Racine Police Escort Hecklers out of Ryan Listening Sessions

Residents who made up the audience in Sturtevant were decidedly more in Congressman Paul Ryan's (R-Janesville) camp than the crowd he met just an hour later at the Caesar Chavez Community Center in Racine.

Sturtevant was filled with a predominantly older crowd that applauded in support of several points Ryan made during his PowerPoint presentation. Most of the questions there were more about residents looking for reassurance that their Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits wouldn't change, or wouldn't change much, under Ryan's plan.

By comparison, dissent was shouted from amongst small knots of residents in Racine even as members of that crowd, too, clapped their approval at times.

Hecklers were escorted out by Ryan staffers and Racine Police officers. One man who shouted, "Based on lies," in response to Ryan's joke with the crowd that not everyone agreed with him was the first to go. Several others were also asked to leave in short order for interrupting the congressman during his presentation and during the question-and-answer session.

A call to the Racine Police Department confirmed that no arrests were made and that officers were on hand to keep order.

A small group of protestors led by Community for Change's Kelly Gallaher were in front of the community center dressed up as billionaires and holding signs thanking Ryan for their tax cuts.

Today was Ryan's last stops on his whirlwind tour of the First District to tout his Path for Prosperity plan and to answer questions about some of the items in his plan like changes to Medicare, Medicaid, how corporations and residents are taxed, and the devaluation of the dollar.