Dancin’ Tom DeLay Goes All Birthers, Guns and Pumps on Hardball

Former Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX)
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Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) today claimed that at one of his town halls in the 1980s, protesters “brought quadriplegics in on gurneys and dumped them on the floor in front of my podium.”

DeLay’s claim came in response to a question from Chris Matthews on MSNBC’s Hardball about whether DeLay was surprised by the hostile tone at recent health care town halls.

“This has been going on forever. When I did my town hall meetings — I’ll never forget one back in the 80s, on health care, by the way. They brought in quadriplegics on gurneys and dumped them on the floor in front of my podium. This is not new. What’s new is the people who came into disrupt my town meetings, we just let them go on,” DeLay said.

Matthews did not ask a follow-up question on this incident. A Lexis-Nexis search didn’t immediately turn up accounts of such an event, and DeLay’s office did not immediately return a request for more information.

Although DeLay downplayed the hostility of recent town halls, he did agree that bringing guns into presidential events is going too far.

“That’s not a law, that’s a security matter. The Secret Service has every right to … make sure nobody has a gun on them,” he said.

That’s not a violation of the right to bear arms, he said, adding that he’s experienced real infringements on that right himself.

“I’m really mad. Since I got indicted, they took my concealed carry license away from me. I think that’s a violation of the Second Amendment,” he said.

DeLay also proudly displayed his birther cred.

“I would like the president to produce his birth certificate,” DeLay said. “I can do it, most illegal aliens can do it. Why can’t the president of the United States produce his birth certificate?”

“Would you ask the president to show me his gift certificate — uh — birth certificate?” DeLay asked. Matthews declined.

DeLay has been on TV this week plugging his upcoming appearance on Dancing With The Stars. On Hardball tonight, he proudly showed off his dancing shoes.

“It’s a little pump with high heels!” he exclaimed.

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