Blackburn: Frank’s outburst at constituent unacceptable

It was unacceptable for Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) to shout down a constituent at a town hall meeting who compared President Obama to Nazi leader Adolph Hitler, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said Friday.

Blackburn told CNBC in an interview that while it is not okay for the protester, a reported Lyndon LaRouche supporter to compare the president to the fascist leader, members of Congress should be held to a higher standard when conducting their town hall meetings.

“No it does not mean that it is okay to walk in with a poster like that, nor does it mean that it is okay or acceptable for Congressman Frank to respond in that way,” Blackburn said.

“I think that it is imperative that we, as members of Congress, conduct our town halls in a way that ensures individuals that they are going to be heard,” she added. “And that is what I think most members of Congress have sought to do during this recess.”

The famously abrasive Frank exploded at the town hall participant who made the comparison, asking her what planet she lives on, and told her, “Trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table.”

Blackburn said that while protesters have often been boisterous in disrupting town hall meetings during the August recess, lawmakers must be “respectful of the American people.”