LACROSSE, Wis. – The chair of the La Crosse County Democrats, William Garcia, predictably criticized the character of freshman Congressman DerrickVan Orden for a cussing attack on teen-age Senate pages in the U.S. Capitol rotunda. Van Orden, said Garcia, “does not have the character, judgment or temperament required to represent the people of Wisconsin’s Third District.”
Verbatim
Garcia: As has been widely reported, GOP Representative Derrick Van Orden yelled and cursed at some high school students who work at the Capital for lying down to take pictures of the mosaic featured on the Capitol Rotunda. It was later reported, and confirmed by Rep. Van Orden, that he had been drinking before his interaction with the students. Being an elected representative is about character. Representative Van Orden continues to demonstrate that he does not have the character, judgment or temperament required to represent the people of Wisconsin’s Third District. If the Representative was truly offended by the actions of the high school students, he should have used the opportunity to engage these young people in conversation about the history of the Capitol Building, instead of hurling obscenities and threats.”