7 W; h+ D& D9 ]6 o. v $ x3 A/ V& ^- L& x6 M- qJune 7, 2007, 11:58PM3 r% d0 s) l% |3 O* f Alabama Senate ends with a bang, and blow 5 v! f) y6 O! ~' G9 G/ b4 @4 x, r 8 }( O/ j& o: B0 MMONTGOMERY, ALA. — Simmering tensions in the Alabama Senate boiled over Thursday when a Republican lawmaker punched a Democratic colleague in the head before they were pulled apart. r2 ~2 c9 a' H5 R s' D
' T& G7 B1 V$ G5 A' URepublican Sen. Charles Bishop claimed that Democratic Sen. Lowell Barron called him a "son of a (expletive)." ( V6 C9 B% g+ k. d, g4 l. Z1 m0 n- R: y
"I responded to his comment with my right hand," Bishop said. Alabama Public Television tape captured the punch. 2 x8 ?5 n* b) U4 B8 g' P; d 8 G1 P* e- J1 P) u2 n6 r* {Barron did not comment and went into a closed-door meeting with other Democrats.( V5 f) w( r8 z& Y
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Sen. Vivian Figures went into the meeting carrying first aid supplies, but said Barron was not hurt.