Scott Wallace, Pa. Democrat congressional candidate, loses it in synagogue during debate: ‘F— off’

Democratic congressional candidate Scott Wallace has apologized for a debate in which he told Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick to “f— off” — in a synagogue.

The crowd at the Congregation Tifereth Israel in Bensalem, Pennsylvania witnessed an awkward moment on Sunday when an exchange on voting history quickly turned ugly. Mr. Wallace released a statement Monday evening saying he lost his cool due to “passionate” feelings towards “protecting people from insurance company abuses.”

“I was exasperated by yet another attempt from Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick to hide from his votes to take away protections for people with pre-existing conditions,” Mr. Wallace said, a local CW affiliate reported. “I apologize for any offense that might have been taken.”

“Ironically, there was a later question about the need for civility in politics,” Mr. Fitzpatrick responded when asked for comment. “A good start is to not use vulgarities in the sanctuary of a synagogue in the middle of a congressional debate.”

At issue regarding the exchange are campaign ads accusing the Republican of voting to take health care coverage away from individuals with pre-existing conditions.

“My sense is he was frustrated because I was cross examining him on the ad he’s running, which is a false ad,” Mr. Fitzpatrick told the station. “I was asking him a series of questions on what bill he was referring to, had he read it, and he came out with this expletive.”