Durbin warns other lawmakers of healthcare town hall ‘sucker punch’

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) warned other members of Congress against antagonistic audience members at healthcare town hall events who may be funded by industry interest groups.

“I hope my colleagues won’t fall for a sucker punch like this,” Durbin told the liberal blog ThinkProgress.

“These health insurance companies and people like them are trying to load these town meetings for visual impact on television,” he added.

Liberal news sources have recently featured items about conservative and interest groups efforts to pack lawmakers’ town hall meetings with brash, vocal participants.

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius were faced with a hostile crowd at a town hall meeting in Philadelphia on Sunday.

Here is video of Durbin’s remarks: