Randy Neugebauer is a Republican member of the House, whose enduring claim to fame for the foreseeable future is going to be how he shouted “Baby killer” at Bart “Stupid?” Stupak during Sunday night’s extended healthcare bill debate.
What you may not see reported in the mainstream media, though, is how the price of Randy Neugebauer dolls went through the roof yesterday. Not because the demented right-wing faithful are rushing to buy them in droves. But because one particular demented right-wing whack-job lady is furiously (and I use the word advisedly) buying up all she can find. All the better to stick voodoo pins in all the better body parts, apparently.
You see, before Randy decide to break party discipline by ‘fessing up to his crime — and is there a greater crime in the Republican play book than breaking party discipline? — his Republican House colleagues had decided to stand by Omertà:
California Republican Reps. John Campbell and George Radanovich — both fingered by members of the gallery watching the floor proceedings — have vehemently denied being the screamer.
Radanovich Monday morning took to Twitter to offer his denial.
“I would like to set the record straight and be clear that I did not make the statement calling Rep. Stupak a ‘Baby Killer,’” he said on his feed.
Rep. Louie Gohmert, an outspoken Republican from Texas, also denied the scream in a local paper.
Not only did Campbell not say it, but he said it was totally inappropriate for anyone to say it.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate at all,” Campbell told Politico.
Campbell said the voice came from the floor — someone seated behind him and to his left.
“Some people know who it is but won’t say,” he added.
Texas Republican Rep. Joe Barton said he heard the shout but wouldn’t say who was responsible.
“I can make a guess,” Barton told reporters.
It didn’t occur to most Republicans to try to deny that it had been a Republican who was responsible:
Many lawmakers and onlookers agree on one thing: It was a member of Congress from the Republican side who screamed the phrase during Rep. Bart Stupak’s (D-Mich.) speech railing against a GOP motion to insert the Michigander’s high-profile amendment back into the health care legislation.
But Michele Bachmann has never been accused of being remotely like most Republicans. And once again she rose to the occasion:
Republican Reps. Michele Bachmann and Tom Price said they believed the voice came from the gallery and not from a lawmaker.
Even if Republicans came to pretty much agree that the sound appeared to have come from the Republican section of the floor, Bachmann could still have argued for ventriloquist ghosts in the gallery. But then Neugebauer decided to cop a plea.
You stand up and lie for the guy. And then he cops a plea. If you ask me, he’s getting off lightly with voodoo pins. Most demented right-wing whack-job ladies wouldn’t be so nice, I don’t think.