Stark apologizes

Posted: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 11:12 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: Congress, Democrats

From NBC's Mike Viqueira
Embattled Democrat Pete Stark has just publicly apologized to "the president and his family."

He took the floor after his fellow Democrats successfully killed a motion to censure him in the wake of his remarks last Thursday asserting that American troops were fighting in Iraq to have their "heads blown off for the president's amusement."

"I want to apologize to my colleagues, many of whom I have offended," Stark began. He then apologized to "the president and his family" and "the troops."

"I hope that with this apology, I return to being as insignificant as I should be," he concluded through a voice cracking with emotion.

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Comments

Deb- You shut up with your idiotic name calling and defending Bush. You neo nuts fascists sheep have the audacity to talk about hate considering what the whole 2004 election was about. Face it 2006 elections is all the proof I need to see that 2008 election will be an even more of "whooping" as your idiot boy king stated is awaiting morons like your self. Go into the corner, under the rock, drink your koolaid and refrain from calling 60 to 70% of the population your childish names. I am sure that you will come back and resort to typical name calling like "if you do not like it here go back to Cuba...." which I get all the time from xenophobic(look it up) ignoramous people like yourself.

juan,ft lauderdale,fl (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 12:55 PM)

Deb, Sarasota, FL - No! You shut up or I'm gonna tell on you!

terry (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 12:55 PM)

DON'T APOLOGIZE FOR TELLING THE TRUTH!! Stark should never have backed down...it's weak-kneed moves like this that have kept our kids fighting forever for Bush's Folly.

Class Warrior, D.C. (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:00 PM)

I am a Soldier who has been taught to hate by the back stabbing Democratic party.

Jim (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:03 PM)

GEORGE BUSH----3856 AND COUNTING
Pete Stark-----0

Bush will start World War 3

democrat (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:03 PM)

THIS is how our Congress is spending its time??? On petty imagined insults? (You cannot insult Bush. Nothing is too bad to say about him.)

California is burning and our Congress hasn't bothered to explain WHY THE CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD AND ITS EQUIPMENT WERE NOT PRESENT TO HALT THE SPREAD OF THE FIRES. Because we all know they're in Iraq. Because we know they were NOT rotated home for the start of fire season. If the Republicans can't steal a state, they will let it burn or drown. They forced Stark to apologize because they can't stand the truth.

Abigail Quart, NY NY (32 blocks from Ground Zero) (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:05 PM)

So why don't you crawl back into your Republican hole and keep sniffing Bush's "S**t" and tell yourself it smells like roses.

CitizenJ (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 12:25 PM)

Bush Derangement Syndrome on clear display and also showing their belief that 'people have the right to speak out' yep if they preech leftwing tripe.

Kevin, St.Louis, MO (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:08 PM)

"...he concluded though a voice cracking with emotion"

booze, you mean. his voice crackled with booze induced sentimentality.

the man is a drunk.

jf (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:11 PM)

Oh, I think this administration might be able to be deemed "Churchillian" in history. Unfortunately for them it just might be Randoloph, however, not Winston. Randolph Churchill was Winston's father and after a promising start in politics, died relatively young, after syphillis ate away his brain and made all his speeches and acts in govt that of a madman.

student of history - past and present (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:16 PM)

it was a terrible thing which Mr Stark said and I am glad he did apologize. However his apology does not hide the truth that President Bush has very little regard of the soldiers who are fighting this war and the children in this country who are without health care. It amazes me the selfishnes which exist in this country today. It is far better to use our money to kill others and have others to be kill than to use it to help those here in this country. It is hypocrisy in the highest order to proclaim yourself prolife but yet support war and put a price on who should get healthcare. I am praying for mercy for our President and this country.

Jack Smart, Rochester, NY (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:16 PM)

George Bush goes up against his own party and whips his own party.....multiple retirements in congress. Good job W.

Limbaugh went up against the draft, and whipped the armed forces with a deferment.

Cheney whipped the armed forces five times as much as Limbaugh.

Profiles in courage.

Haus San Antonio, TX (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:16 PM)

IntheMiddle, TX: '...He should learn to keep his mouth shut when he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about...'

Why don't you take your own advice, IntheMiddle ?
You usually don't know what YOU'RE talking about.

When I was in the Army, we used to say the Army was just like the Boy Scouts.......
except the Scouts had ADULT LEADERSHIP

I think you've proven our point.....

Sierra, SF (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:16 PM)

Well, it's good he apologized for a very inappropriate comment. It is understandable to disagree with your opponents policies but accusing the President of putting troops in harms way shows a certain lack of intelligence. I would have hoped that the leaders of this country were beyond such hateful and hurtful statements. I assume he will now resign.

