At last something we can agree about on health care.

Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina was way out of line - off the charts wrong and inexcusably disrespectful - to call President Obama a liar during the chief executive’s health care speech to Congress on Wednesday.

What is it about South Carolina? First, Gov. Mark Sanford sneaks off to Argentina to rendezvous with his lover. Now this nationally-televised embarrassment.

Faces must be red all over the Palmetto State.

It’s bad enough that many so-called “town halls” on health care legislation degenerated into shouting matches. But for an elected member of Congress to interrupt the elected President of the United States during a speech in the U.S. Capitol is far more than a breach of etiquette. It’s passion run amuck. It’s irresponsibility beyond words.

But words are exactly what got Rep. Wilson in trouble. As President Obama insisted that there would be no provision for illegal immigrants to receive state-funded medical assistance, Wilson shouted out, “You lie!”

The correctness or incorrectness of Wilson’s challenge is not the immediate issue. It’s when and where he made the claim that was egregious.

Respect for the office of the President is a basic concept, familiar to all Americans with an ounce of decency. Agree or disagree, but respect the office by showing respect to the office holder. That’s not rocket science. It’s civics 101.

Wilson’s words amounted to an astonishing abuse of his First Amendment right to free speech. All he had to do was wait for the speech to be over, find the nearest camera and rant to his heart’s content. He could have denounced the president as a liar as loudly and as long as anyone would listen. That’s civics 101, too - and one of the greatest freedoms on earth. At this moment, people in many countries would face jail - or worse - for daring to speak ill of a head of state in any setting, much less to his face at an official gathering.

Wilson will face only the scorn of those who love their country and understand the concepts of respect and responsibility.

Anyone not fitting that description ought to be as embarrassed as Wilson is today.