Will there be any Republican theatrics tonight during President Obama’s State of the Union address? The question is buzzing around Capitol Hill.
TPMDC asked House Minority Whip Eric Cantor if he has given Republican members any direction about how they should behave tonight given Rep. Joe Wilson’s shout of “You lie” during President Obama’s last address to Congress in September. He said he hoped there would be no outbursts.
(Though Cantor (R-VA) told me last time around that Republicans would be “attentive.” As we all know, that didn’t happen.)
For his part, Wilson (R-SC) says he will be a “gentleman” tonight.
Instead, Wilson will give a “live” response on Facebook following the address, he told supporters today on Twitter.
The DCCC has already challenged Wilson (R-SC) on whether he’ll pull another stunt. Rep. Todd Tiahart (R-KS) joked that it was a fundraising boost for Wilson, according to the Wichita Eagle.
Republicans weren’t shy about criticizing the president before his speech, however.
“Any time a president comes to Capitol Hill it is an historic occasion,” Cantor said, adding a caveat that he hopes Obama has “listened and learned” that his agenda is not supported by the American people.
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) said he agrees with “80 percent of what [Obama] says and disagrees with 80 percent of what he does.”
He also said the president’s spending freeze proposal has “a whole lot more to do with headlines than deficit lines.”
Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform offered a mocking State of the Union “Bingo” which includes a “government subsidized free space” and Obama favorite “let me be clear” as spaces on the board.
