“Baby Killer”

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Someone on the House floor, seemingly from the Republican side, yelled “Baby-killer” at Bart Stupak as he was making his brief comments on the floor against the motion to recommit (which was essentially a GOP effort to capsize the vote on the abortion issue). It’s still unclear who it was. We’ll bring you more as we find out more.

Our Christina Bellantoni just did an impromptu interviewer with Dem pro-life Rep. Dale Kildee …

Kildee: “We all heard it. It was disgusting!”
“No one knows who it was but the person should be censured. This all started when someone yelled ‘you lie’ at the president.”

Bellantoni: “You sure it was a member?

Kildee: “Unless they let staff on the floor and make outbursts, yes.”

Late Update: There were initial reports that the yeller was Rep. John Campbell (R-CA). But in a brief exchange with reporters off the House floor a short time ago he has now adamantly denied it was him. Campbell said his wife left him a message when reports came out that it was him. Campbell: “It was clear as a bell … I didn’t look but it came from the floor, behind me and to the left … It was close enough I decided not to turn around and look. … It was in my area. I thought it was a southern accent.”

After speaking with reporters he went back into the House chamber and then returned a few moments later and said: “Other people agree with me it was someone with a southern accent.” Campbell also said that some of the Republicans on the floor recognized the voice but would not say who it was.

Even Later Update: Campbell just came out a third time to give more details to reporters …

Campbell: “That is where the Texans sit. Californians are in one row, Texans sit behind us. I am being told it’s a Texan. The people who know won’t give it up.”

Reporter: “Do you know who it was?”

Campbell: “No.”

Me: “What will you do when you find out?”

Campbell: “Nothing – I’m not going to do anything.”

Latest Editors' Blog
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: