From Josh Marshall: Menacing Crowd of Protesters Taunting Dem Lawmakers

[FourScore]

Menacing

Things seem to be getting pretty heated in the Capitol with crowds of anti-Reform/Tea Party activists going through the halls shouting slogans and epithets at Democratic members of Congress.

As our Brian Beutler reports, a few moments ago in Longworth office building, a group swarmed a very calm looking Henry Waxman, as he got on the elevator, with shouts of "Kill the bill!" "You liar! You crook!"

Not long before, Rep. Barney Frank got an uglier version of the treatment. Just after Frank rounded a corner to leave the building, an older protestor yelled "Barney, you faggot." The surrounding crowd of protestors then erupted in laughter.

At one point, Capitol police officer threatened to throw a group of protestors out of the building but that only seemed to inflame them more; and apparently none were ejected.

Note that this was in the Longworth building, not the Capitol building proper. But I'm a bit surprised that this is being allowed to occur anywhere in the Capitol complex. From Brian's description it sounds like menacing.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/

[BlueIdaho]

1. Looks like the Wellpoint middle management team didn't get the weekend off.

Another Brooks Brother's riot?

[hex29a]

2. Not really a group, just a typical mob: a 'brave' collection of individual cowards.

Pathetic.

[shraby]

3. Didn't the last administration have people arrested for

less than this? Just wearing an opposing t-shirt would get you into a paddy wagon.

[chill_wind]

6. Yes indeed. n/t

[MineralMan]

4. Dumbass Morons!

Don't they know that this kind of crap always backfires? They may just manage to change a couple of votes to Yes. Don't tell them, though. Let them rant on.

[old mark]

5. Start putting a few of these people in jail for a few days...the

"menacing" crowds will evaporate.

mark

[frazzled]

11. Nah, they want to be arrested: it confers martyrdom and attracts attention

Better to ignore them and let their heinous behavior speak for itself.

[FourScore]

12. +1

[dave29]

7. dangerous and unwise to allow that behavior. There was a brick through Slaughter's offices window

earlier.

[FourScore]

10. And the media just keeps fanning the flames. n/t

[Peregrine Took]

8. What are they doing in there? They are always throwing Code Pink out

aren't they?

[msongs]

9. sent there by the republican party and should be identified as such in all media nt