Ron Johnson To Dem Colleague: 'God Help You For Implying I'm A Racist'

CATHERINE THOMPSON – MAY 22, 2014, 7:55 AM EDT

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) sparred Wednesday at a hearing on health care over whether Rockefeller implied that Johnson was a "racist" for opposing President Barack Obama's signature health care law.

“It’s very important to take a long view at what’s going on here," Rockefeller said during a hearing of the Senate Commerce Committee. "And I’ll be able to dig up some emails that make part of the Affordable Care Act that doesn’t look good, especially from people who have made up their mind that they don’t want it to work. Because they don’t like the president, maybe he’s of the wrong color. Something of that sort."

The remarks echoed comments Rockefeller made earlier this month, when he accused Republican lawmakers of opposing the President "because he's the wrong color." After preceding with committee business Rockefeller turned to Johnson to close out the hearing.

"It was regrettable, and I would say it was offensive, seeing as I'm the only one in the room here really talking about opposition, that you would play the race card," an emotional Johnson began. "That you would say opposition to Obamacare necessarily must stream from some inherent racism. Very offensive. My opposition to health care has nothing to do with the race of President Obama."

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