Fireworks on the House Floor
To put it mildly, the gentlelady from California is not amused with the gentleman from North Carolina. To put it more bluntly, Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) wishes Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) would grow up already.
McHenry, a largely self-anointed parliamentary pit bull for the right, pushed Tauscher's patience to the limits late last night on the House floor in the midst of an unusually raucous atmosphere following debate on the exceedingly sensitive issue of Iraq war funding.
Shortly after the House passed its latest funding plan for the war, Tauscher, who was presiding, stood before the speaker's chair struggling to gavel the unruly chamber to order. McHenry, meanwhile, stood at a lectern on the floor struggling to get Tauscher's attention (view the video below).
He tried every title he could think of, but nothing seemed to work.
"Madame Speaker," McHenry began.
"Madame Chair," he continued, remembering that the House at that moment was actually meeting in what is called the "Committee of the Whole," in which case the presiding officer is referred to "chairman" or "chairwoman" not "speaker."
After "Madame Chair" didn't elicit a response, McHenry decided to go for a gender-specific salutation, even if it was the wrong gender.
"Madame Chair-man," McHenry said, putting emphasis on the word "man."
Tauscher ignored him.
"Madame Chair-woman." Pause, no answer. "Madame Chair?" Still nothing.
"Chair-man... Chair-person... Madame Chair-woman," McHenry went on, his Madame chair this-that-'n-the-others muffled by his punchy colleagues and occasional banging of the gavel by a visibly perturbed woman who continued to ignore him.
Finally he got her with a "Madame Chair." Jaw clenched, Tauscher glared at McHenry, asking, "For what purpose does the gentleman from North Carolina rise?"
Nothing of consequence happened after that. McHenry's point of order was rejected and the House went on to consider an intelligence authorization bill. And finally, into the wee hours of the morning, Tauscher went home...miffed at the sophomoric antics of the 31-year-old North Carolina conservative.
Asked about the incident today, Tauscher, 55, told us, "On a day when we debated deadly serious issues with the world watching, we all need to remember to behave like adults and remember what's really important."
But it certainly doesn't look like McHenry is going to issue a big-boy apology any time soon.
"When the Democrats literally ignore our side, you better believe the Congressman won't take it sitting down," McHenry spokesman Aaron Latham tells the Sleuth. "Next time, maybe he'll try Morse code, sign language, or signal flags."
By Mary Ann Akers |
May 11, 2007; 3:10 PM ET
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Posted by: filmex | May 11, 2007 4:37 PM
Wow Mary Ann!! Fireworks!! That must have been the glow in the sky I saw over California last night. A display of raw human emotions!! Just like kindergarten recess!! McHenry should be recognized immediately. The faster he can make a fool of himself, the quicker the adults can move on.
Posted by: larry | May 11, 2007 5:41 PM
I would ignore this twerp too . . . as would anyone else who is familiar with him. He is wrapped just a little too tight and his sanctimony oozes from his every pore and leaving all who are in his presence coated with an unwelcome oily sheen.
Posted by: smokinmike | May 11, 2007 5:55 PM
Another liteweight Akers offering - Hey, Mary, why dont you add, when you write about McHenry's objection to "our side" not being recognized, that the repugs were famous for ignoring the dems when they were in power? How about a little "fair & balanced" once in a while eh, Ms Lite?
Posted by: hawaiilasw | May 11, 2007 8:25 PM
And the American Taliban Party wonders why everyone hates them...
McHenry is such a girl, such a bottom.
Posted by: Parakeeta | May 11, 2007 8:35 PM
MS. Akers: Ms Tausher should have recognized him almost right away because of how the house works. That isn't objective journalism on your part labeling Mr. McHenry "sophomoric" Ms. Tauscher was very sophomoric here in not recognizing him.
Posted by: RF | May 11, 2007 8:57 PM
Way to go Ellen. That's my Congresswoman. That annoying little jerk is lucky she didn't crown him with the gavel. Good God! Republicans are an abomination. We should just let the South secede and be done with the lot of them.
Posted by: Sonofabastard | May 11, 2007 9:10 PM
unfortunately, sad to say but most republicans in d.c. now need to be treated like lying bugger-eating children... they are ants and her gavel is there to sqaush them. when I was young I use to pile a bunch of sugar up and watch hundreds of them climb on, then I would pour a dash of gas over the melee and set the mountain on fire. just an idea.
Posted by: Fireman 451 | May 12, 2007 5:12 AM
it might help if I mentioned i was talking about ants....
Posted by: fireman 451 | May 12, 2007 5:13 AM
I witnessed this childish display of the representative from North Carolina. As a retired teacher, I felt the urge to say, "Mr. McHenry, either stop with the insulting attitude right now, or I'll see you in detention after school."
Posted by: Brent | May 12, 2007 7:31 AM
mchenry was the vile little republican who pimped the pelosi/airplane story knowing full well that he was lying. but it worked; lou dobbs/cnn and the other magpies gobbled up the slander and spread it far and wide.
but that's what republicans do -- they lie and steal and then, lie and steal some more.
btw -- mchenry is certainly within enlistment age -- why is the punk*ss little coward still walking the halls of congress instead of walking the alleys of baghdad. typical republican.
Posted by: linda | May 12, 2007 9:07 AM
McHenry is typical of the backward sexism that still plagues politics. Did he think that by over-emphasizing the words "man," "woman," and "person" with his snide tone of voice, he could antagonize Rep. Tauscher into a response? It might work with his mommy, but not with Rep. Tauscher. I am younger than McHenry, but he is clearly still just a child.
Posted by: Deborah | May 12, 2007 9:28 AM
Maybe he should have tried this:
"mom mom mom mom mom mom mom mom mom mom"
That usually works and it appeared he had something just as about important to say as what generally follows when a kid can't stop bugging.
Posted by: citizenjane | May 12, 2007 11:46 AM
mymymy -- lookie here:
Congressman McHenry's Campaign Aide Indicted
Posted by Michael Rey
By Laura Strickler and Michael Rey
The CBS News Investigative Unit has learned a man who was a field coordinator in Congressman Patrick McHenry's (R-NC) 2004 campaign has been indicted for voter fraud in North Carolina.
The indictment charges that Michael Aaron Lay, 26, illegally cast his ballot in two 2004 Congressional primary run-offs in which McHenry was a candidate. The charges indicate that Lay voted in a district where it was not legal for him to vote.
At the time Lay was listed as a resident in a home owned by 32-year-old McHenry but campaign records indicate Lay's paychecks were sent to an address in Tennessee. McHenry won the primary by only 86 votes. According to Gaston County, North Carolina District Attorney Locke Bell, Lay was indicted on Monday, May 7 by a local grand jury.
Posted by: linda | May 12, 2007 12:57 PM
silverhaired old man of sixty dot She had never seen him and knew him
http://gerard-butler-blog.blogspot.com/ >gerard butler phantom*
that is to be for whom to tell the truth I care very little just
Posted by: ziwwzdw | May 13, 2007 7:56 AM
It's fun to read the comments on this blog because so many reflect the writers' inability to see the forest for the trees.
For example Parakeeta equates the Republicans with the Taliban, but I don't believe they want to cover her(?)from head to toe, prevent her from being educated and restricting her to her residence unless accompanied by a male relative.
Then we have SOB who apparently believes all Southerners are Republicans and that the contributions of Georgia Tech, Emory, Duke, Vanderbilt, Rice etc as well as individuals, well run businesses and charitable organizations to American Society are without merit so "...let the South secede and be done with the lot of them."
Oh Fireman 451, I believe the behavior of your youth fits at least one of the characteristics for profiles of people who tend to become serial killers. You may want to keep low profile, no pun intended. I think it would be more appropriate to say most CAREER POLITICIANS in D.C. "need to be treated like lying bugger-eating children" (without the flames of course). Perhaps you think there is a significant difference in the ego driven arrogance demonstrated by both parties' behavior described in Ms. Akers story. We need term limits in Congress.
Posted by: r man | May 14, 2007 8:39 AM
http://patgobyebye.blogspot.com/
Here is a website that is tracking Congressman McHenry.
Posted by: Pat No No | May 14, 2007 12:54 PM
I was in Nevada doing GOTV for the Kerry campaign just days before the election. There was massive voter fraud by Republicans. First, they sent into the state people to register new voters. It was a corporate enterprise ie registrars were paid for each new registrant. Then when the regisrtations were handed in they shredded only the Democratic registration slips. Second, during election day there were no sheets for identifying which Demorcats had voted, ergo we could not eliminate from our list those who had voted and concentrate only on those supporters who had not yet voted. There were such sheets provided to the Republicans. Third, when we went to bed Kerry was ahead statewide by 3% when we woke up Kerry had lost because rural Nevada had voted 98% for Bush. Voter fraud in Nevada - you bet.
Posted by: afgail | May 14, 2007 1:04 PM
I'm not that hip to the finer workings of the House, but shouldn't she have at least acknowledged him? I didn't find him to be totally obnoxious, but it did seem rude of her to completely ignore him.
