GOP Congressman: Bipartisan Seating At State Of The Union Is Attempt To “Silence Republicans”
Georgia Republican Congressman Paul Broun explained his unique take on the “unity seating” idea that would have Republicans and Democrats sit togther–rather than on opposite sides of the chamber–for the upcoming State of the Union address.
Broun, appearing on Scott Hennen‘s radio show, said the call for unity–or, as he put it, the call to sit together “kissy kissy”–is really an attempt to “silence Republicans” and hide (Democrats’) diminished numbers “when Barack Obama spews out all his venom.”
As Broun sees it:
I’m talking to members of Congress. Our leadership said you do whatever you want to do. If you wanna sit with the Democrats, you can. If you wanna sit with Republicans, that you can. We’re going to have a conference next week and I’m gonna bring that up there. I already believe very firmly that it is a trap and a ruse that Democrats are proposing. They don’t want civility. They want silence from the Republicans. And the sitting together being kissy-kissy is just another way to try to silence Republicans, and also to show — to keep the American people from seeing how few of them there are in the U.S. House now. Then when people stand up to — what the Democrats are going to be doing when Barack Obama spews out all his venom, then, um, if they’re scattered throughout all the Republicans, then it won’t be as noticeable as if we’re sitting apart. So it is a ruse and I’m not in favor of it and I’m talking about it and I hope other members of the Republican conference in the House will not take the bait.