David, Port Sanilac, Mi (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:19 PM)

tim in ithica:

"...and yet the Dems let Republicans continually smear anyone who is anti-war?"

when?

jf (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:20 PM)

Jim.......... if the Dems taught you that, then you must have been willing to learn buddy. Even learning how to hate is the Dems fault. Your in good company. They taught Hannity and Coulter too. They seem like very happy people.

Nate Portland, OR (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:22 PM)

The democrats have done nothing but lie and propagandize now for quite a few years. Their ridiculous lies and self serving propaganda are now finally being exposed, even their partners the liberal liar mainstream media cannot cover for them. Iraq is heading toward success, despite all the best efforts of far left kooks and self serving democrats to FORCE failure, and lie their way into office.

Frankly, I am surprised the american people did not catch onto this sooner, the current democrat party is nothing but a bunch of despicable, hypocritical liars, and it is about time for their lies and far left pandering to be called out.

Dave C Cave Creek Arizona (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:24 PM)

This of course is another lie.[What I find strange about liberals is that they are so quick to dispense lies and untruths while condemning these crummy qualities in others]. What we find through the offices of the Washington Post,TIME,NEWSWEEK, MSNBC,the New York Times,none of these, sources of ''rightwinged'' news,[liberal Richard Cohen wrote at some length on this phenomenon in the WaPo],is that the president,when meeting with 9/11 family members or Iraq widows/family, ''feels and shares genuine sorrow'',''cries'',''feels anger'', ''reaches out'',indeed,is possibly one of the 20th centuries more emotional chief executives. Even his detractors readily admit this. This may not win any accolades from the usual suspects in the peanut gallery nor is it meant to. It is rather,to observe that they are lying,in supporting another liar,who has ''emotionally''apologized for these lies,generating more lies from this mans supporters,in an circular orbit of untruths leading to more lies.

Also see:NEWSWEEK[Evan Thomas,Holly Baily] Aug.22,2005:''How Bush Deals With Grieving Military Families''.

Lee Holmes (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:27 PM)

IT'S BUSH'S WAR AND AMERICA'S DISASTER AND IT CONTINUES BECAUSE OF THE REPUBLICANS DO NOT HAVE THE GUTS TO END IT. THEY ARE THE COWARDS.

Z (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:30 PM)

People he broke the rules of the house. One reason that our country has been able to over come is because of the civility of the debate. The rules state that personal attacks aginst each other or the President are forbidden. I know that this has not been apparent since the Bork hearings. Our great institutions have been cheapened to side show theatrics. He has disgraced his office. Most people in the blog world love to take cheap shots, call names etc. He is in the House of Reps in the US govt. He is and should be held to a higher standard than others. With this kind of behavior do you wonder why nothing can be acomplished? People on both side are so full of hate, That some one would think much less say thaat the President of the US is happy when a soldier dies is just crazy. If we disagree thats great but as strongly as you dissagree with some ones point of view do you automatically doubt their humanity? Remember when the left was called unpatriotic? How you screamed that that was not the case. Now you think it is popular to be against the war, so any one that supports it is a war mongering idiot. Lets stop the name calling it only distracts from the issue. BOTH SIDES! The answer is probably in the middle some where, like always. Why make each other enemies? Work together, respect each others views, debate and solve the problem. Dont question each others love of their country. Be civilized or at least act that way!

tired of the BS (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:30 PM)

THANK YOU PETE STARK, NOW WE VOTERS CAN AWAIT THE AVALANCHE OF "MEA CULPAE" FROM THE RIGHT-WING SLIME MACHINE, THAT BEGAN WITH REAGAN, AND INTENSIFIED UNDER THIS CURRENT CROP OF ZEALOTS, THAT WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT AMERICA FOR A LEAST A GENERATION, UNTIL WE CAN EXPURGE THEIR POLITICAL E-COLI!!!!!!!!!

TOM TYSKIEWICZ (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:31 PM)

Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Right on Abigail!

juan,ft lauderdale,fl (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:31 PM)

What pathetic liberal nitwits we have polluting the dialog.

Had enough yet? Whack a demorat.

Mr. T (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:32 PM)

TMcA- The koolaid has rotted your brain!

juan,ft lauderdale,fl (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:33 PM)

harry Potter, it is now revealed for the first time that Dumbledore is gay!

Lumos! (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:37 PM)

"I love it when politicians who say stupid things are forced by other politicians who have said stupid things apologize. Round and round we go."

That sums it up right there....I would like to add loudmouth radio pundits as well.

