November 9, 2011 5:13 PM

Joe Walsh: I got "a bit too passionate" with my constituent

By
Brian Montopoli
Topics
Congress

Republican Rep. Joe Walsh of Illinois said Wednesday he became a "bit too passionate" during an interaction with his constituents in which he appeared angry and deemed their comments "crap" that "pisses me off."

Walsh made the comments, seen in the video at left, at a constituent event last weekend. Seemingly frustrated, he responds to a constituent's comment by saying "don't blame banks, and don't blame the marketplace for the mess we're in right now."

"I am tired of hearing the crap," Walsh says. When a woman starts speaking in response, Walsh repeats the phrase before cutting her off, walking up to her and speaking loudly and demonstrably close to her face.

"You don't have to scream at me, I'm not screaming at you," the woman says. Walsh replies: "No, you know what? 'Cause this pisses me off. Too many people don't listen."

Earlier, Walsh said that "it's not the private marketplace that created this mess."

"What created this mess is your government, which has demanded for years that everybody be in a home...all the marketplace does is respond to what the government does," he said.

The first-term lawmaker went on to say "there are already mechanisms in place" to regulate lending that aren't working and angrily suggested it would be a mistake to "bombard them with more regulations, more government."

"I need more coffee," Walsh says toward the end of the video as he paces back and forth and continues to speak loudly. Responds the woman to whom he had been speaking earlier, a smile on her face: "I think you've had too much." She asks the bartender to give Walsh decaf.

Walsh then points to a man off-screen and says, "Quiet for a minute. Quiet for a minute. QUIET for a minute. Or I'm going to ask you to leave."

"You need to listen," Walsh says, his finger pointed at the man. "Or I'm going to ask you to leave."

Walsh said in a statement Wednesday that he hosts constituent events every weekend, deeming them "fun, engaging sessions" in which he "often meet[s] with people who disagree with me and the conversation can become spirited."

"The woman I most recently had a heated discussion with was great and she appreciated how open these events are," he said. "I apologized to her for getting a bit too passionate to which she smiled and did not mind at all."

Walsh said he is a "very passionate person," adding: "Constituents with opposing views have every right to argue with me, and I have every right to argue passionately for my conservative values. That's what freedom is all about."

He went on to say that he has "never been a 'pal of big banks'" but that "banks are not all to blame for this mess - government policy that advocated for every American to become a homeowner is at fault for this disaster."

Walsh has been a vocal critic of President Obama, suggesting during the debt ceiling debate that the president was "lying" about what would happen if the debt limit had not been raised and asking, "Have you no shame, sir?"

The Illinois lawmaker, a regular on the cable news networks and a strong opponent of federal borrowing, was also in the news earlier this year following an ex-wife's lawsuit for $117,437 in back child support. Walsh disputes the claim. 


