I agree that Wilson's behavior was "'rude' and indecorous", but I still believe that Pelosi is making a mistake in not proceeding with formal censure procedures. If the MoveOn "General Betrayus" ad was worthy of censure, then Wilson's direct interruption of the President while he was speaking is an easy call as also worthy of censure.

Although I don't have a link right now, it's my understanding that House Rules were amended during the Bush years specifically to prevent House members from accusing the President of lying. That makes Wilson's outburst even worse, if that is the case.

Also worthy of a second censure vote is Wilson's current effort to use the outburst for his own fundraising. He actually released a video yesterday asking for money. Of course, given that his opponent has raised over $700,000 online since the outburst, he is looking at being buried in the next campaign.

A little perspective, however, is in order. At Firedoglake last night, watertiger put up a post with a link to the Wikipedia entry on Preston Brooks, who also was a House member from South Carolina. Here is a lengthy excerpt:

On May 22, 1856, Brooks beat Senator Charles Sumner with his Gutta-percha wood walking cane in the Senate chamber because of a speech Sumner had made three days earlier, criticizing President Franklin Pierce and Southerners who sympathized with the pro-slavery violence in Kansas ("Bleeding Kansas"). In particular, Sumner lambasted Brooks' kinsman, Senator Andrew Butler, who was not in attendance when the speech was read, describing slavery as a harlot, comparing Butler with Don Quixote for embracing it, and mocking Butler for a physical handicap. Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois, who was also a subject of abuse during the speech, suggested to a colleague while Sumner was orating that "this damn fool [Sumner] is going to get himself shot by some other damn fool." (Jordan et al., The Americans)

At first intending to challenge Sumner to a duel, Brooks consulted with fellow South Carolina Rep. Laurence M. Keitt on dueling etiquette. Keitt instructed him that dueling was for gentlemen of equal social standing, and suggested that Sumner occupied a lower social status comparable to a drunkard due to the supposedly coarse language he had used during his speech. Brooks thus decided to attack Sumner with a cane.

Two days after the speech, on the afternoon of May 22, Brooks confronted Sumner as he sat writing at his desk in the almost empty Senate chamber. Brooks was accompanied by Keitt and Henry A. Edmundson of Virginia. Brooks said, "Mr. Sumner, I have read your speech twice over carefully. It is a libel on South Carolina, and Mr. Butler, who is a relative of mine." As Sumner began to stand up, Brooks began beating Sumner on the head with his thick gutta-percha cane with a gold head. Sumner was trapped under the heavy desk (which was bolted to the floor), but Brooks continued to bash Sumner until he ripped the desk from the floor. By this time, Sumner was blinded by his own blood, and he staggered up the aisle and collapsed, lapsing into unconsciousness. Brooks continued to beat Sumner until he broke his cane, then quietly left the chamber. Several other senators attempted to help Sumner, but were blocked by Keitt who was holding a pistol and shouting "Let them be!" (Keitt would be censured for his actions and later died of wounds in 1864 during the US Civil War.)

So yes, interrupting the President's speech to a joint session to call him a liar is nothing like beating a Senator senseless while a colleague holds any rescuers at bay with a gun. The danger lies, however, in Wilson's significance to the deranged group being urged on by the radical Republicans who now are bringing automatic weapons to appearances by the President. Wilson has given them new energy, and until there are consequences to anyone besides Glenn Beck's loss of advertisers, I see a sad spiraling down toward more violence.

I agree with Kitt, that was a great catch on Waxman. I would not be at all surprised if he also is a member of the task force. I've asked the google nicely, but can't seem to find a roster for the task force. At the very least, I think your finding of Chesney's "borrowing" of Waxman's language suggests that one of the listserv's mentioned on Chesney's web site might be the academic law detainee treatment version of the journo-list that Glenn busted in the Klein story. Maybe we should call it detaino-list.