Democrat Senators Interrupt Republican Press Conference with Shouting

Things are getting hot in Madison.

MADISON, Wis. (AP)—Two Democratic lawmakers, including the Senate majority leader, got in a shouting match with Republicans at a news conference outside the Senate chamber on Thursday.

Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker, D-Weston, shouted at seven Republicans holding the news conference, telling them not to accuse Democrats of stifling debate on voter identification.

Decker spoke up after Sen. Spencer Coggs, D-Milwaukee, had already interjected himself in the news conference. Coggs had been watching with reporters for about 10 minutes when Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, asked why he wouldn’t hold a hearing on the issue.

“Because we disagree with you,” Coggs said, stepping up to the microphone.

“You’re not representing your people,” Darling said to him, arguing that a majority of Wisconsin residents want to require voters to show photo IDs at the polls.

As Coggs and Darling exchanged comments, Sen. Joe Leibham, R-Sheboygan, stepped forward and said, “This is great. We’re finally having a public hearing on the issue.”

Decker came out of his office and watched the heated exchange for a couple of minutes. Then he jumped in.

“Do not accuse us of putting time limits on free speech in the state Senate!” Decker shouted at the Republicans.

“I want to get back to the issue!” Darling yelled in return.

Decker and several Republicans, including state Rep. Jeff Stone, of Greenfield, yelled at one another for a few minutes before Decker got in one last comment.

“Go back in the Assembly and take care of your business!” Decker shouted at Stone before turning around and walking back to his office.

How rude.  Usually, press conferences are answered with more press conferences - not by shouting it down.

And I love this:

After the fracas was over, Coggs said he spoke up because he believed Darling was asking him a question.

“They attempted to shout me down,” he said. “It made no sense. They wanted a debate and my voice to be heard, then they shouted me down.”

Is Coggs that dense or just playing the part?  Generally, people giving a press conference don’t ask questions of the audience and expect them to come to the microphone and respond.  Furthermore, the Republicans are calling for a debate on this issue IN THE SENATE, where action can be taken on it one way or the other.  Coggs seems to think that a debate in the hallway supplants actual Senate debate.

UPDATE: Here’s the audio. 

UPDATE2: Here’s the video.