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Last week a shocking video of a townhall of sorts held by Chicago, Illinois area Congressman Melissa Bean (D, 8th District) was released that seemed to show that she'd hired a couple of thugs to intimidate attendees from asking her questions that she didn't want to answer. The video kicked up a bit of controversy on both sides of the aisle. Conservatives pointed out that Rep. Bean was not only avoiding questions from her constituents, but sending her thugs to discourage those questions. Liberals said that the video was heavily edited and that the thugs were really merely "security guards"...

If this wasn’t so serious, it would almost be funny. Illinois Congresswoman, Melissa Bean, hosted a public townhall meeting and brought her own thugs to act as the “Question Police.” Each time someone persistently asked a question, a large bald man would make his way across the room and stand threateningly over the person asking the question. Repeatedly the Congresswoman and her thugs insisted the cameras be turned off in the room- I’m sure to prevent exactly this reaction from the public. I’m so thrilled that her constituents in the audience refused to back down but I’d like to know...

On Thursday, August 12, Representative Melissa Bean (IL-8-D) held a public meeting at the Round Lake Library. The meeting was billed as a financial education seminar, to teach citizens how to manage their credit card debt. What happened at this meeting was anything but educational. During the meeting, which I attended, citizens started to ask questions about jobs, government spending and the federal deficit. Every time a citizen would attempt to ask a question, Melissa Bean's thug, who we were told worked for the Round Lake Library, would walk over to that person and hover over him or her, to...

After a closed-door, pre-event meeting between Rep Melissa Bean (D) IL-8 and staff of the Round Lake Area Public Library, a man alleged to be the hulking head of library security repeatedly took an intimidating stance, standing over questioners who raised controversial issues. Other library management attempted to dissuade an attendee from video taping what was purportedly a public townhall event. Rather than stop the intimidation, Bean appeared rather pleased with it based upon her smiling acknowledgment. Rep. Melissa Bean has a troubling history involving townhalls. She's also one of a few Democrats uninterested in disbursing Charlie Rangel cash to...

Rep. Melissa Bean (D-IL) brought Bruno the Bone-Crusher with her to a town hall meeting this weekend to threaten constituents. The meeting was held at Round Lake, Illinois Public library on Thursday August 12. The Obamacare-supporting democrat allowed the thug to roam around the room to intimidate constituents from asking questions. Where’d she get this guy, from the WWE?

According to the youtube account that posted the video of the event this shocking act of intimidation happened during a public forum held by Rep Melissa Bean (Il-8) in a public library in Round Lake, Il. The video speaks for itself and, quite frankly, this is disturbing behavior from any elected official. No wonder they kept asking everybody to turn off their video cameras. I know this isn’t anywhere near the first time that liberal representatives have turned to extreme measures to avoid being held accountable by their constituents, in fact we have a whole catalog of such extreme measures,...

Freepers, Please join us Saturday Aug 22 at 12N to protest Melissa Bean's refusal to hold public, free, open meetings with her constituents. Join the rally. Bring a sign! We'll meet in front of her Schaumburg, IL office. Representative Melissa Bean (D – 08) 1701 East Woodfield Road, Suite 200 Schaumburg, IL 60173 Voice: 847-517-2927

The approach of Missouri represenatives to dealing with the outcry against the health care bill has run the gamut. In St. Louis, Rep. Russ Carnahan has held three disastrous public events. In Lee’s Summit, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver — no doubt influenced by the experiences of Carnahan and others — held a “tele-town hall” and a morning coffee, taking no questions from the audience, all the while insisting that “there is no health care bill” to talk about anyway. It appears Ike Skelton has one-upped them both. He hasn’t held, and apparently might not hold, any public meetings on the matter....

Leadership: Scores of congressmen and women are trying to hide from their constituents this August recess as the revolt over ObamaCare continues. If you haven't seen him or her lately, you might try your refrigerator.IBD Exclusive Series: Government-Run Healthcare: A Prescription For FailureIt's amazing how frightened of the community the party of the great community organizer has become now that the community has organized itself against his attempt to impose socialized medicine on the country. They cheered when he told them to get in the faces of their opponents. Now they won't show their faces, period. Senate Majority Whip Dick...

