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Joe Wilson (American politician)

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For other people named Joseph Wilson, see Joseph Wilson (disambiguation).
Joe Wilson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from South Carolina's 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 18, 2001
Preceded byFloyd Spence
Personal details
Political partyRepublican
SpouseRoxanne Wilson
ChildrenAlan McCrory Wilson
Addison Graves Wilson, Jr.
Julian Dusenbury Wilson
Hunter Taylor Wilson
ResidenceWest Columbia, South Carolina
Alma materWashington and Lee University, University of South Carolina
Occupationattorney
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
United States Army National Guard
RankColonel
UnitReserve
South Carolina

Addison Graves Wilson, Sr., usually known as Joe Wilson (born July 31, 1947) is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of South Carolina, currently representing the state's 2nd congressional district (map), in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district is based in the state capital, Columbia, and stretches to the resort towns of Beaufort and Hilton Head Island.

Political, legal, military, and state senate career

Wilson was born in Charleston, South Carolina, to Hugh de Veaux Wilson and Wray Graves Wilson.

He was active in South Carolina Republican politics from a young age, participating in his first Republican campaign in 1962. As a teenager he joined the campaign of Congressman Floyd Spence, later working as an aide to Senator Strom Thurmond.

Wilson obtained a bachelor's degree from Washington and Lee University in 1969, obtained a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1972, worked as a real estate attorney, and co-founded the law firm Kirkland, Wilson, Moore, Taylor & Thomas[1] in West Columbia, where he practiced for over 25 years. Wilson was also a Judge in Springdale.

From 1972 to 1975, Wilson served in the United States Army Reserve, and then as a Staff Judge Advocate in the South Carolina Army National Guard assigned to the 218th Mechanized Infantry Brigade until retiring from military service as a Colonel in 2003.

In 1981 and 1982, during the Reagan Administration, Wilson served as Deputy General Counsel for former Governor Jim Edwards at the U.S. Department of Energy.

Wilson was elected to the South Carolina Senate in 1984 as a Republican from Lexington County, and never missed a statutory session in 17 years.[citation needed] After the Republicans gained control of the chamber in 1996, he became the first Republican to serve as Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee. Wilson was a member of the Columbia College Board of Visitors and Coker College Board of Trustees.

U.S. House of Representatives

After Congressman Floyd Spence died in 2001, Wilson ran for his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He won the December 18 special election with 73 % of the vote.[2][3] He was sworn in the next day.

Wilson has continued Spence's pattern of conservative voting and strong support for the military. Unlike Spence however, he has attracted attention for controversial remarks. In September 2002, during a debate on the possibility of going to war in Iraq, Wilson called Congressman Bob Filner "viscerally anti-American" and claimed that he had a "hatred of America" after Filner suggested the United States supplied chemical and biological weapons to Saddam Hussein. Wilson said later that he didn't intend to insult Filner.[4]

Wilson won election to a full term in 2002 with 84 % of the vote.[2][5]

Wilson was mentioned as a possible candidate for retiring Senator Fritz Hollings' seat in 2004,[citation needed] but he decided to run for a second full term and beat his opponents, Democrat Michael Ray Ellisor and Constitution Party nominee Steve Lefemine, with 65 % of the vote[2][6]

In the 2006 elections, he defeated Ellisor again, gaining 62.7 % of the vote, and kept his House seat.[7]

In the 2008 general election, he won 54% of the vote to Rob Miller's 46%,[8] the closest race in the district in 20 years.

Bills

Wilson has sponsored dozens and cosponsored hundreds of bills,[citation needed] issuing press releases regarding seven of them, concerning teacher recruitment and retention, college campus fire safety, National Guard troop levels, arming airline pilots, tax credits for adoption and living organ donors, and state defense forces, most of which are still in committee. As of January 2006, eight bills cosponsored by Wilson have been signed by the president, including H.R.1973, the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005, making safe water and sanitation an objective of U.S. assistance to developing countries.[citation needed]

Wilson is a staunch advocate of a federal prohibition of online poker. In 2006, he cosponsored H.R. 4411, the Goodlatte-Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Act[9] and H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act.[10]

Presidential address

During the September 9, 2009 speech to a joint session of Congress by President Obama, using an unpopular tactic called "adickmove", Wilson interrupted the President's address during his statement that there would be no coverage for illegal immigrants in his health care plan. In a historic breach of decorum, Wilson interrupted by pointing and shouting "You lie!"[11][12][13]

Wilson left the House chamber immediately after the end of the speech.[14] After the session, Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) appeared on Larry King Live and said, "Totally disrespectful. No place for it in that setting or any other and he should apologize immediately."[15][16]

Wilson issued an official statement saying, "This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the President’s remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill. While I disagree with the President’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the President for this lack of civility.”[17] According to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Wilson's Democratic opponent, Rob Miller, received roughly $100,000 in campaign contributions in the 8 hours following the presidential address.[18]

