South Carolina Republican Rep. Joe Wilson shouted "You lie!" after President Obama said that illegal immigrants would not be covered if he passes a Health Care reform bill during an address to both chambers of Congress. The outburst caused Nancy Pelosi to look on in disbelief.
Rep. Wilson was not the only one who interrupted President Obama; Republicans chuckled when the President said that there are details to be worked out in his proposal and some waved their own health care proposals in the air. Wilson's outburst, however, seemed to ruffle more feathers. It caused Democrats to boo and President Obama to pause before he repeated that the claim about illegal immigrants was not true.
The constant coverage of the now infamous Town Hall Meetings was the leading point to such displays of dissatisfaction. What's an outburst after seeing the images of gun toting protesters, passionate speeches, citizens being dragged out by authorities, claims of Nazi policies, and Barnie Frank's comparison of a citizen to a dining room table?
Obama also questioned the truthfulness of claims made by opponents. He specifically said that the death panel argument made Sarah Palin made was a lie, although he did not name her specifically. The President warned that he would call out others who misrepresented the details of his initiative.
The partisan divide was even on display when only Democrats clapped at certain moments of the Speech and only Republicans clapped at others, this was in addition to the town hall style heckling.
Still, such lack of decorum can catch one off guard. There were many politician who questioned President Bush's truthfulness when no Weapons of Mass Destruction were found in Iraq, but never to his face during a Presidential Address to Congress.
None the less, a non-partisan moment did take place tonight, when Republican John McCain said of Wilson's outburst while being interviewed on CNN, that it was totally disrespectful and that Wilson "should apologize immediately."
