SICKENING - AT 7:56 P.M. ET:  There has certainly been some unruly behavior by a small number of the people attending congressional "town meetings" on health care.  But it is sickening to see how some "liberal" members of Congress are using the rudeness of a few to tarnish everyone who is concerned enough to come to a meeting.  Consider:

Over 10 years in Congress, U.S. Rep. Brian Baird has stayed tethered to his district, flying back to Southwest Washington for more than 300 sometimes-bruising town hall meetings during Congressional recesses.

But this year, he's literally decided to phone it in.

Instead of appearing in person, where "extremists" would have "the chance to shout and make YouTube videos," Baird said Wednesday, he's holding what he calls "telephone town halls" instead.

Baird said he's using the new system because he fears his political opponents may be planning "an ambush" to disrupt his meetings, using methods Baird compared to Nazism.

"What we're seeing right now is close to Brown Shirt tactics," Baird, D-Vancouver, said in a phone interview. "I mean that very seriously."

The coming telephone conference call would be Baird's third this year.

COMMENT:  What the story doesn't tell you is that Baird is one of the most left-leaning members of Congress.  No wonder he has such contempt for the voices of ordinary citizens.  It is a conceit of the left that "we know what's good for you, now shut up."

Even some Democratic advisers are cautioning the party against the outlandish attacks being made on constituents by some members of Congress and their allies.  If the Dems had handled this issue with a little intelligence, they wouldn't be getting this anger.

August 7, 2009