heard Pole Joe exclaim, "Oh my I love that scamp Pete Stark".
Tune in tomorrow when busters will hear Bubble Brz say, "Oh Pete Stark sounds so much more manly when I say Peter".
To which Pole Joe will reply, "Peter???? I still love that scamp talking about US soldiers heads blown off or apologizing for being a jester".
Will Peter Stark graduate now to Prick Stark? Will Bubbles find more things manly in Peter to giggle about? Will Pole Joe find comedy and love between Bubbles and Peter?
Tune in next time to As the Newsbuster Turns for the continueing saga of liberals tripping over their Pinocchio tongues.
Note* Pinocchio Tongues........man I like that phrase for liberal liars. Maybe Pat Buchanan reads this site as I noticed today he was using a term "hucksters" which I have used often here to describe global warming scammers. Feel free to use Pinocchio Tongues Pat as it explains puppet liberals whose tongues grow as they lie.
*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS
SOunds about right
October 23, 2007 - 23:29 ET by celatorCandance..
Yes.. I think you've probably got it right..
STARK... RAVING MAD
October 24, 2007 - 00:18 ET by BERT CONVY*
Get real... this lame simpering does not even come close to rectifying the outragous slander he committed against our troops and our good President.
Stark, spouted off but in truth he speaks what the democrat side of the isle think. He represents the radical lefty fringe that rules the democratic party and is the ruin of America.
*BERT
The Delusional MSM
October 24, 2007 - 15:20 ET by mbs6In the deluded world of the MSM, this whole unfortunate event never happened... kinda like an abortion.