Dem Congressman’s Assault on Student Reporter Deserves Censure
Has liberal North Carolina Congressman Bob Etheridge (Democrat, Second District) lost his ever-loving mind?
Read the Big Government story that provides some commentary to go along with the spliced-together video below if you must, but there really isn’t any additional context needed.
The footage clearly shows seventh-term Representative Bob Etheridge walking down a Washington, D.C., street towards two young men want to interview him and who are videotaping the meeting with a pair of cell phone cameras. The introductory text explains that the students are standing outside a fundraiser for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sometime last week.
The student playing the role of primary reporter greets Congressman Etheridge cordially, and asks him if he fully supports President Obama’s agenda.
As the video below shows, Etheridge immediately became irrational and violent, demanding again and again “who are you?” He claimed, “I have a right to know who you are,” while assaulting the student reporter. Etheridge ripped the first student’s cell phone camera out of his hands, but it kept recording even as the 67-year-old congressman held it.
The second cell phone camera recording the event captured the assault in far more detail.
After the first young man — with fear in his voice — asked Etheridge to let him go, the congressman responded by grabbing him by the back of the neck and jerking the young man toward him, pulling him under his arm, and gripping him tightly around the shoulder. “Who are you?” he demanded again, nose-to-nose with the obviously frightened student.
After the cowering student reporter and cameraman again asked — loudly this time — for Etheridge to let him go, the congressman either regained his senses and finally released him, or the student twisted out of his grasp. Either way, he escaped from the unhinged congressman.
There is little doubt that what we’ve witnessed in this video is a congressmen assaulting an individual for the simple act of politely asking him on a public street if he supports the president’s agenda. If Bob Etheridge had responded in a reasonable manner — either answering the question in some manner or ignoring the student reporters entirely — then there would be no story here. But that wasn’t the congressman’s response. His response was intimidation and physical violence.
Thank god there ae people like you posting articles on this. This guy Roger Kimball actally posted a blog and tried to connect ths A…hole’s behaivior to his poltical views!!!!!! can you believe it!!
Yes, he should resign… I agree..
Mr. Kimball: please hang around with Mr. Owen!!!
Because attempts to stifle dissenting voices and shut down independent media ARE part and parcel of the 21st century Democrat. That’s why.
Note BTW that MSNBC etc are already attacking- not Etheridge, but the kid. And YouTube opulled the video. Typical.
Well at least you didn’t try to blame this on the jews. I guess that’s progress.
It’s Bush’s fault.
Miriam my spelling and logic challenged friend, Mr. Kimball was not blaming his behavior on his political party. He was, on the other hand, noting that because he is a Democrat he will in all likelihood get a pass on the matter. He was not claiming that Democrats do this type of thing more often – only that they get away with it. His party is not the cause of his behavior – it is source of the lack of accountability.
You, on the other hand, brought up the oil spill, Israeli commandos illegal immigration and the economy in your discussion of this one congressman’s voluntary behavior. It is your logic that is laughably convoluted – not Mr. Kimball’s. However, as I have said before, your attempts at logic do bring a chuckle. Please continue!
WHile Mr. Kimball did not state that Democrats behave this way more frequently, a quick review of recent history would show that they do. Part of it may be that Democrats know that because of a compliant media, they are much more likely to get away with it. Part of it may be the sense of entitlement that all liberals seem to have.
“I asked the judge what might be my fine
I asked that judge what might be my fine
I said judge what might be my fine?”
“Sixty days way on down the line.”
(From “Steamboat Whistle Blues”)
Assault and battery are at the least minor crimes. Craig was arrested for taking a wide stance. How is it that this Mutt Etheridge exempt from justice?
No matter how intrusive and partisan our politics can become, this does not justify a poor response.
—
Is the congressman actually trying to claim that the students were being intrusive and partisan?
Or is he trying to claim that since politics has become intrusive and partisan, he has become under pressure, and that this pressure caused him to snap at an innocent question?
Well, it looks as if South Carolina’s neighbor to the North is trying to take away the title of being the laughing stock of the nation. Good start North Carolina.
