"Argue With Your Neighbors! Get In Their Faces!"

That was candidate Obama’s advice to his supporters last fall. In August, “Barack Obama urges backers to fight health ‘lies'”, the Politico reported.

Looks like Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) took him up on both offers tonight.

Fortunately, no shoes were involved in the discussion.

Update: As Cuffy Meigs put it, complete with video, “Obama Graciously Calls Critics Liars, Then SHOCKED When The Favor Is Returned.”

And with that — and the opportunity remind listeners who used the L-word first, and whose supporters demonstrated real strong-arm tactics (and strong jaw tactics) this past month, the GOP wins the soundbite award of the night.

Update: John Podhoretz reports back from the frontlines of “Joe Wilson’s War”:

Joe Wilson, the Republican congressman who interrupted Barack Obama’s speech by yelling out “You lie,” deserves censure. There is no excuse for such conduct. That said, he is about to become a folk hero.

Update: That didn’t take long! “So hurray for Joe Wilson, my new hero.”

Update: After drunkblogging, as Larry Sabato put it, the president’s “tough, partisan speech” speech, Steve Green writes, “here’s the short version: Obama will see a brief spike in the polls, but not enough. He delivered a divisive speech to a divided nation — and that’s no way to spur a divided Congress into action.”