Wilson's Wife: 'Joe, Who's the Nut That Hollered Out, 'You Lie'?'
Washington Post Sept 15 2009 By Garance Franke-Ruta
Roxanne Wilson, wife of controversial South Carolina Republican Rep. Joe Wilson, said her first impression of the person who interrupted President Obama's speech to Congress last week was that he was a "nut."
It was only after the speech she learned that nut was her husband.
"Joe called me after the speech on Wednesday night and I said, 'Joe, who's the nut that hollered out, "You lie" or "You Liar"?' " Roxanne Wilson said in a Web video released Tuesday morning by Wilson's congressional reelection campaign.
"And he goes, 'It was me.' And I said, 'No, really, who did it?' I couldn't believe that Joe would say that."
The video is a biographical spot that appears designed as an attempt to soften Wilson's image in advance of a possible House floor vote later today censuring him for his outburst.
The two "met at teenage Republican camp," Roxanne Wilson said. "I had a crush on him since 1966." She goes on to describe her husband as "a wonderful father" who "adores the boys" and "works so hard."
"He is very passionate," she said, explaining his outburst as Wilson himself did in an earlier Web video as a result of the overspill of passions from the summer's town hall meetings.
"My husband doesn't deserve the treatment that he's getting from Congress," she said, emphasizing that "Joe apologized ... and I'm very appreciative that the president accepted his apology and I think the president has been very gracious to my husband in accepting his apology."
