(Cross posted at Everyday Politics, a textbook blog aimed at political science students.)
Two days ago, President Obama gave a speech on health care reform. At one point in the speech, he said that there were many misconceptions about his plan out there. He said that there would be no "death panels" for old people to determine whether or not they should receive expensive, life-saving procedures. He also said that this plan would not cover illegal aliens. From the audience, Congressman Joe Wilson from South Carolina shouted out "You lie!"
I was watching Obama's speech on CNN's website and I had Twitter up on another window. I use Twitter to follow various political pundits and activists. Their reaction to Wilson's remark was instantaneous. Within seconds, someone had identified who he was. Minutes later, his wikipedia page was changed. One hour later, prominent bloggers had identified who his opponent was in the upcoming election and called for donations to his campaign. Two days later, that opponent has received campaign donations for more than $700,000.
As a scholar of Internet politics, I am fascinated by the dialogue that occurs on the Internet, as well as the speed that information flows and the ability to form rapid responses. Some have said that Twitter has been used most effectively by conservatives. The Joe Wilson incident certainly shows that liberals are also using Twitter effectively.
On a morning news show this morning, one pundit said that Joe Wilson's shout demonstrates that the weakening respect for the presidency, which began in the Clinton administration and has only accelerated. I'm not sure if that's true or not. Nixon and the Watergate scandal was a serious blow to the presidency. No president will ever win the awe and respect of the public and the media as the pre-Nixon presidents.
The Wilson incident also brings up the question of how Congress should behave. Traditionally, the Congress in the United States has always been formal. Congressional representatives refer to each other as the "Fine Senior Senator from New York" and decorum is maintained during discussion periods. Legislative bodies in other countries are much more boisterous. There are shouts, heckles, and cheers from the backbenches during speeches and debates. Here's a sample of a debate in England's Parliament:
Do you think that Wilson's comments were disrespectful and disruptive of intellectual debate? Do you think he should receive censure from Congress? Or do you think that Congress should start behaving more like Parliament? Is there something very democratic about those shouts from the backbenches and the questioning of presidents and prime ministers?
Apt. 11d 
Senatorial chumminess always rubs me the wrong way. Senators tend to give the impression of belonging to an exclusive and very comfortable club. Representatives have to hustle a bit more (elections every 2 years!), plus they belong to a much larger, less collegial entity. I’m not sure it would be a good idea to abolish the Senate, but it’s tempting.
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I like the Senate, probably because I grew-up in a state that would be powerless on a national level without it.
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How about a 3-year term?
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I don’t like the odd-year elections. We have them in PA for state and local government and it functions as a huge pro-machine boost since turn-out is so low.
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I like our system, even though I’ve never lived in a state that was over-represented because of it, and have often supported a majority that wasn’t enough to break a fillibuster.
I see what happens in other relatively diverse democracies (India, Israel, perhaps now UK, Italy, France) and believe that our system yields necessary stability. Sometimes the stability keeps us from going somewhere I want to go (health care), but sometimes it keeps us from falling off a cliff.
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I’d give DC it’s senators, though.
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and puerto rico
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Nobody should get a senator without paying income tax.
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No-one in parliament, not even Dennis Skinner, heckles the head of state (and Dennis Skinner, by the way, does, indeed, heckle — he is not merely an ill-mannered yob, like the fellow from SC). I’m happy enough with heckling, when it actually is heckling, and would like to see less respect for the office of the presidency, and whoever occupies it. That;s because I’m not a conservative, of course.
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When you have your head of state as a separate individual, it does become a bit easier to smack the head of government.
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It’s not commpnplace elsewhere – saying “you lie” isn’t allowed in the House of Commons, see Andrew Sullivan
Juan Cole has a good compare and contrast – remember the last Joe Wilson to tell a President he lied ? His career was destroyed, his wife’s career destroyed, and it’s likely a lot of people died as a result of the Presidential retribution.
The pusillanimous Rep. Joe Wilson is now on YouTube, fundraising from his contemptible (and wholly false) outburst.
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Ha, Doug K, my husband just called to tell me about wilson begging for money on YouTube. Thanks for the link.
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PS Since I wrote this for a student textbook blog, I had to restrain the editorializing and set up the post for class debate.
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Laura, thanks very much for writing this up; I used it in both my American government classes today (where we were talking about the separation of powers, so hey!), and it was a big it. Much appreciated!
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Historically the American legislature wasn’t this “collegial”– lawmakers in fistfights, spitting, and challenging each other to duels are all scenes from our earlier centuries, especially around the time of the Civil War.
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Doug K — its true that calling someone a liar is unparliamentary language in the HoC. But you can be much, much, ruder without being censured. Just to reiterate my irritation with this oafish intellectual minow being referred to as a heckler: heckling is more than mere public eruption of the unworthy emotions of an ignorant or dissembling moron.
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harry b, I agree entirely – an ideal heckler is witty, trenchant and only incidentally rude. Mere contradiction hardly qualifies. This too from the party that advocated unquestioning reverence for the Office of the President when it was occupied by a finger puppet.. it would be amusing if it didn’t matter so much.
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