CJ (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:38 PM)

This seems to be yet another unfortunate misstep by Democrats who seem more anxious to berate the President and quiet those who support him rather than going on with the business of governing our country during this difficult time.

This remark, the ill-timed Turkey resolution, the hush-Rush letter, the silence over the Betray-us flap, falling for the continued politicization of a war rather than winning it...I'm pretty certain these aren't the reasons that Democrats were given majorities last November.

Dave (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:38 PM)

IT'S JUST A PROVEN FACT...BUSH SUCKS ! IMPEACH THE IDIOT !

Z (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:45 PM)

Bush may not be running for POTUS again but there are at least five BUSH CLONES running. I think that was Senator Starks finest hour we should have more people getting mad. Stark made just one mistake he should have said ego rather than amusement.

Rufus Gibbons, DC (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:47 PM)

If a republican had said the same, the DBM and the kook left would have had a cow!

Any lib that has said we need a bi-partisan to lead this country has just been exposed...losers!

This is the greatest country on the planet even with Hitlery in the Senate...LOL!

TomD (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:48 PM)

"I hope that with this apology, I return to being as insignificant as I should be,"

Can't happen Pete. This implies you were significant at some point.

Sue Lawson, Canton Ohio (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:51 PM)

can we deflate this myth that the s-chip bill was supposedly to help poor children? bush wants to expand funding for poor children. the republicans just didn't want to expand the definition of "poor children" to include priveleged white kids from $400k homes who are already privately insured.

the bill which was smacked down was to expand a bill which was helping poor children to encompass the children of the upper middle class and their parents. the idea was to get people who were insured privately to dump their insurance and get on and get used to the dole.

stark is a liar

jf (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:51 PM)

juan babbles --> Deb- You shut up with your idiotic name calling and defending Bush.

Fair enough. Name calling is never good. But then juan starts in with:

--> You neo nuts fascists sheep have the audacity . . .

This is too funny.

Kelly Smith (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:54 PM)

Stark IS insignificant and will quickly fade from the scene, having demonstrated his stupidity, just as Bush will. Would you look an American soldier in the face and tell him that his sacrifice is a joke? If not, then you cannot condone Mr. Stark's vile comments. Stark should be sent to Iraq to repeat his remarks for the benefit of the fighting men he insulted, but the milk-blooded coward would never set foot there.

Sarah Miles (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:54 PM)

juan,ft lauderdale,fl, says: "Deb- You shut up with your idiotic name calling and defending Bush."

He then says: "You neo nuts fascists sheep have the audacity to talk about hate considering what the whole 2004 election was about. ..."Go into the corner, under the rock, drink your koolaid and refrain from calling 60 to 70% of the population your childish names. I am sure that you will come back and resort to typical name calling like "if you do not like it here go back to Cuba...." which I get all the time from xenophobic(look it up) ignoramous people like yourself.

Juan; Do you not see the hypocrisy? No one takes you seriously.

A. Taxpayer (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:55 PM)

Hey Repubs doesn't FOX have an open forum form public debate on the issues?

sam Orlando, FL (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 1:55 PM)

Stark should have read this article before Pelosi forced him to apologize:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-slansky-/what-if-pete-stark-is-rig_b_69375.html

Bush does seem to be a sadist. One of his "hobbies" as a child was blowing up frogs with fire crackers. Bush was once asked what he thought a woman whom he, as Texas governor, had sent to death row would ask him. His infamous response was to mock her, saying "please don't kill me."

However, Bush probably doesn't enjoy the unvarnished mayhem he creates in Iraq: babies blown to pieces, people being crushed to a pulp under the treads of his tanks or burned to a crisp in their cars by his trigger-happy private armies. Like most Repubs, he mainly enjoys the sanitized violence: shock&awe video of buildings being blown to pieces rather than the children inside of them, statistics about the number of "bad guys" killed in raids, never mind that some of the "bad guys" turn out to be old women and children.

To Bush and his blood-thirsty "base," war is just a fun video game to be enjoyed on TV.

Houston (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 2:00 PM)

George Bush goes up against his own party and whips his own party.....multiple retirements in congress. Good job W.

Republicans aren't retiring. They are reloading.

David Connley (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 2:04 PM)

TMcA [[Republicans Destroyed Democrats' Most Cherished Institution: SLAVERY! But the liberals are rapidly building back the Liberal Plantation with narcotic welfare. Liberals create permanent under classes with other peoples' money. ]]

What a crock. When LBJ signed the civil rights act, the white southern racists all left the Democratic Party and became Repubs. They made the Republican Party what it is today. Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Dwight Eisenhower couldn't get nominated for dog catcher in the modern Republican Party. That's the truth to power. Baby.

