Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan share a presidential ticket, and now both share the distinction of being heckled during an appearance at the Iowa State Fair.
Ryan's first solo event since being tabbed as the Republican vice presidential nominee was marred Monday when protesters repeatedly interrupted his comments and caused disruptions in the large crowd. Toward the beginning of Ryan's speech, a pair of women tried to rush the stage with a banner, only to be escorted away by Iowa state troopers.
"It's funny. It's funny because Iowans and Wisconsinites like to be respectful of one another and peaceful with one another and listen to one another," Ryan said of the disturbance. "These ladies must not be from Iowa or Wisconsin."
As Ryan attempted to restart his speech, he was again interrupted by a female protester.
"Hey, like I said, she must not be from Iowa," Ryan said as a trooper pulled her from the crowd. "Hey, all right."
After a couple minutes of confusion, Ryan was able to begin speaking again, returning to his joke that President Obama, campaigning in nearby Council Bluffs, wouldn't make it to the fair because "he only knows left turns." (In fact, the president had announced earlier in the day that he would be stopping by the fairgrounds later in the afternoon.)
Ryan was again interrupted later in his remarks by a man chanting, "Stop the war on the middle class," according to Twitter accounts. Television networks were forced to cut away from the event as the man crowded their shot and Ryan supporters attempted to block him with signs. That man was later removed from the event as well.
“We’re used to this in Wisconsin," Ryan said, in reference to the hecklers.
Last August, Mitt Romney got into a heated exchange with hecklers while stumping at the fairgrounds. It was during that exchange that Romney famously argued, "Corporations are people, my friend" — a comment Democrats have frequently mentioned in campaign advertisements.
Later, Romney accused hecklers of wanting to raise taxes.
“If you don’t like my answer, you can go vote for someone else,” he said. “If you want someone who will raise taxes, you can vote for Barack Obama.”