The Rep. Etheridge should resign now.
Period.
There is no excuse for this kind of behavior.
Another episode of `Democraps Gone Wild`
I would be shocked if this guy could win an election now. Talk about self destructive behavior.
What could be have possibly been thinking? I mean, why would you do something like that? It just makes no sense.
The democratic voter does not care. slap the boy, show porn to a girl….the democratic voter loves that stuff.
Here’s something they will care about. I immediately looked up his Republican opponents Web Site, Renee Ellmers, and sent her a campaign contribution after checking her credentials out. I hope all of you who read this will send her something, even 5 bucks will help. Check Renee out, she has excellent conservative instincts.
Etheridge gets arrested for battery where I come from. What a paranoid reaction he displayed. He needs to be retired so he can get some help.
Etheridge appears drunk.
Maybe he had to be drunk to be able to handle listening to Ms. Pelosi???
She has me drinking and I’ve never met her.
Expect no censure. Expect no resignation. Expect no damage. This is a progressive Dem acting out the way progressives have come to expect they can act. From SEIU thugs, to Dems in Congress acting as though they are the ruling oligarchy, to the Odumber soiling the POTUS, this is what America voted for in 2008.
From what I’ve read, the district that he represents leans slightly Republican. This kind of behavior can damage him, if the voting public finds out about it.
The Ellmer campaign should also ask that Eldridge answer the original question – does he support ObamaCare?
The congressman is clearly a bully, both verbally and physically. He would have been well within his rights to ignore or wave-off the question but he felt entitled to throttle and intimidate some kid.
I’m still waiting for my employer to tell me how Obamacare is going to affect next year’s medical benefits. Taxes will go up with the expiration of the Bush tax cuts and we can reasonably expect health care/insurance cost to go up too. Plus, no raise this year.
One more thing. If the roles were reversed, if someone grabbed a congressman on a DC street, that person would see months in jail, if not years.
We Americans ALL are equal before the law. Mr. Eldridge needs to be reminded of that through legal action in the criminal courts.
Great video! It reminds me of the ACORN videos. God bless these kids and keep up the good work.
Yep,,, the only thing missing here is a New Black Panther with a club. In fact, that would have been even better since the gumment won’t prosecute their crimes either. It’s so nice to be above the law.
Why hasn’t this student filed charges? The video clearly shows assault and battery, I’d say the boy has a good case.
Chicago thug-style politics in trickle-down mode. Congrats to our dear, esteemed POTUS for setting the tone here.
The video I saw looked more like play than assault. Those kids accosted Etheridge and they wouldn’t identify themselves. This whole event seems overblown.
Since when is asking a sitting Congressman, a so-called employee of the people, a simple question considered “accosting,” as you put it? Since when does anyone have to identify themselves, especially when they are being assaulted in an unprovoked manner by someone who should be more than happy to explain his political positions?
Those kids were strangers and they did accost Etheridge. If you own a dictionary, you can look that word up and see that it’s appropriate. If you were walking down a sidewalk and some strangers accosted you with cameras in your face and questions, you might want to know who they were, and if they didn’t tell you, you might want to slap their camera out of your face.
“Excuse me, Mr. Congressman. Do you support the Obama Agenda?”
THAT is accosting?
You need to get a new dictionary, pal.
And for your information, I have had people come up to me on the street on several occasions, either with still or video cameras, and ask me questions. In some cases it was ‘Man on the Street’ interviews. On other occasions it was due to my participation in Tea Party events. In no case did I suddenly grab the person, try and pull the camera out of their hand, grab them by the neck and into a headlock, or demand to know who they were as if I were a Gestapo agent demanding their papers.
Are you saying that this is the first time he’s ever been on camera or asked his opinion? And that he was so terrified of being “accosted” in broad daylight that he thought these two well dressed kids…were thugs? Keep sippin the koolaide ma man.
Being asked questions by strangers while in public is part of the job description for a congressman. If he doesn’t like it, he needs to find a new job.
Why should they identify themselves? Is the “congressman” going to change his answer based on who they are.
If it looked playful to you? You probably think wife abuse is just foreplay.