Is there some protocol within the House rules that he was breaking?
Posted by: Astroboy | May 14, 2007 1:56 PM
Gee the media said Kerry lost because he lost Ohio. Nevada must've had more electoral votes than the media knew. Besides how many people live and vote in "Rural" Nevada, considering that 71 percent of the population is in the county Lost Wages is in I don't think the rural vote amounted to much. They are probably big counties, but not well populated except those with fair sized urban populations.
Posted by: r man | May 14, 2007 2:54 PM
Then we have SOB who apparently believes all Southerners are Republicans and that the contributions of Georgia Tech, Emory, Duke, Vanderbilt, Rice etc as well as individuals, well run businesses and charitable organizations to American Society are without merit so "...let the South secede and be done with the lot of them."
Posted by: r man | May 14, 2007 08:39 AM
`
R Man, I was just being rhetorical and snarky. Tauscher is my congresswoman, and to be honest, is too conservative for my taste.
I don't believe that the South should secede. What I Do believe is that we should do away with the Electoral College and mitigate the damage southern politics does to America. We don't need a Constitutional amendment to do this, we just need California, New York, Ohio, and either Florida or Texas to agree to cast their electoral votes for whoever gets the most popular votes. It's a really simple concept. One man or woman, one vote. Anybody who is opposed is wrong.
Posted by: Sonofabastard | May 14, 2007 3:26 PM
Amazing .. mention a Republican, een if he is being ignored by the 'acting' Democratic speaker-madam and all the Dems fly out of their cages with nasty names, insults and diminishing phrases. Just read the above and detemine which of them would be fit comment or opinion about ANYTHing or ANYBODY.
Posted by: good to go | May 14, 2007 3:51 PM
Amazing .. mention a Republican, een if he is being ignored by the 'acting' Democratic speaker-madam and all the Dems fly out of their cages with nasty names, insults and diminishing phrases. Just read the above and detemine which of them would be fit comment or opinion about ANYTHing or ANYBODY.
Posted by: good to go | May 14, 2007 03:51 PM `
`
I'll make it really simple for you. All right wingers and most Republicans are an abomination before God. They are demons and will be cast into Hell when the Messiah returns to Earth.
If there is no God, then they are merely lawbreakers who should be cast into prison. Any more questions?
Posted by: Sonofabastard | May 14, 2007 5:00 PM
I find it LAUGHABLE and completely HYPOCRITICAL that the spokesman takes being ignored seriously, while for the past 6 years, democrats have been ignored, pissed on, ridiculed, labeled horrible names even though they're Americans too.
I didn't watch the video, but that comment was ridiculous.
Pretty much the same as how republicans were demanding a timeline withdraw during Clinton's years, and now are calling other's "cut and run" democrats.
BS!!
Posted by: destardi | May 15, 2007 12:24 AM
Pat No No, here is another one:
http://patricklmchenry.blogspot.com/2007/05/more-mchenry-news.html
Posted by: ifthethunderdontgetya | May 15, 2007 7:13 AM
"I'll make it really simple for you," says Sonofabastard, then makes "really simple" remarks suggesting *he's* with the "Taliban."
Posted by: FrankTireur | May 16, 2007 3:42 AM
Here's proof that children should be seen and not heard and that sparing the rod spoils the child!
Posted by: chitchco | May 16, 2007 11:05 AM
You people are all something else again. The Republicans are blasting the Democrats and the Democrats are blasting the Republicans.
And you people, are blasting each other.
You wonder why people don't vote.
You need to all GROW UP.
Posted by: camelot | May 16, 2007 1:39 PM
I don't really care whether his comments were noteworthy or not. Rules of proper order and recognition say that she should have recognized him before he had to resort to ridiculous names. She asked for it by not following procedure. Either way, all this news coming from Congress is stupid, all of them need to act like adults. Why did we elcet these people again?
Posted by: Anonymous | May 17, 2007 1:00 PM
Before all of my posts I now write the following disclaimer: I am the original washpost, but the boobs at washpost changed my ID to washpost3.
I applaud McHenry. He is calling the attention to the unisex/bisex way the world is going.
Posted by: Ward Ciac | May 18, 2007 1:36 PM
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McHenry is the inbred-Carolina clown who filled the airwaves saying that the Foley scandal was hatched by the Democrats, who really didn't care about the House pages, lest they would have turned him in ages ago.
Never mind that this perfectly describes the actions of the GOP leadership.
Every time you hear McHenry spouting his nonsense, you wonder where the Deliverance boys are when you need them. If he's gonna keep squealing, he may as well do it like a pig.