This is short, but I thought people would be interested. My wife and I headed out this evening for Jim Himes' town hall in Norwalk. It had been relocated twice in the last week as they sensed the potential size of the crowds. Eventually they settled on Norwalk High School, which I understand has a capacity of 800 ..
Unfortunately we got held up at a prior stop and didn't arrive till about 6:20 (it was scheduled to start at 6:30). At that point there were 200-300 people milling around the entrance, and four police officers preventing additional people from entering. Here's a bit of iphone video:
and a picture of one of many pages of a list that some people were keeping of those who couldn't get in:
From what we saw outside all the signs were pro-public option. When a Himes staffer came out to apologize and explain there were already 1200 inside and that Channel 12 would be rebroadcasting the townhall before the vote in the house, a couple of (white, male, relatively young) loudmouths started shouting her down and pooping out Faux Noise slogans, but mostly people seemed bummed to not be able to get in.
I read the report on his Greenwich townhall yesterday and it sounds like it was pretty evenly matched (the paper even reported there was a "death panel" question) and also full. Tomorrow night he's scheduled for Bridgeport City Hall but that's way too small so I expect to see an announcement moving that tomorrow, and hopefully we'll get to get inside for that one ..