Democrat Congressman Assaults Student

[Shady]

Apparently Democrats get very upset when asked basic political questions, like do you support the Obama agenda?

Imagine if a Tea Party member did something similar to a reporter? Can you say media firestorm!

[GostHacked]

It is simply not right for anyone in congress or the senate to be like that. We've seen this from Reps and Dems.

So fire his ass.

[waldo]

let me add to the slow news day... a Tea Party-affiliated, GOP candidate for Congress in Alabama's second district... "gather your armies"

[punked]

Apparently Democrats get very upset when asked basic political questions, like do you support the Obama agenda?

Imagine if a Tea Party member did something similar to a reporter? Can you say media firestorm!

Now, Etheridge's actions are only partially defensible. He need not have gotten physical with the students who asked him the provocative question regarding his support of the "Obama Agenda" (honestly, that sort of opening question is straight from the Jason Mattera school of inflammatory interview techniques.)

But little is known about these "students." The YouTube video is published under an account titled TonyManization, and even more damning is that the faces of the individuals asking the Congressman questions are blurred out. Hmmm...nothing like the courage of the anonymous protester.

Which brings us back to Etheridge's response. Yeah - he comes off as a jerk, but...when in Rome. It will be interesting to follow how this story plays out in the news media. Will it be a big story? Probably not, but apparently being prepared for ambush interviews from eager college kids is the next phase of media training for many on Capitol Hill.

http://www.mediaite.com/online/congressman-loses-cool-to-students-with-a-flip-cam-but-somehow-comes-out-the-hero/

I tend to agree. I am tired of the Acorn, tap members of Senate phones illegally thing we are now calling journalism. It is like when that guy went up to Al Franken to ask him if he supported the federal government building jungle gyms and then when Franken asked him to point it out in the health care bill, then he couldn't AND he would let not Franken answer. I am tired of it, I was tired of it when Micheal More was doing it. Shady stay classy.

Edited June 14, 2010 by punked

[Shady]

http://www.mediaite.com/online/congressman-loses-cool-to-students-with-a-flip-cam-but-somehow-comes-out-the-hero/

I tend to agree. I am tired of the Acorn, tap members of Senate phones illegally thing we are now calling journalism. It is like when that guy went up to Al Franken to ask him if he supported the federal government building jungle gyms and then when Franken asked him to point it out in the health care bill, then he couldn't AND he would let not Franken answer. I am tired of it, I was tired of it when Micheal More was doing it.

I'm not tired of asking public officials questions. That's how you hold people accountabe. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what these students did wrong. They asked one question. One question. Do you support Obama's agenda? It's a yes or no answer. Or a no comment answer. It's not a go crazy and start assulting people answer. But it's nice of you to make excuses for bad bahavior. While at the same time posting a story about a Republican taking down a poster in a classroom.

You have some interesting priorities.

[punked]

I'm not tired of asking public officials questions. That's how you hold people accountabe. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what these students did wrong. They asked one question. One question. Do you support Obama's agenda? It's a yes or no answer. Or a no comment answer. It's not a go crazy and start assulting people answer. But it's nice of you to make excuses for bad bahavior. While at the same time posting a story about a Republican taking down a poster in a classroom.

You have some interesting priorities.

When you Lie when asking the question you Kinda look like an idiot. You forget to mention these guys said they were "students doing a school project" however it has come to light that was a lie. They are a part of Breitbart who tries to get Dems on tape to edit that tape to make it look like they are saying things they aren't. I am tired of the propaganda, why when he asked who they were they wouldn't answer? How come when he asked what school they wouldn't answer? It was all a set up and Etheridge knew it which is why he got frustrated.

Questions are fine, lies are wrong. When these young men lied to the congressman in the first place they lost all moral high ground. I am tired of it. Things are more complicated in the world then "Do you support the presidents agenda, do you believe in the Constitution and are you wearing a flag pin?" Once Republicans get past that they might be helpful in fixing the country.

[punked]

BTW Shady your Title is a lie. While this person might be a student their weren't there in that capacity they were there as part of Breitbart propaganda machine. That is why they would not give their name or say what school they are from. I await your correction.

[Shady]

When these young men lied to the congressman in the first place they lost all moral high ground.

