dragonlady's Journal - Sensenbrenner helps WI GOP state senator, shuts down town hall

Last night Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner held a town hall in suburban Milwaukee with newly elected State Sen. Leah Vukmir, a right-winger after his own heart. (Apparently Vukmir was hosting the meeting but couldn't face her constituents without backup. And the overbearing Sensenbrenner has decades of experience in dominating and belittling people he supposedly represents.) Progressive citizens brought their signs and packed the meeting room, overflowing into the hallway. From the local paper:

U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner shut down Monday night's town hall meeting in Wauwatosa early because the overflow crowd was more interested in talking about the state budget bills with Republican host state Sen. Leah Vukmir, attendees said.

The meeting got off to a tense start, they explained. Sensenbrenner threatened to shut it down if the crowd got unruly.

Wauwatosa resident Ryan Stoltz said Sensenbrenner “swung his gavel anytime someone from the crowd voiced dismay. He threatened to end the meeting anytime the crowd applauded, got too noisy for his liking or talked out of turn. It was crazy how he wouldn’t listen to anyone.”

Notices circulated to progressive groups urged members to come and ask Vukmir hard questions about the budget. Apparently they did, because it wasn't going so well for her:

When Vukmir said that workers would not be losing collective bargaining rights, the jeers started, he said. After another raucous reaction by the crowd, the meeting ended — 27 minutes after it started. (From a comment to the article: "...she talked for a while before Sensenbrenner called the meeting. He stood up to leave THEN the crowd got loud. AFTER he called the meeting because people were asking them questions they did not like.)

City officials were quoted as saying that protesters never got out of control.

http://www.wauwatosanow.com/news/117563068...