Stark should have taken the censure and auctioned it on eBay.

Because that's how much respect Congress deserves these days. He should have taken the censure, paraded it around to mock Congress and its "leaders" then got some bucks out of it.

Why did he apologize?

I'm sure she probably threatened his membership on a committee, or that if he ever wanted any of his bills to see the light of day that he better play ball and apologize.

House fails to censure Stark, but he apologizes for Iraq remarks
By CHARLES BABINGTON Associated Press Writer
Article Last Updated: 10/23/2007 08:55:39 AM PDT

WASHINGTON—Republicans failed in an effort Tuesday to have the House censure Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., who said in a congressional speech last week that U.S. troops are being sent to Iraq "to get their heads blown off for the president's amusement."
Without debate, the House voted 196-173 to kill the proposal to censure Stark for "his despicable conduct." The vote was mostly along party lines, with all 168 Republicans on hand supporting the measure offered by Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. Five Democrats joined them.

Stark, 75, stirred cries of protest Thursday during a debate over President Bush's veto of a $35 billion increase to a children's health insurance program. "You don't have money to fund the war or children," Stark said on the House floor. "But you're going to spend it to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president's amusement."

Stark initially refused to apologize despite condemnations from GOP lawmakers and others. Moments after Tuesday's vote, however, he addressed the House to apologize to his colleagues, "to the president and his family," and to U.S. troops offended by his remarks.

"I hope that with this apology I will become as insignificant as I should be" in the continuing debates over Iraq and health care, he said. Boehner was among those who applauded.

Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Stark's remarks on Thursday were "inappropriate and distracted from the seriousness of the subject at hand."


http://www.montereyherald.com/state/ci_7257768

not surprised, given the timidity of the Dem leadership to discuss anything outside the realm of approved Kabuki dialog.

I did like his tag line though. "I hope that with this apology I will become as insignificant as I should be" in the continuing debates over Iraq and health care, he said.

I wonder who the 5 Dems who voted for censure were?

that I just assumed the D's had come down on him?

Then I saw about the 5 D's. I'm guessing Lieberman for one? We'll no doubt find out. Jerks.

And apparently, Nancy Pelosi took the role of O`Brien.

If you don't get the reference, might I suggest you read George Orwell's novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four.