Earlier today, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) appeared on MSNBC to talk health care reform, and was asked about Rep. Alan Grayson’s (D-FL) controversial comments about “Neanderthal” Republicans who want people to die.
Hoyer took issue with the idea that Grayson’s comments were at all analogous to Rep. Joe Wilson’s (R-SC) “You lie!” outburst during President Obama’s speech to Congress last month.
Hoyer said that “Joe Wilson clearly broke the rules of the House” and questioned the President’s “integrity.” He went on, saying that he did not ask Grayson to apologize, since there are “a whole raft” of Republicans that could also be asked to apologize for a variety of comments made over the course of the health care debate.
Hoyer continued that he did tell Congressman Grayson that his rhetoric may have been “harsher than necessary,” and though he does not think any Republican “would want to see people die,” he does believe that members of both sides of the aisle need to “de-escalate” the “hot rhetoric” being used, and instead focus on the facts and substance of the proposals.
Hoyer’s remarks came shortly before Nancy Pelosi firmly precluded the prospect of a Grayson apology.
