Harrisburg, PA –Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason released the following statement in response to comments made by Congressman Mike Doyle (D-PA), who in meeting of the House Democrat Caucus, referred to Tea Party Republicans “terrorists” based on their opposition to raising the debt limit:

“Congressman Doyle should apologize to his Pennsylvania constituents for his reprehensible comments, referring to Republican House colleagues and Americans who want to stop runaway government spending as ‘terrorists.’  Reasonable people may disagree with one another, but it is completely inappropriate for a Member of Congress to elevate his comments to unacceptable levels, resorting to name-calling in the face of disagreement. Moreover, the fact that Vice President Joe Biden and others in the closed-door Democrat Caucus meeting agreed with Congressman Doyle is indicative of a serious lapse in judgment among the entire caucus. No wonder President Obama and his Democrat colleagues haven’t come up with a plan – they’re too busy slinging mud on everyone else,” said Chairman Rob Gleason.

“Instead of lashing out against Republicans who are trying to get our nation’s fiscal house in order, perhaps Vice President Biden and Representative Doyle should get serious about fixing our nation’s problems.”

Doyle and Biden call tea party Republicans “terrorists”

Vice President Joe Biden joined House Democrats in lashing tea party Republicans Monday, accusing them of having “acted like terrorists” in the fight over raising the nation’s debt limit.

Biden was agreeing with a line of argument made by Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) at a two-hour, closed-door Democratic Caucus meeting.

“We have negotiated with terrorists,” an angry Doyle said, according to sources in the room. “This small group of terrorists have made it impossible to spend any money.

Biden, driven by his Democratic allies’ misgivings about the debt-limit deal, responded: “They have acted like terrorists,” according to several sources in the room.

Biden’s office declined to comment about what the vice president said inside the closed-door session.

(Jonathan Allen and John Bresenhan.  Biden: Tea ‘terrorists’. Politico. August 1, 2011.)

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