Patrick, you get the dummy of the day award.
Congressman Etheridge is a public figure. There’s no defense for his thuggery, nor for his arrogant demand for ‘who are you?’. After seventeen years in the House, this cannot be the first time a citizen – who he’s supposed to represent – has asked him a civil question.
If anything is overblown, it’s the excuses for Etheridge, and the tortured media defense of his assault and bullying of a civil student.
Why does the kid have to identify himself? Why does the congressman have the right to molest him if he fails too? If the congressman doesn’t like it he can keep walking. He chose not to. You are another pathetic leftist excusing the actions of your side. If a Republican had been accosted by a leftist who was screaming about a million killed in iraq or the holocaust caused by insurance industries, and the Republican laid a finger on the kid or said anyhting that wasn’t fellating him, he would be pilloried in the media.
But of course you pathetic, hypocritical leftists live in the land of cognitive dissonence.
It seems to me that the college students were of legal age- meaning adults. I’m not so sure that what he did was an actual crime, but I do believe that one adult is not legally allowed to threaten another adult, whether it’s verbal or physical, and that it’s something that should concern the police were they to observe one adult treating anyone that way.
Has anyone notice that he takes the student’s phone from him, see the photos here
http://www.kooks.com/congress/1/Rep-Bob-Etheridge-D-NC-Attacks-Student-and-Takes-Camera-Phone.html
Where I come from we call this assault and battery. Why has this Congressman not been arrested?
The students should file charges if nothing is done. Sue him under civil law too.
Because of Congressional Immunity. The Founders would shutter at what has become of this protection of the Republic. Congressional Immunity was intended to prevent political arrests from interfering with Congressional votes, but today it is being used to protect corrupt politicians.
I thought that only applied if they were on their way to cast a vote.
They’ve done it before:
“Congressman Bob Filner Served Court Summons on Assault Charge”
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
WASHINGTON — California Rep. Bob Filner on Monday picked up a court summons to face an assault charge relating to an angry exchange at a Washington, D.C., area airport baggage claim last month.
Filner, a Democrat, was charged with assault after he stormed into a baggage claim office Aug. 19 at Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia. A United Airlines baggage employee complained that Filner touched her when he pushed aside her arm to get past her. He also did not leave when asked to do so, an airport spokesperson claimed…
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,295701,00.html
Speaking of Obama setting the tone. He doesn’t ever say “I will ask—–”. It is always “I will demand—–”. He is an angry man with no compassion that I can see and I guess Etherage is just another one. His face was so red, I wondered what his blood pressure was.
As I sit here wearing just a towel having just gotten out of the shower, my first inclination is to feel sorry for bad Bobby Etheridge.
When he flies, even Southwest Airlines would be within their rights charging him fifty or so dollars for each of those bags he carriers under his eyes wherever he goes. My second inclination is to imagine him grabbing my right hand like he did to the student and breaking his big nose with a palm strike. I guess violence begets violence.
While I don’t have a third inclination, I do have a major concern. If he flies off the handle unprovoked on the streets of DC, does he take that deep well of violence home with him? Boisterous Bob shows all the signs of a wife abuser. Push the wrong button and his wife, Faye, ends up with a nose only Steve Nash’s mother could love. I shudder to think how likely this Thanksgiving dinner scene in the Etheridge household plays out.
FAYE: “More peas, honey?”
BOB: What’s my name, bitch? It ain’t honey.
SFX: nose breaks from Bob’s head butt as Faye flies off her chair blood steaming down her face.
SIX MONTH LATER
FAYE: “Would you be a dear and take the garbage out before you go to bed?”
BOB: “Names are important to me. I’m Bob. I’m not dear, and you’re white trash. Go take yourself out.”
Note:
Battling Bob also has three beautiful children, David, Catherine and Brian. Granted, they’re grown, but so was the college student with the question, “How’s your day?” Call me overly concerned, but what if, say, with the whole family over for a barbecue, grown daughter, Catherine, for example, asks her dad when Obama’s “getting off his duff and doing something about the oil spill that’s threatening the Outer Banks in N.C.”
