"(O)ur elected leaders have a right to hear from their constituents -- not organized thugs whose sole purpose is to shut down the conversation"

So say AFL-CIO thugs wanting to shut down protests at townhall meetings.

The nation's largest federation of labor organizations has promised to directly engage (emphasis mine) with boisterous conservative protesters at Democratic town halls during the August recess.

In a memo sent out on Thursday, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney outlined the blueprint for how the union conglomerate would step up recess activities on health care reform and other topics pertinent to the labor community.

We know how unions directly engage their opponents. With fists and bats.

Some of those "astroturf" protesters the AFL-CIO wants to "directly engage":


Now this is some Grade A, Chicago-born astroturfing for you.