Moral high ground has nothing to do with it. You don't lose your right to the law, to not be assaulted just because you ask a simple question of a congressman. The congressman is at fault. The congressman committed assult. All over one question asked of him as he walked by.

[GostHacked]

Moral high ground has nothing to do with it. You don't lose your right to the law, to not be assaulted just because you ask a simple question of a congressman. The congressman is at fault. The congressman committed assult. All over one question asked of him as he walked by.

You can find as many examples with Reps as you do with Dems.

[punked]

Moral high ground has nothing to do with it. You don't lose your right to the law, to not be assaulted just because you ask a simple question of a congressman. The congressman is at fault. The congressman committed assult. All over one question asked of him as he walked by.

Again you lose the moral high ground when you shove a Camera in the face of the congressman to Shady

"This was a two camera set up from the get go. The kid shoves the camera in the Congressman's face -- that's the shot at .13-14 -- and the Congressman, as he is entitled to do, grabs the kid's arm and the camera is shoved away -- that's the blurry shot. The clip then goes back to the video-over-the-shoulder shot.

There are two forms of assault -- the tort which the kid committed and the crime which requires the intent to commit physical harm and was not committed.

In common law, assault is the tort of acting intentionally and voluntarily causing the reasonable apprehension of an immediate harmful or offensive contact.

Having a camera shoved in your face -- how far away can it have been to get that shot? -- would indeed cause a reasonable apprehension of an offensive contact -- that the camera was going to hit your face and the normal reaction would be to grab the arm of the kid to prevent this. Creating this apprehension is what the kid intended to do and he succeeded. It is, however a tort ."

You might not like it but their is a reason these "interviewers" didn't call the cops Shady. It isn't assault when you are in the wrong, it isn't assault if you don't press charges, and their is a reason instead of calling the police these guys ran home and edited a video and sent it to a Right wing hit site instead of pressing charges. Sorry these kids have a right to ask the congressman a question they have no right to shove a camera so far into the congressman's face that it touches him then get made when he watz at it.

[Shady]

You can find as many examples with Reps as you do with Dems.

Possibly. Although I haven't seen many with Republicans or Democrats. This one went viral, which is the only reason I found out about it.

[punked]

Possibly. Although I haven't seen many with Republicans or Democrats. This one went viral, which is the only reason I found out about it.

No it is not you found it because it was on the same right wing hit site that Lied about the Acorn videos.

[Shady]

No it is not you found it because it was on the same right wing hit site that Lied about the Acorn videos.

Nice deflection. I find it sad that you're defending the congressman's actions. Especially when it's clearly assault. You're blaming the victim. The same way a rape victim is blamed for "wearing a short skirt." It's pretty repugnant.

[punked]

Nice deflection. I find it sad that you're defending the congressman's actions. Especially when it's clearly assault. You're blaming the victim. The same way a rape victim is blamed for "wearing a short skirt." It's pretty repugnant.

Yah it is sick that you compare this is rape Shady but I did expect you to go that low. Where are the charges Shady? You keep throwing around the world assault I forgot only in America are you innocent until proven guilty unless you are a Democrat. Maybe you can post the link to where these gentlemen have pressed Charges. I'll be waiting for that. While I am waiting I am going to post a bit from the Washington post.

The operative, who has been responsible for numerous undercover ("black ops") political projects, compared the two students to a military "hunter-killer team" -- the tandem of a sniper and a spotter. The operative did not want to disclose the tactics and strategy of such projects, but said that we can expect to see more video confrontations during what Mike Flynn of BigGovernment.com predicts will be a "long hot summer." ... It is unlikely that the students involved in the Etheridge incident will claim responsibility, my conservative operative source suggests, because doing so would expose them to reprisals by staffers for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

This is the stuff that stops real debate, this is the stuff that makes congressmen scared to answer questions, this is the stuff that is poisoning the public debate. Save the sound bites for the campaign outside of that lets have a real debate. I don't like my Liberal MP but whenever I get a chance to talk to him we have real conversations, we agree to disagree but we both agree we want what we think is best for the country. To bad in America that is no longer the case.

[BubberMiley]

This is a topic I wouldn't normally find interesting, but I just love watching partisan wack-jobs go at it.

[bush_cheney2004]

.... I don't like my Liberal MP but whenever I get a chance to talk to him we have real conversations, we agree to disagree but we both agree we want what we think is best for the country. To bad in America that is no longer the case.

