Fight breaks out in (Calif.) Assembly during budget debate

[Newsjock]

Source: Sacramento Bee

A fight broke out Wednesday on the Assembly floor as Assemblyman Warren Furutani confronted Assemblyman Don Wagner over comments deemed offensive.

The two members jawed angrily in each other's faces before Furutani appeared to give Wagner a shove, prompting several colleagues to separate them in the final minutes of Wednesday's budget session.

... The two-bill proposal compels redevelopment agencies to backfill state coffers and give money to local governments under threat of elimination. Wagner, R-Irvine, testified that it was comparable to a Sopranos shakedown scheme, referring to the popular HBO show, "The Sopranos."

That prompted Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge, to demand an apology for the Sopranos reference "as a proud Italian American." Wagner retorted that he'd "apologize to any Italian Americans who are not in the Mafia and engaged in insurance scams," setting off a murmur among lawmakers.

Read more: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/06/california-budget-assembly-furutani-wagner.html

[DeSwiss]

1. The next morning......

:) - K&R

[Hubert Flottz]

10. LOL

No use beating a dead horse.

Edit...(Horse's ass = Republican)

[KingFlorez]

2. Wagner's a real piece of work

And Furutani looks like he doesn't take any crap of anyone. I hope it was on tape, that's a popcorn worthy moment.

[Grassy Knoll]

3. Watch Your mouth, You Gabone......

[madrchsod]

4. same thing happened here in illinois last week

after a day or so they were friends again....

[nini]

5. Furatani is my rep.. he's a good guy

He seems pretty calm normally - that 'discussion' must have been pretty bad.

[SoapBox]

7. I think he's mine too but...

I've never really known anything about him.

[coalition_unwilling]

6. Portantino should have responded that he would be friends with

any German-American who is not or was not a member of the Nazi Party or engaged in running gas chambers. (Keying off the probable ethnicity behind "Wagner" :)

[PatrynXX]

8. don't suppose he'll be kicked off a plane for using offensive language :P

seriously... dude whats to act up like his partner in crime Scott Walker. But bit harder to do with a democratic Gov.

[alp227]

9. WHOA! Unbelievable! Is this the state legislature or the Jerry Springer show?

I've seen videos of physical fights happening in foreign legislative bodies but not in American ones! California's budget battles have been sharply partisan for years, and something like this was bound to happen given the divisive climate.

[Javaman]

11. You know, Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, is right...

as an Italian American, I get really sick of people thinking we all have some sort of connection or are involved in the mafia in one way shape or form. As if we are all hit men in training.

My family grew up in Brooklyn, NY and had to live with that bullshit and take the jokes.

the glamorization of the mafia is so completely fucked up.