Rep. Paul Broun Stands by "Socialism" Tweet

On a night when most members of Congress went out of their way to avoid brash displays of partisanship, Georgia Republican Rep. Paul Broun did just the opposite: During President Obama's State of the Union address last night, he tweeted, "Mr. President, you don't believe in the Constitution. You believe in socialism."

On CBSNews.com's "Washington Unplugged" today, Broun said, "I stick by that tweet."

Republicans and Democrats sat intermingled in the House chamber during the State of the Union in a show of civility intended to honor wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.). The Arizona lawmaker was injured in a mass shooting in Tucson that spurred legislators and others to discuss whether giving each other hyperbolic labels like "socialist" or "Nazi" could lead to violence.

Broun told CBS News Senior Political Producer Jill Jackson that he agrees there could be more civility in Washington. "I think the personal attacks a lot of people do are probably not good for the country," he said.

However, he said that his tweet was an accurate description of the president's political philosophy.

"Mr. Obama believes in central government where the federal government controls everything in our lives," he said. "That's socialism."

Broun said he's worked with Democrats on issues as divisive as health care reform but that the gulf between Republican and Democratic philosophies is hard to bridge.

"There's a wide difference between the philosophy of the Democratic leadership...They believe the government should do everything for everybody and take care of every human endeavor," he said, "whereas Republicans...overwhelmingly believe in freedom [and] the free market."

Broun said the "philosophy of big government" that Mr. Obama and other Democrats promote is "killing the free enterprise system" and that the federal government must be scaled back in order for private businesses to thrive.

While the economy has grown since Mr. Obama took office in 2009, Broun said the president "hasn't done a thing to help this economy. The resiliency of the American economy is the only reason we don't have a worse economy than we have today."

Broun said there are many "domestic enemies of the Constitution -- those who want to pervert it, those who want to change it" -- who should be thwarted.

"There are some in black robes sitting on federal benches all across this country. They're Democrats, Republicans, liberals and even conservatives that pervert the Constitution," he said. "We've got to go back to very limited government."

[FreddieVee]

During the State of the Union Address, Congressman Broun tweeted, "Mr. President, you don't believe in the Constitution. You believe in socialism." I first heard about this (yesterday) on Liberal(?) MSNBC. Although Hardball host Chris Matthews, (Mother Jones corespondent and MSNBC contributor) David Corn and Brian Levin (Director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism) all objected to the tweet, neither made any mention of the fact that neither Capitalism nor Socialism are discussed in the Constitution. There is no Constitutional reason why President Obama could not simultaneously believe in the Constitution and Socialism.

That may be a nuance that is above the head's of most Americans, but Liberal MSNBC needs to explain it to the electorate. They need to educate the electorate. God knows, FOX News won't.

FreddieVee

[GrizzlyBear55]

He's telling the truth. Your President wants to be a dictator and destroy this country with his socialist policies. The whole problem is that the Liberals are too uneducated to see it.

[hakori]

By today's republican standards Eisenhower, Nixon and Reagan would all be considered socialists. If any conservatives here doubts that, I invite you all to do a little research on their positions and policies. The problem isn't that Rep Broun said what he said; the problem is the republican party has become radicalized.

[tallturtle]

This man is one of the many may very well have to hire his pall bearers.

[pasha128]

by HawkSpringsIsBack January 26, 2011 9:09 PM EST
Solutions like spending Trillions of dollars and taking over private industries.

--------

If the takeover was the goal why have the feds been selling off the equity acquired in the companies -- completely in come cases?

[jimbom121]

Another moronic republican who needs a dictionary.

[hakori]

sirmarion-2009, and you get yours from a dimwitted half-term quitter?

[nearl451]

Just as there is a wide spectum of the political spectum, apparently there must be a broad definition of Socialism that bends to one's political intent.

Why in the world does this Broun fellow hate Scandinavia, Germany, France, Italy, and Japan so much.....because apparently they fit into his definition. For that matter why does he hate the fire department so much.

Hell, he must really hate the interstate system and any national infrastructure. For certain Medicare has to go and Medicaid, why that's socialism.....but give aways to corporations, heck that's OK. Tobacco, YES. Favors for gun mfg, YEAH buddy. Big Pharma: Now you're talkin.

I'm afraid this fellow has Denmark confused with Russia. Somehow he thinks it's all the same.

[nearl451]

Yes, and a wide range of the political spectrum too, ah, spectrum that is, Suhn. Now listen up when I'm talkin to ya. Boy's about as sharp as a sack of wet mice." - Foghorn Leghorn

[levelheadedtoo]

The president wants to take away your right to face your accuser, he wants to wiretap your phone without a warrant, he wants to look into your spending habits, he wants to give $700 billion to Wall Street, he wants to promote his friends to the Supreme Court, he wants to fix elections with Federal lawyers. We can't put up with this behavior can we. Vote Bush out! Oh Ya, we did. Socialism my butt!

[realist51]

Sir, 280 billion of the stimulas was in give back taxcuts. other parts went to infrastructure, and keeping teachers, police and others employed, do a little browseing on the computer instead of just taking right wing talking points and spewing your foolish vitroll from them.

[MyTwoCents2011]

Socialism? Start by voting to remove your tax payer funded healthcare and pension benefits.

[Flappy3]

These socialist comments just floor me!! The Republicans are like a bunch of children, it truly is embarrassing. They truly don't know any better. T

But what do you expect from a Georgia Congressman? They are almost a bad as Texas and Arizona.