Another Tea Party Tantrum

Josh Marshall reports in Talking Points Memo that Tea Party protesters are roaming the halls of the Capitol accosting Democratic members of Congress.

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 protester yelled "Barney, you faggot." The surrounding crowd of protesters then erupted in laughter. At one point, Capitol police officer threatened to throw a group of protesters out of the building but that only seemed to inflame them more; and apparently none were ejected.

If these reports are accurate these people should be ejected from the Capitol. As citizens, we all have Constitutionally protected rights to free speech. However, ugly name-calling and attempts at intimidation are over the line.

UPDATE: Add some n-bombs tossed in the direction of Rep. John Lewis (D-GA). Disgusting.

UPDATE #2: Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) has turned this abuse around and blamed it on the Democrats--When you use totalitarian tactics, people begin to act crazy. Unbelievable.

--Ballard Burgher