House rebukes Joe Wilson; outburst could hurt tourism

By: Robert Kittle | SCNow
Published: September 15, 2009

South Carolina Republican Rep. Joe Wilson has now been officially scolded by the U.S. House of Representatives for shouting "You lie!" at President Barack Obama.

The House passed a resolution of disapproval about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. 5:30. It said that, because the House general code of conduct requires that “a lawmaker shall conduct himself at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House of Representatives,” and Wilson’s outburst was a breach of decorum, the House disapproves of his actions.

Wilson took the floor during debate on the resolution, saying he has apologized to the White House, the president graciously accepted his apology and the House was wasting time better spent on more important issues.

But Democrats said Wilson also should apologize to Congress for what they call an unprecedented breach of decorum.

The vote fell mostly along party lines. The overall vote was 240 in favor of the resolution of disapproval and 179 against. Seven Republicans voted for the resolution, while 12 Democrats voted against it.

Wilson’s outburst could end up costing the state tourism dollars. State Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism officials said the office has received more than 300 mostly negative e-mails and telephone calls about Wilson.

Some of those commenting said they usually come to South Carolina on vacation but are canceling plans to visit because of Wilson’s outburst. Others are simply angry, while some are expressing support for Wilson.

“We are always interested in the opinions of the 30 million tourists who visit our state each year,” state Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Director Chad Prosser said in written statement. “But we believe that the vast majority of consumers do not make leisure travel decisions based on political issues. South Carolina, like other destinations around the country, is a community of diverse viewpoints.”

Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce CEO Brad Dean said his office has received about 100 e-mails and phone calls about Wilson’s outburst, but most were right after it happened and they’ve quieted down since Wilson’s apology.

Dean said most of the e-mails and calls were negative, and some people said they were canceling plans to visit the area. But he said the outburst, “won’t merit much long-term impact” on the state’s tourism economy.