A press release has been received from 8th congressional district Republican candidate Steve Greenberg calling for a Federal investigation into "Bean's work on behalf of foreign interests." Previously, the Republican challenger caused a stir by pointing out that incumbent Melissa Bean's middle name,“Luburich,” was Serbian. It was right after a Cincinnati talk radio host Bill Cunningham had used Barack Obama's middle name in introduced John McCain to a rally. Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn criticized Greenberg on March 9th. Here's what he wrote about Greenberg's use of Bean's maiden name: “Steve Greenberg, the Republican candidate in the 8th U.S. Congressional...

In an ongoing attempt to bludgeon Democrats with MoveOn.org's controversial "General Betray US" ad in the New York Times, Republicans seized on a Politico.com report today that pegged 44 congressional Democrats -- including Rep. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.) -- as having voted to condemn the MoveOn ad even though they accepted the group's campaign cash. Bean voted for a House resolution condemning the ad, which accused the American commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, of "cooking the books for the White House" on the war. One of Bean's prospective GOP opponents, businessman Steve Greenberg, called the vote "blatant hypocrisy" in a...

Republicans took a step toward political revival Tuesday in Illinois, where they nominated viable moderates (relatively speaking) in two key races. Performances this fall by Judy Baar Topinka and David McSweeney, while isolated to specific races, could say a lot about how Republicans fare in midterms elections. Not just in the Land of Lincoln, but in suburbs across the country. Putting a higher priority on victory than ideology, GOP primary voters chose Topinka, a polka-dancing, cigarette-smoking, foul-mouthed moderate with ties to disgraced former Gov. George Ryan (R), over two buttoned-down conservatives vying to challenge Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), in what...

Tomorrow is primary day in Illinois and there are three races to watch. The first, and biggest, is the GOP primary for Governor which has essentially boiled down to a two person race between moderate Judy Baar Topinka and conservative Jim Oberweis.Topinka is the only Republican currently holding statewide office (Treasurer) which demonstrates her appeal in a state where the GOP has basically been reduced to a smoldering heap of ruins. However, Topinka's longevity also has a downside; she has ties to the lowly-regarded Illinois political establishment and she served with former Governor George Ryan - who sits awaiting...

Writing in Roll Call, Stuart Rothenberg gives us his top ten list of most endangered House incumbents. All but one are Republicans. Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) Rep. John Hostettler (R-IN) Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-PA) Rep. Rob Simmons (R-CT) Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM) Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT) Rep. Mike Sodrel (R-IN) Rep. Clay Shaw (R-FL) Rep. Melissa Bean (D-IL) He says it was a tough list to compile. "Many of the incumbents on this list have proven their political mettle before, and in normal circumstances, they wouldn’t be in all that much trouble. Others find themselves in...

The political recriminations from the cliffhanger passage of the Central American Free Trade Agreement last week are even worse than we thought. Nancy Pelosi, the House Minority Leader, is contemplating revenge against the 15 Democrats who had the nerve to vote for hemispheric growth and progress. The San Francisco Democrat called a caucus gripe session in the wake of last Wednesday's vote, and an article in the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call suggested that Democrats who voted yes may lose their favorite committee assignments. Our John Fund reports on OpinionJournal.com that Democratic leaders are especially mad at two Black Caucus...

Freshman Democrat Melissa Bean will "pay a serious price" for voting for the Central American Free Trade Agreement in the U.S. House, a top labor leader said Thursday, predicting that unions will deny her crucial support in her effort to hold on to her northwest suburban congressional seat. "Almost all the unions in this particular area supported her both with mobilization -- knocking on doors -- and with money, and up comes what is a true test in terms of a vote, and she can't stand with us?" said Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and...

92% of precincts reporting Melissa Bean, Dem 131,280 51.9% Philip Crane, Rep 121,738 48.1%

GURNEE, Ill. - Melissa Bean hands out seat cushions that spell out the reason Democrats think she can beat veteran Rep. Phil Crane on Nov. 2. They read: "Crane. The Original Seat Warmer. So many years ... so few accomplishments." After 35 years in Congress, Crane, an ardent conservative from the northwestern suburbs of Chicago and the longest-serving Republican in the House, is facing an unexpectedly spirited challenge from Bean, a Democratic political novice who argues the congressman has become too comfortable in Washington. In fact, nervous Republicans have poured extra cash into the race and encouraged Crane to visit...