Houston (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 2:07 PM)

At least Pete admitted and took responsiblility unlike a certain Repub congresswoman from Ohio who continued to blame the comment on a soldier who denied saying it to begin with. Did they censure her? She finally had to apologize for putting her words into someone else's mouth.

tim Pittsburg PA (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 2:10 PM)

LOL...we certainly couldn't scroll down the blog responses without some mindless right winger exhuming something about Clinton. As if their obsession with Clinton alleviates any malfeasance by the current administration. Yep, just another day for the crime syndicate Neoconartists & Repudlickins.

Andre (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 2:13 PM)

Some see Bush as the "Commander-in-Chief"
I see him as the "Commander-in-Grief"

If anyone should be apologizing to the American people it should be George W Bush, Dick Cheney and the rest of their obsequious entourage.

Andre (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 2:18 PM)

BUSH SUCKS AND I "DO NOT APOLIGIZE" FOR HIM BEING SUCH A BIG IDIOT. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW IF HE HAS AN I.Q. BETTER THAN A SECOND GRADER ?

Z (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 2:20 PM)

WHO SAYS THIER SORRY TO THE THOUSANDS DEAD WHEN BUSH PULLS OUT AND DECLARES A SECOND TIME MISSION ACCOMPLISED>I am not sorry about blaming LBJ how many kids have you killed today and im not sorry for Rush limbaughs Phoney soldiers or any other free exspression its up to me what i listen to not your facist goverment.I dont need your filter I am a big boy.AND george bush hates black people and poor people and people who are not like him,he just hates. See how far you get smearing dems then asking them to fight along side the people you conned into this war.

kenn (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 2:21 PM)

Stark apologized because his remarks were extremely unpopular with the vast majority of the American public. Obviously there's a small percentage of citizens that are as psychotic as Pete, as witnessed by this thread itself. Think about it. One of two things is true.

1. If his apology is truly heart felt, then those of you in here against his action don't even have the dignity of this man, who has a reputation of saying stupid bombastic comments.

2. The opposite is true and he was forced to apologize. If this is the case then the Democratic leadership must be totally incompetent for coming to the conclusion that he grovel.

I can live with either of these aphorisms and just giggle at the reactions of the truly insane in this thread.

LMBaker (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 2:23 PM)

Bill from Baltimore is correct If laughing it up anbout not finding WMDS isnt amusing then why poke fun at it,4000 deaths and no WMDs FUNNY isnt it funny weird funny ha ha?

kenn (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 2:27 PM)

Thanks again to Pete Stark.
He got too close to the truth (that Dubya is insane).
Read "Bush on the Couch" if you think I exaggerate.

The President should undergo brain scans and psychological tests after he retires.

Then, as our new "American century" unfolds, at least we can claim that "We didn't know our leader was insane".

GaryS (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 2:30 PM)

It'a shame that anyone has to feel compelled to apologize for saying what 70% of the American people are thinking about this president. When did Bush become Emperor? Stark, we forgive you for not sticking to your guns and appreciate the courage you briefly portrayed to "tell it like it is". Keep your chin up.

Stephanie H. (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 2:30 PM)

A. Taxpayer- It is my anger coming out when the right wing of the Republican party uses hate mongering to deny civil liberties to others like gays who pay taxes but do not have equal protection under the law, wrap themselves around the flag, use the bible, and call themselves moral....Now that is what I call hypocrisy. Whether or not you or anyone else takes me seriously; I could care less; You must be confusing me with Jerry, In the middle, and Dave.

juan,ft lauderdale,fl (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 2:31 PM)

Congressman Stark spoke the truth! His comments were completely accurate and appropriate!
He must have been coerced to have apologized.
I fear for his family!
I fear for my family!

Marjorie (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 2:31 PM)

Tired BS sez [[People he broke the rules of the house. One reason that our country has been able to over come is because of the civility of the debate. The rules state that personal attacks aginst each other or the President are forbidden. ]]

Do the rules state that it's OK for the Vice President of the United States to tell a Senator to "go f*** yourself" on the floor of the Senate? Cheney's refusal to apologize for his piggish behavior makes him even more loathesome, but the pubs, being kind of piggish themselves, all backed him up 100%.

You've gotta give the pubs credit for one thing, they do have the courage of their hypocrisy. Normal people would be ashamed of the double standards that the pubs are obviously so proud of getting the Democratic "leadership" and the lamestream media to accept.

Houston (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 2:38 PM)

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