WASHINGTON — The Republican Party is using the newfound fame of the lawmaker who shouted "You lie!" at President Obama to raise money for GOP candidates around the country.
Although party leaders initially called Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst during Obama's recent speech to Congress disrespectful and unacceptable, fundraisers have apparently decided it can be an asset.
Wilson, a previously obscure South Carolina Republican, is slated to appear at a fundraiser next month for Tim Walberg, a former Michigan Republican congressman who was defeated in November and is seeking his old seat. Attendees can get a photo with Wilson for $150. He also is soliciting money for statehouse Republicans in Virginia, and this week the GOP's national fundraising arm sent out a nationwide plea from Wilson asking conservatives to combat Democratic efforts to "spin and mislead the public" on healthcare reform.
"If we can raise more money than the Democrats, we'll send a message to [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi, Obama and their friends that the American people are firmly behind the Republicans in opposition to government-run healthcare," he wrote in the new national plea.
