Via MSNBC

WASHINGTON – The uproar over Rep. Joe Wilson’s shouting “you lie” at President Barack Obama returns to the House floor Tuesday for what could be a contentious and highly partisan debate over whether to formally criticize the South Carolina Republican.

The decision by Democratic leaders to bring a resolution of disapproval to the House floor was derided by Republicans, who said Wilson had already apologized for his remark during Obama’s health care speech to a joint session of Congress last week.

But it was also met with skepticism by a senior Democrat, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., who said he would vote against it. “I think it’s bad precedent to put us in charge of deciding whether people act like jerks. I don’t have time to monitor everyone’s civility.”

Wilson apologized to the White House for his outburst, and Obama said he had accepted the apology. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi initially said she was not inclined to take the matter further, saying it was time to move on to the more pressing matter of health care.

But other Democratic leaders, including Wilson’s fellow South Carolinian James Clyburn, said the egregious breach of decorum could not be ignored. Wilson in turn rejected suggestions that he go to the House floor on his own and apologize.

Clyburn, in an interview last week, said Wilson’s outburst was “indicative of the combativeness he displays all the time when it comes to politics.”

Clyburn, a leading member of the Congressional Black Caucus, perceived it as a snub that Wilson held a town hall meeting on health care this summer at a school in Clyburn’s district — where Clyburn’s children attended — without telling Clyburn.

House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio sided with Wilson and said he would vote against the resolution.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele issue a statement accusing Democrats of “another stunning example of hypocrisy.” He said Democrats “are wasting taxpayers’ time and resources on a legislative measure to censure Congressman Joe Wilson so they don’t have to talk about their exceedingly unpopular health care plan.”

Ok, so basically, because Wilson, who had ISSUED A PUBLIC APOLOGY WHICH WAS ACCEPTED BY THE PRESIDENT, refused to do so again on the house floor, the house Dems feel it is pertinent to divert their energies away from the constructing and fine-tuning (which they *ought* to be focussing on in order to win support for) their proposed health care reforms and officially slap him on the bottom for being a naughty boy.

Fanfuckingtastic, really. Not only are they spending less time working on healthcare reform, but they’re going to tick off voters by beating a dead horse, and are also sure to deter the progress of the bill by virtue that more people – voters and congressmen alike – will heighten their wariness over the increasingly apparent underlying political powerplay agenda that goes with those reforms.

These Dems really ought to heed the example of Barney Frank and Pelosi, who have more or less said it is in their best interest to move on. It’s too bad for them that Obama has busied himself with jumping on the “Kanye West is a gigantic tool” bandwagon, when what he really should do (and most ricky-tick) is tell the house Dems to drop the Wilson issue before they torpedo themselves with a size 10 enema (ok, that was a low blow but I couldn’t resist. If Obama does warn the house Dems against furthering this congressional pissing contest, I’ll duly update this post). Bringing about a concressional resolution of disapproval against Wilson is such an unnecessary and poorly thought out political move on their part that I almost hope they go through with it. I could use a good chortle.