A Republican lawmaker disputed former President Jimmy Carter's recent claim that racism is behind much of the criticism of President Barack Obama.
"I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he's African American," Carter told NBC in an interview Tuesday.
"I live in the South, and I've seen the South come a long way, and I've seen the rest of the country that shared the South's attitude toward minority groups at that time, particularly African Americans," he added.
Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) tweeted in response on Wednesday:
Pres Carter is wrong again by making opposition to Pres Obamas policies a racial issue. People can disagree w/out everything being "racial".
Wamp is planning to leave the House and run for governor of Tennessee in 2010.
We're not exactly sure what the Office of the House Clerk was trying to tweet just a few minutes ago. The message sounds like some sort of instruction. Either way, we don't think it was for public consumption:
Former Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) reported on Tuesday that he may have a stress fracture in his left foot, but reiterated that the injury will not keep him from "dancing with the stars."
Old age is catching up to me, may have a stress fracture in my foot. no worries, it'll take more than that to keep me off the dance floor!
DeLay is scheduled to appear on the ABC reality show Dancing with the Stars this month. However disheartening his injury seems to be, we don't think people will be shouting "down goes The Hammer!"
The AFL-CIO live-tweeted President Barack Obama's speech earlier Tuesday at the labor union's annual convention in Pittsburgh.
The union's thread became very popular on Twitter, with the hashtag #aflcio climbing into the ranks of Twitter's trending topics for a period of time.
Before an enthusiastic crowd, President Obama expressed support for the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) and the public health insurance option, two legislative issues the labor movement strongly supports.
Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) also appeared at the convention, predicting that a labor-friendly version of EFCA would pass before year's end. In a floor speech earlier this year, when he was still a Republican, Specter said he would not support the bill.
ACORN, the embattled community organizing group, is a trending topic on Twitter a day after the Senate voted to cut off its federal funding.
The organization has come under fire since some of its members were accused of committing voter registration fraud during the 2008 election. Two conservative activists posing as a pimp and prostitute also caught ACORN employees on tape advising them on how to purchase a home and legally record income for tax purposes.
Trending topics are the top 10 most popular conversation subjects on Twitter. ACORN, which stands for Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, is the seventh-most popular topic.
Some members of Congress have contributed to the buzz surrounding ACORN on Twitter. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) tweeted praise for the Senate vote. Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) took to Twitter to say that he will co-sponsor legislation in the House to de-fund ACORN.
Last Friday, the Census Bureau cut ties with ACORN in the wake of voter registration fraud allegations against employees at its Miami office.
@NYSYR thanks for retweeting. Please spread the word by asking your followers to RT. #tcot
In the last two tweets, Lazio used the #tcot hashtag, which stands for "top conservatives on twitter." Lazio's account has also sent test tweets using twodifferent Twitter applications, which could mean tweets will be made using different devices.
Lazio gained national attention when he ran against Hillary Clinton for Senate in 2000.
UPDATED 4:39 p.m. Lazio said that he is tweeting by himself. His staff shared a picture of Lazio holding a BlackBerry in a separate message (signed "[staff]"):
Democratic members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee have created their own Twitter account, continuing a trend followed by other committees.
The committee, chaired by Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.), is tweeting under the handle @OversightMaj. The account has 20 followers and made its first tweet late last week.
Several congressional committees have their own Twitter feeds that send out press releases, statements, and studies conducted by its members. Republicans and Democrats typically tweet under separate accounts.
On the Senate side, the Democratic caucus created its own Twitter "war room" yesterday.
A member of South Carolina's Republican congressional delegation called on Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) to issue a formal apology on the House floor on Tuesday.
Wilson is under threat to apologize or face official rebuke from the House. Democrats are expected to present a resolution condemning Wilson today should he not speak out on the House floor.
Just said to GOP Conference meeting what I said privately to Joe Wilson: apologize to House for rule violation.
Part 1: Joe Wilson apologized to President. Part 2: He should apologize to House for rule violation. That would end the matter.
Joe Wilson
analogy: I speed, lose control of my car and hit your car. Part 1: I
fix your car. Part 2: I pay my speeding ticket. Case closed.
Inglis last week criticized Wilson's conduct during President Barack Obama's joint session speech. Wilson shouted "you lie!" at the president after he said his health reform plan would not insure illegal immigrants.
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), who may face an official reprimand from the House after interrupting the president's speech, thanked his Republican colleagues on the way to a GOP Conference meeting Tuesday.
Democratic leadership will likely present a resolution rebuking Wilson today for shouting "you lie!" during President Barack Obama's joint session speech last week.
On way to Republican Conference meeting, my colleagues have been courageous to encourage me, I am very grateful for prayers and support, Joe
It's also interesting to note Wilson signed the tweet himself. The Hill reported yesterday that staff members tweeting for Wilson started to identify themselves after the congressman hired new media strategists to tweet for him.
Yesterday, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said he will oppose any resolution against Wilson. Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele also criticized a possible resolution.
"Democrats don’t want an apology. They want a side show – something to shift the focus away from their government-run experiment on health care," he said in a statement today.
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