Tense Altercation Between Conservative Scholar and Progressive Activist Gets Physical During 'Fix the Debt' Event

Heritage Foundation scholar Edmund F. Haislmaier (YouTube)

A Heritage Foundation research fellow got into a heated exchange with a progressive activist Tuesday morning in a hotel during an event sponsored by the Campaign to Fix the Debt.

The altercation reportedly occurred at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C. after Burke Stansbury, of the progressive Campaign for Community Change, and roughly 20 other activists interrupted a speech by Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) over cuts to entitlement programs.

"No! No! No no no no! No! No no no! No! I was invited on this panel. No no no no! No! These people, these people are screwing things up for my kids," Heritage Foundation scholar Edmund F. Haislmaier says in the video.

"These are the real people," Stansbury taunted.

"And I'm not? I'm not?" Haislmaier shot back before knocking Stansbury's camera out of his hand.

It is unclear exactly what caused Haislmaier to lose his cool. Watch the incident unfold in the video below:

And here's some more video from a different angle:

(H/T: Huffington Post)