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'You lie' House race on track to be among the richest ever
Six months after U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson accused President Barack Obama of lying on national prime-time TV, the South Carolina Republican's re-election bid has broken fundraising records.Wilson and Rob Miller, his Democratic challenger, likely have raised a total of $6 million. While updated campaign finance reports won't be filed for another month, that total would blow past the S.C. record for a U.S. House race -- and is on track to challenge the richest contests ever in the country. Both men are trying to deal with the intense attention their rematch -- Wilson defeated Miller by margin of 54 percent to 46 percent in 2008 -- is drawing. Wilson has traveled more frequently outside South Carolina than he said he would in the aftermath of his Sept. 9 "You lie!" yell at Obama. At the time, Wilson said he would take only three trips outside South Carolina, declining other requests from GOP groups and candidates seeking to cash in on his newfound fame. Miller has run a stealth campaign, holding few public events and kicking a Columbia TV crew out of a speech to Democrats. Two weeks after his outburst, Wilson said he would limit his out-of-state trips to Michigan, Missouri and Virginia. "I love traveling the country, but I love traveling the 2nd District more." Wilson has taken at least eight trips to New York, California, Georgia and beyond, sounding more like a sportsman on a victory lap than a contrite congressman who says Obama accepted his apology and "the incident" is over. When Wilson campaigned in October in Michigan, trying to help Republican Tim Walberg regain the U.S. House seat that he lost, Walberg campaign's invitation had a photo of Wilson with the caption "Stand for Truth." Wilson recently acknowledged he has taken more trips beyond South Carolina than he had intended, adding, "I've declined dozens and dozens of other invitations." Posted by: Fred 2010-03-09 |
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