Committee assignments

Party leadership

Family

Joe and his wife Roxanne Dusenbury McCrory Wilson have four sons and four grandchildren. His oldest son Alan McCrory Wilson is also a lawyer, working as an Assistant Attorney General for South Carolina[19], and a Major in the Army National Guard, having served a year as an intelligence officer in southern Iraq. He is currently running for the Republican nomination for the South Carolina State Attorney General in 2010.[20] Addison G. "Add" Wilson, Jr. is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and is now an Lieutenant and graduate of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences medical school. Julian Dusenbury Wilson is a graduate of Clemson University and is a Captain in the Army National Guard. Hunter Taylor Wilson currently attends Clemson University, where he is a member of the Army ROTC, Army National Guard and the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

In an 2005 guest article in an online Indian web site, Wilson stated that his father Hugh was a member of the Flying Tigers in World War II.[21], The Wilson family attend First Presbyterian Church in Columbia.[citation needed]

Electoral history

South Carolina's 2nd congressional district: Results 2000–2008[22][3]
Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct
2000 Jane Frederick 110,672 41% Floyd Spence * 154,338 57% Timothy Moultrie Libertarian 3,622 1% George C. Taylor Natural Law 2,273 1%
2001 Brent Weaver 14,034 25% Joe Wilson 40,355 73% Warren Eilertson Libertarian 420 1% Steve Lefemine Constitution 404 1%
2002 (no candidate) Joe Wilson 144,149 84% Mark Whittington United Citizens 17,189 10% James R. Legg Libertarian 9,650 6%
2004 Michael Ray Ellisor 93,249 33% Joe Wilson 181,862 65% Steve Lefemine Constitution 4,447 2%
2006 Michael Ray Ellisor 76,090 37% Joe Wilson 127,811 63%
2008 Rob Miller 158,627 46% Joe Wilson 184,583 54%
Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 2000, write-ins received 71 votes. In 2001, write-ins received 1 vote. In 2002, write-ins received 371 votes. In 2004, write-ins received 312 votes. In 2006, write-ins received 151 votes. In 2008, write-ins received 276 votes.

* Floyd Spence died in office, causing the 2001 special election to be held. Wilson served the remainder of the term.

See also

References

  1. ^ Project Vote Smart - Representative Addison Graves 'Joe' Wilson Sr. - Biography
  2. ^ a b c AP.org web site. Accessed April 10, 2008.
  3. ^ a b Special election vote totals are at South Carolina Election Commission official web site; go to the page for December 18, 2001 special election. Accessed April 10, 2008].
  4. ^ Washington Post article
  5. ^ He received 144,149 votes to 17,189 and 9,650 minor party candidates with 371 write-in votes. See South Carolina Election Commission official web site, go to the page for November 5, 2002 general election. Accessed April 10, 2008].
  6. ^ Wilson got 181,862 votes to 93,249 for Democrat Ellisor, and 4,447 for minor party candidate Lefemine, with 312 write-ins. See South Carolina Election Commission official web site, go to the page for November 2, 2004 general election. Accessed April 10, 2008].
  7. ^ Wilson received 127,811 votes to Ellisor's 76,090 votes, with 151 write-ins. See South Carolina Election Commission official web site, go to the page for November 7, 2006 general election. Accessed April 10, 2008].
  8. ^ "U.S. House". USA Today. November 5, 2008. p. A16. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  9. ^ Thomas (Library of Congress): HR 4411
  10. ^ Thomas (Library of Congress): HR 4777
  11. ^ "Obama heckled by GOP during speech to Congress". Associated Press. Retrieved 10 September 2009. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |trans_title= and |coauthors= (help)
  12. ^ Politico:"A voice from the floor on illegal immigrants: 'Lie'"Retrieved September 9, 2009
  13. ^ "The Huffington Post: "GOP Rep Joe Wilson Yells Out "Lie" During Obama Health Care Speech To Congress (VIDEO)" Retrieved September 9, 2009
  14. ^ Spillius, Alex (2009-09-10). "Barack Obama health care speech: Republican calls president a liar". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
  15. ^ CNN.com - Transcripts
  16. ^ The Daily Voice: "South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson calls the President a liar during speech" Retrieved September 9,2009
  17. ^ "Wilson apologizes: 'I let my emotions get the best of me'" Retrieved September 9, 2009
  18. ^ Kellerman, Laurie. "Lawmakers denounce 'You lie' outburst at Obama". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-09-10.
  19. ^ Biographical note on Alan Wilson, Attorney at Willoughby & Hoefer, P. A. Retrieved September 9, 2009
  20. ^ O'Connor, John (August 25, 2008). "Wilson to run for attorney general". The State. Retrieved September 9, 2009.
  21. ^ [http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/dec/28joe.htm Guest Article by Wilson in Indian web site Rediff India Abroad Web Site (www.rediff.com) Retrieved September 9, 2009
  22. ^ "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from South Carolina's 2nd congressional district
12-19-2001–present 		Incumbent
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