I can see bully Bob getting off his duff and screaming at Catherine. You trying to get my goat, pig? Maybe I should take this spoon and shove it down your pretty little throat so you shut up so I can enjoy this burger”
It seems quite plausible, and now I’m more than a little frightened for the family of crazy Congressman, Bob Etheridge. Or is the operative word, crazed?
And, heavens to Betsy, I haven’t even considered the five grandchildren. What if one starts crying? Or makes a noise Bob Doesn’t like. Or asks Grandpa if he fully supports the Obama agenda.
We no longer have servants we have masters. I see several crimes happening here that the congressman should be brought up on. At the least he should step down and retire. That student had every right to defend himself in that instance and I would have if it was me.
4th degree or 3rd degree assault, bumped up since it was committed in the course of theft. Forget all the political crap, just charge the drunken swine under the law as it should apply without fear or favor.
This man is a member of Congress? Why is he not facing charges. Let a jury of his peers decide.
Hey, he’s a congressman. Maybe he thought the kid was going to out him.
Other pictures
http://www.kooks.com/congress/1/Rep-Bob-Etheridge-D-NC-Attacks-Student-and-Takes-Camera-Phone.html
may indicate that he steals the student’s cell phone. So he’s up for TWO offenses.
Somebody was able to get the video off of the cell phone, so it seems the phone was returned at some point.
Is it still theft if the item is returned within a few minutes?
On the other hand, an enterprising prosecutor might be able to get unlawful restraint out of that headlock.
“but his physical assault on a college student goes beyond the pale.”
Good thing he didn’t do something really bad, like pretend to be a telehone repairman. He’d likely be looking at felony charges. But, all he did was assault some kid…no big deal.
C’mon! He’s just a big kidder and obviously a huge Who fan. What’s a little hug and a serenade? You crazy wing nuts! Of course, he supports the president’s agenda. Can’t you tell how much smarter he is than you? Where’s Skeeziks? He can ‘splain it better.
Assault on a D.C street by a Democrat Congressman. Finger biten off in L.A in September by Democrat supporters. Thugs in Philly voting precinct with club intimidating voters. Savage beating of two Republicans in April in New Orleans. Black man beaten by SEIU union thugs in St. Louis. Radical Muslim kills 13 wounds 31 at Ft. Hood, Texas. Muslim attempts to murder innocents at Times Square. Media warns people to beware of violent Tea Partiers.
Congressman Etheridge should be arrested for assault with intent to do bodily harm. Were it me or mine that were the target of his shameful and violent assault, I would immediately press charges. He needs to be not only censured but removed from office to face criminal charges. What is Speaker Pelosi’s position in this matter? Somewhere with Charlie Rangel’s ethics investigation.
Dr. M.
This guy’s a real creep. If this is how he acts in public with cameras around, imagine what he’s like at home with his wife and kids and no cameras around.
A Wilbur Mills repeat, no doubt. Slurred speech: check. Drawn face and baggy eyes: check. Inappropriate response due to intoxication: check.
“Hi, my name is Bob, and ya’ll know what I done.”
“Hi, Bob.”
Breitbart needs to find out where this congressman was drinking and how much he consumed. Go Andrew! Go!
The young college student remained polite to the Senator. He deserves credit for remaining calm and patient with the batty old man.
He’ll resign. This is too toxic even for the Dems. They know this will cost them that seat. He may get some sweetheart deal. He’ll plead health issues, high-blood pressure or somesuch.
Believe it or not, no. The DNC is circling the wagons around him- and actually trying to blame “provocations” by “Right-wing activists” engaged in “ambush journalism.” Truly they live in an alternate reality.
They also succeeded in getting YouTube to pull the video.
Indeed….liberalism is a mental disorder. Find a Tea Party member who’s attacked a liberal loon…and I’ll marry your cow to atone for thinking I was making it with Rosie.
“Has liberal North Carolina Congressman Bob Etheridge (Democrat, Second District) lost his ever-loving mind?”
Why not, a slight majority of the country voted these pigs in. Reap the harvest ignorance has sown and suck on the shafts.
