http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/07/18/house.disarray/index.html<snip>The whole thing blew up, witnesses said, when Democrats complained of the way committee's Republican chairman, Rep. Bill Thomas of California, was running the session.
The Democrats said they needed more time to review some changes in the legislation after getting them only the night before.
When they could not to get a line-by-line reading of the bill, a common parliamentary tactic, they walked out and gathered to talk in a library at the back of the meeting room. Thomas, who has a reputation for being blunt, had his staff call the cops.
Democrats said Thomas called police to get them out of the room. Republicans said the police were called because one Democrat, Rep. Pete Stark of California, got out of hand.
Stark, they said, stayed behind after his colleagues left the committee room to berate Thomas and other committee Republicans.
According to a Democratic aide, the police came, scratched their heads, referred the matter to the House sergeant at arms, who told the committee members to work it out themselves. The Democrats eventually left. snip
And long-simmering resentments came to the surface with Democrats -- in the minority -- accusing Republicans of using heavy handed tactics to get what they want.
"We're not taking it anymore," declared House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California.
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