Wisconsin's Ron Johnson briefly ties up Senate in budget protest

The freshman from Wisconsin, who knocked off progressive stalwart Russell Feingold in last year's election, said Tuesday that he would stage a procedural protest on the Senate floor until the Democratic leadership puts forth a 2012 budget.

“So unless we receive some assurance from the Democrat leadership that we will actually start addressing our budget out in the open, in the bright light of day, I will begin to object. I will begin to withhold my consent," Johnson, a businessman from Oskosh, Wis., said on the Senate floor Tuesday.