Rep. Bob Etheridge, the Democrat from North Carolina who voted to ban gay marriage at the federal level, also voted against gay D.C. residents’ right to adopt children. He should’ve focused his attention on voting down battery laws in the nation’s capital, because it appears that’s exactly what he’s guilty of.
MAYBE! Because really, who are these “college students” uploading this video to YouTube without any description or identification? And with all those cut-away scenes, it’s hard to tell how much editing was done with the clip. I’m remaining cautiously skeptical about this one. But yeah, Etheridge still comes off looking like a jerk.
Update: The congressman has apologized.
ron
I hope this goes viral. The congressman is a total asshole.
Willhelmina
Maybe later on he´ll hire the guy as his personal assistant…who knows…
Mike in Asheville, nee "in Brooklyn"
Are there real stories about the gay/lesbian community to write about instead of orchestrated “news” events of rightwing nutjobs v. democrat nutjob?
With all the editing, who knows what the fuck happened. With the record level of hate mail and death threats from teabaggers against members of the house and Senate who voted for health care reform, it sure looks more likely as a case of self-defense and assault.
But the real question is, what is going on in the Argentine Senate as it debated marriage equality; what is the status of US State Dept. intervention in the arrest and murder of gay Iraqis; which party is worse: the Repugnicans who legislate away our rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness OR Demoncrats who take our money and do nothing to stop discrimination against our civil rights?
Mike in Asheville, nee "in Brooklyn"
Sorry for the typos; this so-called story really pisses me off when there are real stories about real issues to post.
whatever
“Because really, who are these “college students” uploading this video to YouTube without any description or identification?”
One of Andrew Breitbart’s flunkies. If you practiced actual journalism, you would know this.
Kieran
The outrageously incriminating tape footage not withstanding, let’s not forget that this extremely creepy person is a sitting Democratic congressman so he deserves a pass from our “community” no?
Aaron in Honolulu
Our tax dollars support this jerk and he couldn’t give the time of day to talk to a student; a member of the public. As a person elected by “the people” to represent “the people” he should expect to be approached all the time.
Jesse Helms
Who knows if Etheridge was set up or not. As a politician, however, he is a public figure. He should have had what they call “media training” in which he would’ve been taught to behave *at all times* in public as if a camera were pointed at him.
WhoAreYou?
He was probably worried they were GetEqual’s radical socialist misfits. He expected to be tazed of peppersprayed any second. Washington is nervously on edge fearing the wrath of the LGBT-fringe.
Storm
Media training, phooey. Looks like he had some nice martial arts training. Quick wrist-grab, knock away the weapon, control the attacker, and disorient with shouting. A pair of strangers jump at you when you’re alone on a street, shove an unknown object in your face and violate your space bubble – hell yeah, you react and worry about your “image” later. Especially in an environment where right-wing wackos are posting targets on your face and flying airplanes into government buildings. I’ve no great respect for Etheridge – but I’ve got less respect for so-called ambush journalists, especially ones who don’t identify themselves.