Leave Wilson Alone: Parker

After Joe Wilson's “you lie” outburst, we may need to add “Joewilsoning” to the lexicon, as in, “OMG, he Joewilsoned right in the middle of the sermon!” writes Kathleen Parker of the Washington Post. Still, the reaction to the outburst seems a wee bit overblown. Wilson is, in normal circumstances, "polite, humble and deferential," says Parker, who acknowledges that her nephew works in his office.

Wilson says the outburst was spontaneous, and he regrets it. Let it go. But many commentators on TV aren’t just upset at Wilson, but at “heckling” by Republicans. “Where have these folks been?” asks Parker. “Group histrionics are a time-honored tradition in American political theater.” Remember the heckling during the 2005 State of the Union address? "As a nation," she points out, "we have entered a political era of uninhibited belligerence." (More Joe Wilson stories.)