Posted on 06/07/2007 6:18:48 PM PDT by DesScorp
Simmering tensions in the Alabama Senate boiled over Thursday when a Republican lawmaker punched a Democratic colleague in the head before they were pulled apart.
Republican Sen. Charles Bishop claimed that Democratic Sen. Lowell Barron called him a "son of a (expletive)."
"I responded to his comment with my right hand," Bishop said. Alabama Public Television tape captured the punch.
Barron refused to comment and went into a closed-door meeting with other Democrats. Sen. Vivian Figures went into the meeting carrying first aid supplies, but she said he was not hurt.
Bishop said he regretted throwing the punch because "that's not the way grown men solve their problems," but added that he would not immediately apologize to Barron.
The fight came on the final day of the 2007 regular session of the Legislature. Republicans and a few Democrats have protested all session the Democratic majority's Senate rules, saying they were unfair. They want to bring up an election reform bill.
The Senate had just taken a recess Thursday afternoon when Bishop approached the chair where Barron was sitting. Moments later security officers and others rushed to separate the two senators.
Members of the Alabama House said the incident makes the entire Legislature look bad.
"It's certainly a black eye on the Legislature and the Senate in particular," Republican Rep. Jay Love said.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.myway.com ...
hooray!
You don't know Alabama at all.
‘Bama celebrates Boxing Day? ... I didn’t even know you had a state senate.
This is unacceptable behavior. I hope the Alabama Senate gives him the boot and that he faces an assault charge as well.
It is unacceptable behavior for sure, but I hope that they settle this amongst themselves to be honest with you.
A man should always be ready to defend his family and his nations honor.
This is clean fighting as opposed to how the Dims fight.
It’s about time someone started punching commie libs.
I agree, but I seriously wonder if the posts would be the same if the Dem punched the Republican. Now that is the true question.
“I agree, but I seriously wonder if the posts would be the same if the Dem punched the Republican.”
I don’t think a Democrap would punch someone. Those Pansy tards are more into hair pulling. Maybe biting.
This is something we don’t see a lot any more, but in the earlier days of our country, stick fights in Congress were not altogether uncommon.
In fact, though the names escape me, I seem to remember one senator nearly killing another after a blow to the head during a fight on the Senate floor. Can anyone help me out?
Oh yes, and some of the senators even wear shoes. They call them clod-hoppers though......
This past weekend, Tennessee had a lady that offed her hubby with a “meat tenderizer.” Can’t find the story on major news sources, just local so far.
Hubby to wifey: Am I tender enough fer ya baby?
Wifey: Not yet, but you soon will be.......
It was a Southern Senator (SC?) named Sumner who caned the crap out of some Yankee who had been spouting off about the South. I recall that the guy returned to the legislature, but it was after a long convalescence. It was a seriously bad beating.
No, I was wrong. Sumner was the Yankee. Here is what Wiki has on it:
Sumner said Douglas (who was present in the chamber) was a “noisome, squat, and nameless animal...not a proper model for an American senator.” Most serious was his extreme insult of Butler as having taken “a mistress who, though ugly to others, is always lovely to him; though polluted in the sight of the world, is chaste in his sight—I mean, the harlot, Slavery.” Not content to leave his assault on a political level, Sumner’s three hour oration took a very personal and cruel turn as he began to mock the 59 year-old Butler’s manner of speech and physical mannerisms, both of which were impaired by a stroke that Butler had suffered earlier.
Two days later, on the afternoon of May 22, Preston Brooks, a congressman from South Carolina and Butler’s nephew, confronted Sumner as he sat writing at his desk in the almost empty Senate chamber. Brooks was accompanied by Laurence M. Keitt also of South Carolina and Henry A. Edmundson of Virginia. Brooks said “Mr. Sumner, I have read your speech twice over carefully. It is a libel on South Carolina, and Mr. Butler, who is a relative of mine.” As Sumner, who was six feet and four inches tall, began to stand up, Brooks began beating Sumner on the head with a thick gutta-percha cane with a gold head. Sumner was trapped under the heavy desk (which was bolted to the floor), but Brooks continued to bash Sumner until he ripped the desk from the floor. By this time, Sumner was blinded by his own blood, and he staggered up the aisle and collapsed, lapsing into unconsciousness. Brooks continued to beat Sumner until he broke his cane, then quietly left the chamber. Several other senators attempted to help Sumner, but were blocked by Keitt who was holding a pistol and shouting “Let them be!”
Sumner did not attend the Senate for the next three years, while recovering from the attack. In addition to the head trauma, he suffered from nightmares, severe headaches and (what is now understood to be) post-traumatic stress disorder. During that period, his enemies subjected him to ridicule and accused him of cowardice for not resuming his duties in the Senate.
Republican punches Democrat.
They say that like it is a bad thing?
We need MORE such knock downs not less.
Excellent! Thanks for the story. I had forgotten the details and although I don’t necessarily condone beating Yankees, the line “It is a libel on South Carolina” is priceless, and something I would totally expect to hear from my neighbors in the Palmetto state.
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