Obama accepts Wilson's apology for outburst

WASHINGTON -- President Obama accepted Rep. Joe Wilson's apology Thursday, but the furor over the South Carolina Republican's outburst during the president's health care address to Congress persisted.

Democratic leaders will vote early next week on whether to admonish Republican Rep. Joe Wilson if he does not apologize on the House floor for yelling "You lie!" during Obama's health care address.

Brendan Daly, a spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, said Friday that party leaders decided they will likely move forward with a resolution of disapproval against Wilson if he doesn't apologize to Congress.

Wilson has so far refused requests to apologize on the floor. Wilson's office says the congressman considers his initial apology sufficient. He has also been telling supporters he will continue to speak loudly about the issue and "not be muzzled."

The day after his outburst in the middle of Obama's nationally televised speech, Wilson told WLTX TV in Columbia, S.C., that he acknowledged "what I stated was inappropriate," in a phone call Wednesday night with White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel. Obama told reporters that he was "appreciative" that Wilson "apologized quickly and without equivocation."

Both the president and Democratic congressional leaders showed no interest in dwelling on the incident, preferring to focus on the substance of the president's address. "It's time for us to talk about health care, not Mr. Wilson," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

Even so, TV news programs, the halls of Congress and the Internet buzzed over what Wilson said to the president in a room thronged with Washington VIPs, including foreign diplomats.

"I thought it demeaned the institution," Vice President Biden said on ABC's Good Morning America. On his Twitter account, Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., called for Wilson to be reprimanded.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reported that Rob Miller, a former Marine challenging Wilson for re-election next year, collected $500,000 in campaign contributions the day after the congressman's outburst. Wilson's official website crashed because of unusually high traffic.