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Heard on the Hill: And the Award Goes to …

Civility has been a Washington buzzword for months, and now one college is planning to capitalize on all this Congressional goodwill.

Allegheny College recently announced that it will present a civility award to one elected official who has shown “noteworthy civility while continuing to fight for their beliefs.” The college is accepting nominations, and the award will be presented in D.C. later this year.

While HOH isn’t certain who should win, we do have some ideas of Members who should not.

Take Rep. Joe Wilson, for example. The South Carolina Republican made headlines in 2009 when he heckled President Barack Obama during a joint address to Congress. Obama was discussing the touchy topic of health care when Wilson exclaimed, “You lie!” That’s not exactly civil behavior.

Then there’s Rep. Paul Broun. While other lawmakers were reaching across the aisle to grab a date for this year’s State of the Union address, the Georgia Republican was busy voicing his distrust of the arrangement.

Before the speech, Broun called the bipartisan seating arrangement a “trap” orchestrated by Democrats to keep Republicans quiet. Then, shortly after the speech ended, Broun tweeted, “Mr. President, you don’t believe in the Constitution. You believe in socialism.” Burn!

And who could forget former Rep. Alan Grayson? The Florida Democrat got himself in hot water during a 2009 debate over health care. He reportedly said the Republican plan could be summarized as, “Don’t get sick, and if you do get sick, die quickly.” Grayson later apologized for the remark.

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