One thing looks certain — Rep. Randy Neugebauer’s outburst on the House floor isn’t going to provide the same fundraising boost that Democrats saw after Rep. Joe Wilson’s “You lie” shout. But the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is giving it a try, buying this Facebook ad to jump on whatever anti-Neugebauer sentiment might be out there.
DCCC spokeswoman Stephanie Young attempted to link Neugebauer with Wilson in a statement that said Republicans have abandoned “any pretense of civility.” Neugebauer’s district is solidly red, and his Democratic challenger Andy Wilson has not soared into the national spotlight in the same way South Carolina candidate Rob Miller (D) did following Wilson’s shout in September.
From Young’s statement:
Less than 6 months ago, Representative Joe Wilson insulted the Commander in Chief and now Neugebauer insults Congress by lobbing these kinds of over-the-top insults at a colleague. Not only should he apologize to the members of congress and the American people, but the Republican leadership should apologize for encouraging this kind of out-of-control behavior.
At some point yesterday afternoon or this morning, Wilson turned his Web site into a donation hub and responded to Neugebauer in a message to the district. He said the Republican “has departed from the West Texas values of courtesy and from representation that works toward effective legislation.” An Act Blue page set up to raise money for Wilson under the banner “Stop Neugebauer” had just $100 in contributions as of this writing.
For his part Neugebauer recorded a to-the-camera video with his wife by his side, posting the video on his political Web site above a giant red “Donate today” button. Next to the “Donate” button is a message: “Thank you for your support and contributions as I stand firm in my commitment against the government takeover of healthcare and for protecting the sanctity of life.”
