An uncalled for outburst?

Joe Wilson was a name unknown to most of us until he shouted “You lie!” at President Obama during the president’s address to Congress on Sept. 9.
Now, the South Carolina Republican’s name has been circulating throughout every major media source in the U.S. and worldwide. Personally, I don’t think anyone can defend Wilson’s action of disrupting the president’s speech while he was addressing Congress. My friends in Congress tell me this was truly out of character for Wilson, and that he is a genuinely nice person and an honorable man.
That evening, Wilson called the president, spoke to his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, and apologized. The apology was graciously accepted by the president, and that should have been the end of the matter. Unfortunately, the Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives sought to score political points by demanding a second apology by Wilson, but this time they demanded that it be made on the House floor. Failing that, they threatened to vote to censure him.
The congressman, in my opinion, rightfully refused to make a second apology, and many saw the Democrats’ action in the House as nothing more than a cheap theatrical attack aimed at further embarrassing Wilson. A motion to admonish him was based on a 240-179 House vote, basically along party lines. However, 12 Democrats voted against admonishment. Surprisingly, four of them are from New York: Reps. Michael Arcuri, Maurice Hinchey, Dan Maffei and Eric Massa. I want to commend them for having the courage to stand up against partisan party politics.
Instead of putting this sorry saga behind us, former President Jimmy Carter continued the political nonsense by labeling Wilson a racist. Who would ever expect a former president to make such an intemperate, divisive statement, which certainly won’t help bring people together?
Carter should have examined the situation more comprehensively before alleging that Wilson’s remark was racist. Blindly making statements to the media added a divisive attack on Wilson, and only exacerbated the situation.