A major beneficiary of Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst towards President Barack Obama last night is the lawmaker's Democratic rival Rob Miller who is raising oodles of money.

Miller, an Iraq War veteran, lost to Wilson 54 percent to 46 percent last November. But just since last night, he has raised $450,000 according to a CNN report. (Huffington Post says more than $350,000.)

On the ActBlue website which is collecting contributions for Miller, there's a message from the Democrat:

Since Joe Wilson's outburst last night during a joint session of Congress, I've been honored by the support of thousands of grassroots activists standing up to tell him that what he did was completely unacceptable. Please stand with me to bring new leadership to South Carolina.

 

Meanwhile, Charlie Cook, the congressional politics guru, has moved the race in South Carolina's 2nd Congressional District from "solid" for Wilson to "likely."

Cook writes:

Ratings Change: SC-02 Moves to the Likely Republican Column Some news accounts have noted South Carolina GOP Rep. Joe Wilson faces a "tough race" in 2010. Not so fast — this conservative seat remains relatively secure for the GOP, even after Wilson's outburst. After all, Democrat Rob Miller's 46 percent showing in 2008 was largely attributable to Obama's strong 45 percent in the state, a factor Miller won't enjoy again. Instead, this looks like simply more of a distraction for the GOP. Wilson's remark itself isn't likely to be a huge problem for him 14 months from now, but the instant cash it has generated should make Miller one of Democrats better-funded challengers next year.