Add a Comment See all 26 Comments
by enoughdamit November 15, 2011 8:13 PM EST
Deadbeat father owing $117,000.00 in child support (read with dripping scarcasim ) got $75,850 from the Securities & Investment companies (read banks)...and thats why he lost his cool...not too transparently played was it...?
Reply to this comment
by spnjusa November 13, 2011 8:32 AM EST
Why this is Important
Currently Congress is reviewing cutting benefits of millions of Americans while keeping their perks and benefits intact. They must not be treated differently than any average hard working American. If the hatred and the childish behavior we are currently witnessing in the congress does not end soon we must fire the elected representative whether a Democrat or Republican and elect a new member who puts the interest of the millions of hard working Americans before the party. If necessary, the time is now to start a new 3rd party "All American" that governs from the middle representing the most Americans. This party can start with the following platform:
1) Balance the Budget in the next 8 years.
2) Make a pledge to make America energy independent over the next 8 yrs. Start using natural gas for converting national Buses, Trucks and all gas guzzling vehicles to natural gas in the first phase. In many countries mass transit buses and some private automobiles already run on natural gas which is cleaner than regular gas. The technology already exist.
3) Cut the budget of non-essential and non-productive Federal Departments in half.
4) Cut the budget of every other Federal Department except Defense by 10%
5) Review Defense and cut all the waste wherever possible and feasible. Strengthen wherever necessary.
6) Put wage and price freeze across America until we balance the Federal Budget that includes Congress, Federal Employees and ordinary Americans
7) Cut the Expense Budgets of Congressman by 15% and put a mandate that they must travel in economy class in public airlines like most Americans do.
8) Give Tax Breaks to companies that innovate and manufacture in America using American workers.
9) Close all corporate loopholes, stop all subsidies to large oil companies and other profitable public corporations. All large corporation should pay a minimum of 15% corporate tax, no exceptions.
10) Give incentives and low rate loans to bonafide new start-up small companies with a strong business plan that would employ more than 10 employees.
11) Re-evaluate all trade agreements and stop all unfair trade practices by all foreign countries.
12) Give 10% Tax Credit to anyone buying an American car or any American made large ticket item.
13) Require banks to approve all mortgages in a timely manner with clear guidelines to stimulate home buying. Hold banks accountable if they turn down any qualified loan application in a timely manner. Offer $2000 Tax Credit to a qualified new home buyer for the next 3 years
14) Introduce a new 2% National Debt Reduction Tax for all the ordinary American tax payers. Anyone making more than half a million dollars ($500,000) per year would pay 3% National Debt Reduction Tax while all corporations with the revenues over 1 Billion Dollars would pay 4% National Debt Reduction Tax. The budgets of all the federal departments would be frozen until the federal budget is balanced. THIS TAX MUST BE ELIMINATED UPON BALANCING THE FEDERAL BUDGET with a going forward balanced budget amendment without this added tax.
15) Put a 5% National Debt Reduction Tax on all the Chinese imports until the federal budget is balanced.
16) The Social Security and Medical Benefits of all the individuals over 58 yrs would be protected while looking to eliminate waste without reduction in benefits. In the future, Congress should not be allowed to dip in to Social Security and Medical trust fund. The Congress and the Federal Employees will not have a separate program. All individuals should be given control of their own accounts with a limited safe investment options similar to the options available in the annuities offered by many private insurance companies.

IF YOU AGREE, PLEASE MAIL THIS TO EVERYONE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR ECONOMY AND SERIOUS ABOUT FIXING THE PROBLEMS. We must be strong at home to be strong abroad. If we don't fix our problems at home, we would become a laughing stock in the rest of the world. Fire any elected official who play the partisan politics and ignore the reality and fail to understand the pain of ordinary citizens. Do send this to your Congressmen and Senators.
Reply to this comment
by DavidB2009 November 11, 2011 2:39 PM EST
Illinois THROW THIS MORON OUT! what a misguided bully and I read he is also a deadbeat dad! this is the exact kind of trash we dont need in government. call his office in DC and let him know he serves the public and has NO RIGHT to scream to another person like this. Who the heck does this coward think he is!
HIS NUMBER: (202) 225-3711
Reply to this comment
by walker_percy November 11, 2011 8:59 AM EST
"Too many people don't listen!!!!!!!" LOL.
Reply to this comment
by skoksvalley November 11, 2011 2:01 AM EST
It is really hard to believe that someone who is paid to represent the public would have the nerve to speak this way to a constituent. In the real world he would be fired for this type of behavior.
What a "mule"...
Reply to this comment
by carami6 November 10, 2011 10:23 AM EST
Joe Walsh is a Fraud.
Reply to this comment
by awenshok November 10, 2011 9:43 AM EST
WOW! Walsh has never heard of bank lobbyists, I guess....hmmmmm.
Reply to this comment
by pstein171 November 10, 2011 2:53 AM EST
This is indicative the Tea Party. They think they know it all. Which proves quit the opposite. This man cannot even listen? His days are seriously numbered.
Reply to this comment
by ruffiannd November 9, 2011 11:46 PM EST
Look at the narrow shoulders and weak posture. The man is a total p#ssy.
Reply to this comment
by KampungHighlander November 9, 2011 10:36 PM EST
Joe Walsh needs a strong dose of humility, lets see if his constituents give to him at the next election.
Reply to this comment
See all 26 Comments
.

Follow Political Hotsheet

Scroll Left
Scroll Right More »
CBS News on Facebook
  • Building You a Better Morning

  • CBS This Morning

    "CBS This Morning," anchored by Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Erica Hill, airs weekdays from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and at the same time in other time zones.
    Learn more...