'Lost my cool': Rep. Grimm apologizes after threatening reporter, plans lunch date

Last night, New York Rep. Mike Grimm was caught on camera getting rather testy with reporter Michael Scotto, apparently threatening to “throw [Scotto] off this f*cking balcony.” But after sleeping on it, Grimm seems to have had a change of heart:

Grimm calls NYI reporter to apologize. Says he accepted and they will have lunch. Grimm says he lost his cool.

— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 29, 2014

Grimm: I'm sure my Italian mother will be yelling at me saying that's not how you were brought up.

— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 29, 2014

Grimm on #SOTU blowup: I overreacted. I lost my cool. In retrospect, says that reporter's question was "fair."

— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 29, 2014

Rep Michael Grimm (R-NY): Sometimes your emotions get the better of you. I was wrong and it shouldn't have happened.

— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 29, 2014

Rep Michael Grimm: I'm extremely passionate & I wear my emotions on my sleeve. (Grimm says he was stressed working on flood insurance bill)

— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 29, 2014

Rep Grimm: I called @mikescotto (to apologize). He was very gracious. We're going to have lunch sometime next week.

— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 29, 2014

Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY) on whether or not the question by @mikescotto about ethics was out of line: Not at all. That's a fair question

— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 29, 2014

Grimm: The bottom line is I overreacted and it shouldn't have happened.

— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 29, 2014

So, have fences been mended?

@repmichaelgrimm called to apologize. He said he "overreacted." I accepted his apology.

— Michael Scotto (@mikescotto) January 29, 2014

OK. Just one piece of advice for Scotto:

Hey @mikescotto if there's a plastic sheet on the floor of an empty room, don't join Rep. Grimm for lunch.

— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) January 29, 2014

Those are wise words.

As camera crews backpedaled in Cannon to get shot of Rep Grimm, he stops & says "let's do this once, I don't want any one to get hurt."

— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 29, 2014

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Rep. Mike Grimm, R-NY, allegedly threatens to throw reporter off balcony