Town hall meeting puts heat on Bryan

CARSON CITY -- The public isn't easing up on Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., as he cruises towards retirement after 26 years of public service.

The 62-year-old senator, in the middle of his 20 town hall meetings throughout Nevada this month, encountered a raucous crowd Thursday in Carson City that challenged and baited him on President Clinton, illegal immigration and gun control.

As Bryan explained his vote to acquit Clinton, one elderly man yelled out, "Are you proud of that?"

On illegal immigration, Bryan detailed the efforts of the federal government to stop the flow into this country, but one man shouted, "You guys (the Congress) are not doing a g-- d--- thing about it."

One man suggested the way to stop school violence might be to arm the teachers. He said that works in Israel. And he said everybody carries a gun in Switzerland and there is little violence. The senator said he didn't know if that was true, but he didn't subscribe to that.

Bryan, a gun owner, said he is a former member of the National Rifle Association "but they lost me" when the organization opposed legislation to outlaw "cop killer bullets." One man challenged Bryan to describe "cop killer bullets."

The senator stumbled but said they were "bullets that implode."

The man also suggested Bryan was wrong when he said it was illegal to possess a machine gun, a law dating back more than 50 years. He told Bryan a person who is licensed and has a clean police record can own a machine gun.

The gun-control issue provoked arguments among the people in the crowd on the pros and cons, as Bryan continued to talk.

The meeting, which drew more than 100 people, started calmly but then turned more confrontational. Tom Baker, Bryan's aide who accompanies him on the town hall tour, said this was the most "feisty" session so far this year.

Bryan said normally those who attend "don't get that much energy on the kinds of issues," but he added this was good. And it brings out the difference of opinions, he said.

After the session, some who disagreed with Bryan came up to shake his hand. And one man who identified himself as a Republican, said he wished the senator was running for re-election next year.

Bryan has announced he will not seek re-election next year.

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