Democrats are truly scum. From my local rag, I just found out the local sheriff’s wife embezzeled over $250k from the local credit union she was working. This isn’t her first time doing the same crime. What did the local top cop have to say after court sentencing her for 3 years in the pokey:
http://putnamsentinel.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=7152&TM=76713.64
“Our family has been ripped apart over this, but for us it’s a time to forgive, move on and look toward the future,” said Sheriff Beutler.
All democrats are all the same. ME, ME, ME. Screw our victims.
PS- This shit bag sheriff has not resigned office. He is still Sheriff. What a laughing stock… the biggest thief in his office was sleeping next to him…..and he claims “I didn’t know.”
This from the very party that is fearful of violence from the Tea Party?
All the violence I’ve seen in the past 6 months have all been generated from the left.
It’s Bush’s fault.
In the bag and mean as hell.
if the ‘college kid’ had been a foot taller, fifty pounds heavier and ten years older, you think Violent Bob would have had the same #$%^&* reaction?
Me neither.
What an arrogant thug. I think we’re descending into ancient Rome.. not the republic, the empire, in which the ‘senators’ are in reality just corrupt power-grubbing aristocrats.
I wish Violent Bob had tried this stuff on ME. I may have to track him down and see how he does with a six foot four, 290 lb Texan.
Congressman Bob Etheridge should be charged with assault. And Pelosi better treat this seriously and censor his behavior. He behaved in a nasty, hostile manner and assaulted a young man that was polite and asked him one question. Shame on Etheridge and on Pelosi if she tries to cover this up.
He wasn’t just ticked about questions or cameras. He was down right paranoid. Makes me wonder what he’s really been up to besides possibly drinking.
Maybe he was afraid of what would happen if he said “no” and the WH (or pelosi) found out. We know how “friendly” the SEIU and thugs-r-us are to those who don’t kiss obumblers agenda. he’s just another demwit more intereted in where he’s sitting than what he’s doing.
needs criminal charges to brind him back to earth.
One of these days, a congresscritter or SEIU thug is going to rough up the wrong man………
if one of my Children/Grand Children he would be missing some body parts and he would see my face.
Remember that guy who pushed a reporter against a metal barrier and knocked him down at Coakley’s campaign in Mass? He is head of some Fed agency now (I don’t keep track of details.) It pays to assault a reporter if you were an Obama thug.
Note how confident and casually Etheridge metes out serious bullying here.
Looking at his behaviour here, I would think that we can infer that the man has a long history of intimidating people into submission, physically and verbally, in fact, you can see that is he actually surprised that his Gestapo methods do not work this time round as he expected them to.
I’d hate to be this guys’ wife…!
Since this whole incident has gone viral on the internet and on conservative talk radio, perhaps the mayor or police chief in DC will actually have to bring charges against the out of control demoncrat and throw him in jail for a night or two. But, they better not put him in with general population or they could have a riot in the jail. Etheridge needs to resign now! He physically assaulted a student who asked him a simple question. What would he do if someone asked him a difficult question? Would he pull out a gun and murder the person on the spot?
After 18 months of watching Obama and the Democratic leadership verbally abuse anyone who disagrees with him, liberals have started to believe that they can get away with anything. They are starting to let their real nature show through.
Let us suppose that the young journalists were with the black panther party or from some jihadist group. Would this brave congressman have had the balls to put his hands on one of them? Gutless liberal bastard. Personally, after asking once to let go of me, I would have popped him in the mouth. And he would have let go.
Assaulting an American citizen is a crime and that kid should file charges.
Bob, Bob you angry snob
You get pissed just doing your job
Shame shame you angry man
Won’t let go of that boy’s hand
Push and shove and slap a kid
Now the world knows what you did
Bob, Bob you angry fool
An all used up Obama tool
I’d stake my life on it, if this were a republican the resulting uproar would be worse than the Vuvuzela from the world cup. Since it’s a member of the socialist party I guarantee you there will be NO MSM coverage or outrage. The MSM is a propaganda branch of the socialist left and they have stated so in so many words.