America doesn't have MPs, liberal or otherwise, so it's going to be OK.

"Damn Americans--I hate those bastards"--a quote from an al-Qaeda terrorist? Kim Jung-iL? Or maybe Hollywood? No, we can thank Canadian Member of Parliament, Carolyn Parrish for this useful contribution to international discourse.

[Shady]

This is the stuff that stops real debate, this is the stuff that makes congressmen scared to answer questions, this is the stuff that is poisoning the public debate.

Asking a question is poisoning the public debate?

Anyways, looks like even The Huffington Post agrees:

I don't care if it's a Republican operative--congressmen shouldn't assault Republican operatives. I don't care if it's an ambush interview--congressmen shouldn't attack ambush interviewers. I don't care if it's the ghost of Richard Nixon, foaming at the mouth rabid and wearing nothing but a placard accusing Etheridge of being of questionable parentage. No matter who this is, Etheridge doesn't have the legal right to put hands on him for asking a question.

The Huffington Post

[punked]

Asking a question is poisoning the public debate?

Anyways, looks like even The Huffington Post agrees:

I wish they were asking questions. They weren't, they were looking for a sound bite which they could edit to make it look like he was saying things he wasn't. Yes that propaganda is poisoning debate, public figures are scared to talk to people on the street, they don't want to say something which taken out of context (which you do all the time) can appear like they are saying something else. That poisons the debate and you are at fault more then anyone on this.

[Shady]

I wish they were asking questions. They weren't, they were looking for a sound bite which they could edit to make it look like he was saying things he wasn't. Yes that propaganda is poisoning debate, public figures are scared to talk to people on the street, they don't want to say something which taken out of context (which you do all the time) can appear like they are saying something else. That poisons the debate and you are at fault more then anyone on this.

Yep, they were probably looking for a soundbite. But thanks to this idiot congressman, they got a heck of a lot more. If a teacher did this to a student, they'd be suspended.

[punked]

Yep, they were probably looking for a soundbite. But thanks to this idiot congressman, they got a heck of a lot more. If a teacher did this to a student, they'd be suspended.

Still employed and has around 70% support in NS for what he did. I also support him. He didn't get fired because the public rallied around him. Good try but the cookie cutter solutions Republicans try to apply every situation (we either go to war or we don't, we either regulate or we don't) don't work in the real world where you need to deal with situations as the facts of the situation become clear.

Edited June 15, 2010 by punked

[Guest TrueMetis]

Still employed and has around 70% support in NS for what he did. I also support him. He didn't get fired because the public rallied around him. Good try but the cookie cutter solutions Republicans try to apply every situation (we either go to war or we don't, we either regulate or we don't) don't work in the real world where you need to deal with situations as the facts of the situation become clear.

Is there a news article to go with that? Because there is no context in that video.

Edited June 15, 2010 by TrueMetis

[punked]

Is there a news article to go with that? Because there is no context in that video.

Sounds a bit like Shady's video doesn't it?

Yes there is.

He was suspended while the school board reviewed what happened after the school board review they found he did nothing wrong and the public has been very supportive of what he did to the youth given the situation he was put in. He was removed from the school while they reviewed and will be an acting principal next year.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2010/06/04/ns-olsen-husband-fells-video.html

Edited June 15, 2010 by punked

[Guest TrueMetis]

Sounds a bit like Shady's video doesn't it?

Yes there is.

He was suspended while the school board reviewed what happened after the school board review they found he did nothing wrong and the public has been very supportive of what he did to the youth given the situation he was put in. He was removed from the school while they reviewed and will be an acting principal next year.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2010/06/04/ns-olsen-husband-fells-video.html

Very cool. Don't f*ck with the principle.

[punked]

Very cool. Don't f*ck with the principle.

I agree our educators need to be able to take control, and when something like this happens our board should look at it and have it out in the public. Then if it is justified (which it was) then our educators should be told so and given their job back just as happened. System works again, you know why because there are no cookie cutter solutions as Shady tries to put forward.

I should mention these things should be rare, and they should be in extreme cases like this one. I do not want a return to the strap but I want my kids to go to school in a safe environment.

Edited June 15, 2010 by punked

[Shady]

He was suspended

Hmmm, suspended. Exactly what I said would happen if a teacher did something similar. Thanks for making my point.