Congresswoman Laura Richardson (D-Long Beach)
has an unlikely seatmate for tonight's State of the Union
address.
It's Rep. Joe Wilson, Republican of South
Carolina, who famously shouted "You lie!" as President Barack Obama covered the finer points of his
healthcare reform proposal during a joint address of Congress in September
2009.
Many brows furrowed across the nation. Some people probably smiled. Nevertheless, the outburst got a very
disapproving glance and glare from then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco)
and resulted in a lot of hand-wringing inside the Beltway. Days later, on an
almost party-line vote, the House passed a resolution of disapproval against
Wilson.
Tough times for Wilson. But it got a little
easier when, soon after, the chagrined
congressman sought recognition on the House floor and Richardson happened to be
presiding. With feelings still raw, Richardson respectfully acknowledged Wilson,
and a friendship was born.
Tuesday, many congressmembers are spurning the
traditional party-line seating arrangement for mixed, bipartisan seating as a
symbol of renewed civility.
The move has also taken on the appearance of a
school dance in recent days, with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Virginia)
asking Pelosi -- now minority leader -- to sit next to him, only to find out
that Pelosi has asked Republican Congressman Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland to be
her seatmate. Whoops.
Richardson must have been pretty jazzed about
observing the address with her bipartisan seatmate -- her office said she
grabbed her seat at 8:45 a.m. Besides herself and Wilson, Richardson also
reserved seats for Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-Guam), Rep. Susan Davis
(D-San Diego), Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Florida) and Rep. Dave Reichert
(R-Washington).
"Finally tonight, from a different area on the
floor of the House of Representatives and through a different set of eyes and
ears, I look forward to listening with great optimism to President Obama lay out
his plan to help the American people," Richardson said. "It is the dawn of a new
day that will bring new results that reflect the will of the people. I represent
one of the most diverse districts in America, a melting pot of ethnic
communities and economic interests, and it is their reflection that I bring with
me to Washington."
-- By Eric Bradley, staff writer
-- By Eric Bradley, staff writer