I actualy held my nose and watched Chris Matthews last night and he said it was Etheridge that was “ambushed.” I would not want either of these youngsters in a fox hole with me. They allowed this old man to assault them with no effort to restrain the old fart. I would have broken away from this dopey man and had him in a choke hold and drug him to the nearest police officer and demanded they cuff him as a danger to the good citizens of DC. No apologies, just resign. If he doesn’t resign, whoever is running against him should show this video 24/7 and expose him for his pathetic action. They should also show his pathetic attempt at an appology which was a non-appology.
Send a note to The ONCE Honorable Bob Etheridge, 333 Fayetteville Street, Suite 505, Raleigh, NC 12601 or call him at Phone 919-829-9122. Remember him on November 2nd, 2010.
The person running against her would not have had much of a chance in a swing district. Now this video can be played over and over and over and over. Stoopid stooopid Etheridge.
obviously the Congressman had few drinks at the fund raiser and they weren’t Pepsi’s
Bob the Bully! Way to go Bob, you have just given me all the proof I need to move forward with my own investigative journalist goals. Since we know that ALL liberal socialists are mean and nasty at their very core we now know how to detonate their inner ticking time bomb… ask ANY polite question with a cell phone video camera pointed in their general direction!!!!!! Watch the fireworks explode! I do believe this will work if they are drunk or not (although drunks are more fun).
Wow! I can’t wait to use this one myself. Of course, I will be brushing up on my right, left, right combo before I hit the streets!
Rachel Peepers – Classic! Keep it coming!
I find it instructive that the Democratic Party response is to fulminate that the kid obscured his identity. Can you blame him? Let’s review what happens if you cross the left:
If you are a vice-presidential candidate, they move in next door with a camera.
If you ask an inconvenient question at a town hall, they release confidential records about you.
If you supported Proposition 8, they publish online maps to your house, or hound you out of a job.
If you are a bank executive, they bus a mob to your front porch.
If you try to vote, they have thugs standing outside the polling place.
Basically, the Democratic Party is saying, “Hey kid! Show us your face so we can give you the Joe the Plumber treatment!”
The radical Left has always been scary. The Mainstream Left has now merged with them. God help the poor private citizen who has the misfortune of attracting their attention.
Best summation of the situation in our country today that I have read lately. Thank you.
I took the liberty of copying it and sending it to my conservative list with a link to the site.
Well thanks.
I guess I could have gone ahead and posted with my usual blog-linked name, rather than my more anonymous, non-blog-linked name. But since I was writing specifically about the Left’s hunter-seeker tendencies, my paranoia got the better of me.
I guess if I ever attract enough attention that they start hounding me, I’ll just change names and move on.
Not surprised to hear today that the congressman was “ambushed”..puke
Shades of the Billy-Bubbah Blythe (“Cli’ton”) era, eh.
Why, all that “Democratic” potty congresscumbag had to do was rape that young man and the dhimmis would have considered him “presidential” material.
The “radical” Left has always been scary. The “mainstream” Left has now merged with them. God help the poor private citizen who has the misfortune of attracting their attention.
Huh.
We ain’t seen nothing yet!
Just wait until they complete their well-under-way merger with the Islamanazis.
Never forgetting that “moderate” Islam is but “radical Islam’s Trojan horse.
And we in the West have been and are continuing to be well and truly “Greeked!”
In 68 & 69 I was with B-10 Special forces out of Kontum. I would like to see that ass try to man handle me that way, can anyone say self defense and, wheel chair bound for life in less than ten seconds.
As a Mom and Grandmother – if anyone roughed up my son or grandchild in that manner I would hope I wouldn’t be there to see it – I would have probably been treated the way he should have been treated – (charged and arrested). To lay hands on this young man was abusive and not at all called for.
20 years ago, these kids would have been arrested and likely beaten appropriately. As a punk kid, you don’t ambush a politician pretending to be a reporter.
If anything, I’d vote for this man simply for putting an ounce of fear in these slackers.
I live in North Carolina and this whole thing was a riot. It was a setup but still made a huge dent in Ethridge’s campaign- which he ultimately lost.