Why Joe Wilson’s apology falls short

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By Lauren | September 10, 2009

South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson is making headlines around the world for his boorish behavior during President Obama’s health care address to Congress last night. When the president denied that his proposal to reform health care would provide free coverage for illegal immigrants, Wilson shouted “You lie!” then sat back and started fiddling with his Blackberry, apparently refusing to listen to anything else the president had to say.

Wilson has issued a public apology, acknowledging that his comments were “inappropriate and regrettable.” He also tried to call the White House but ended up speaking to Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, and not to President Obama himself. Given his behavior, it’s no wonder the president didn’t take the call.

Here’s the thing: Wilson’s carefully worded public statement stinks of spin and conveys not one shred of genuine remorse. Spontaneous or not, Wilson’s outburst wasn’t just “inappropriate” (a lackluster euphemism used frequently these days to tactfully characterize everything from tacky clothing to sexual harassment), it was openly rude. A direct “I’m sorry” would be much more effective than the elaborate sidestep he’s now offering. It’s one thing to call behavior “regrettable,” quite another to candidly admit that you acted like an idiot - which we’ve all done at some point - and deeply regret it.

And here’s another question: why was Congressman Wilson so angry to begin with? President Obama was talking about health care reform, not about shipping American children into slave labor abroad. It’s an important topic that comes with a lot of baggage, but it’s hardly a reason to bellow. If every discussion of health care reform on Capitol Hill collapses into a shouting match, nothing will ever get done. Could that be Wilson’s ultimate goal?

Wilson has sort of said he’s sorry, and more or less taken responsibility for his actions. But he has yet to make amends for his behavior, and only time will tell if he’ll be able to do better going forward. Unless Congressman Wilson truly regrets not only his words but the animosity that motivated them it’s only a matter of time before he does it again, and the American people will be none the better for it.

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