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Etheridge caught in on-camera confrontation

independent_thinker2002 said:
No, it doesn't mitigate it either. He's a Congressman. This goes with the territory.
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The territory being: Outside the Capitol, a CNN reporter with credentials waves you over, saying: MAY we have a word? MAY we have a quick comment?

Students? Contact the congressman's office first via letter or phone.

Also, after the first edit, the Congressman is saying "thank you." what did they say to him? Then the camera is right in his face. Why?

a) because all professional interviews are conducted at that distance??
b) To further provoke him and hopefully get a reaction you can put on Youtube (after blurring your own faces out)
 
alms said:
Redress,

I'm starting to think that maybe hazlnut isn't really a liberal at all. I think he or she just might be posing as one in order to make you guys look angry and unstable.
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Welcome to DP - btw...:peace
 
hazlnut said:
Welcome to DP - btw...
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Thank you. Now, perhaps you could actually answer my question or make an attempt to address my post. I'm not here to exchange pleasantries with people who make it a point to be unpleasant.
 
hazlnut said:
The territory being: Outside the Capitol, a CNN reporter with credentials waves you over, saying: MAY we have a word? MAY we have a quick comment?

Students? Contact the congressman's office first via letter or phone.

Also, after the first edit, the Congressman is saying "thank you." what did they say to him? Then the camera is right in his face. Why?

a) because all professional interviews are conducted at that distance??
b) To further provoke him and hopefully get a reaction you can put on Youtube (after blurring your own faces out)
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You can try to paint the congressman as a victim but no one is going to buy it. Not even his peers.
 
hazlnut said:
The territory being: Outside the Capitol, a CNN reporter with credentials waves you over, saying: MAY we have a word? MAY we have a quick comment?

Students? Contact the congressman's office first via letter or phone.

Also, after the first edit, the Congressman is saying "thank you." what did they say to him? Then the camera is right in his face. Why?

a) because all professional interviews are conducted at that distance??
b) To further provoke him and hopefully get a reaction you can put on Youtube (after blurring your own faces out)
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These are the facts though:

#1 It is not illegal to be a dick
#2 It is illegal for someone to assault another person just because the other person is being a dick.

There is no mitigation, I've seen rock stars act more professional with the paparazzi then this congressman.
 
hazlnut said:
Students? Contact the congressman's office first via letter or phone.
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Perhaps you could tell us what the likelyhood of two students getting an interview with a Congressman actually is.

Bad news: They spend most of their time with lobbyists.
 
independent_thinker2002 said:
You can try to paint the congressman as a victim but no one is going to buy it. Not even his peers.
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Did I say victim?

Not a victim at all.

But I like the way he handled the little ****s and I hope he doesn't catch too much flack over it.

That way the video is shot (close ups) and edited (re-showing certain parts over and over) I'm sure this won't go away fast.

Legitimate news organizations won't show this without knowing the boys names and school. And hopefully asking for a copy of the full video.

What does the kid have in his hand?
 
Alastor said:
Perhaps you could tell us what the likelyhood of two students getting an interview with a Congressman actually is.
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Are you kidding? A well-written letter outlining the specifics of the interview and asking for no more than 5 minutes... Very likely.

Bad news: They spend most of their time with lobbyists.
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Not all of them.
 
hazlnut said:
Did I say victim?

Not a victim at all.

But I like the way he handled the little ****s and I hope he doesn't catch too much flack over it.

That way the video is shot (close ups) and edited (re-showing certain parts over and over) I'm sure this won't go away fast.

Legitimate news organizations won't show this without knowing the boys names and school. And hopefully asking for a copy of the full video.

What does the kid have in his hand?
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He should have walked away. It could have been that Acorn Pimp guy and he still should have walked away. He didn't need to grab the kid.

Unless you are saying that you are glad the congressman looked like an ass...
 
hazlnut said:
I was waiting for someone to make the Micheal Moore comparison. Let's look at how Moore approaches people on the street.

"Hello Congressman, I'm Michael Moore, can we ask you a question?" -- He does this rarely, most of his interviews are scheduled and shot in an office.
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Bull**** Moore conducts street interviews and busts into peoples offices unanounced all the time.
 
hazlnut said:
Tucker, put it all in context.

the climate in DC, you're walking alone, two boys approach you and shove a camera in your face, asking teabag questions...

Not justified... but mitigates.
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I disagree. Now if they had actually tried to teabag the Congressman, then the amount of force he used would have been justified.

Had they tried to teabag him and he used lethal force, I would say that it wasn't necessarily justified, but certainly mitigated.
 
TheNextEra said:
These are the facts though:

#1 It is not illegal to be a dick
#2 It is illegal for someone to assault another person just because the other person is being a dick.

There is no mitigation, I've seen rock stars act more professional with the paparazzi then this congressman.
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Again, since we can't see the full video... we can only go on what was on the edited youtube video...

I've looked at this thing a few times, there's a huge chunk missing...

He overreacted, but I'm glad he did it in a way that no one got hurt. (except their pride)
 
hazlnut said:
When the congressman asked these shinning examples of conservatism, "Who are you?" "What school?" What did these respectful lads say? NOTHING.

(keep in mind there are several cuts, edits, where we don't know what he else said or asked, but he asked them who they were with before grabbing them)

And why did they blur out their faces? Don't these respectful little boys want us to know who they are?
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What if they weren't from any school what if they were bloggers what if they were just some kids with a camera? Is there something wrong with citizen journalism? This sorry excuse for a congressman works for the people not the other way around he works for them and don't you ****ing forget it.
 
Agent Ferris said:
Bull**** Moore conducts street interviews and busts into peoples offices unanounced all the time.
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I guess you've never seen his movies. There's a few street interviews. But I've never seen him 'bust' in someone's office.

Take a lesson from Moore, if you're going to spin, stick close to the truth...
 
hazlnut said:
I guess you've never seen his movies. There's a few street interviews. But I've never seen him 'bust' in someone's office.

Take a lesson from Moore, if you're going to spin, stick close to the truth...
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Go back to his first movie. He was ejected from an office building in it. He really did come off looking like a dick at that point.
 
hazlnut said:
Are you kidding? A well-written letter outlining the specifics of the interview and asking for no more than 5 minutes... Very likely.
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Have you ever worked in a Congressional office? The chance that two kids will get a videotaped interview with a random Congressman is roughly 0%.

hazlnut said:
That way the video is shot (close ups) and edited (re-showing certain parts over and over) I'm sure this won't go away fast.

Legitimate news organizations won't show this without knowing the boys names and school. And hopefully asking for a copy of the full video.
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Bob Etheridge Altercation With "Student" Caught on Tape, Goes Viral - Political Hotsheet - CBS News

msnbc.com Video Player

Video: Congressman Clashes with College Student - The Note

N.C. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D) Apologizes For Outburst Capured On Camera : NPR

Etheridge, Caught on Video, Apologizes - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com

Rep. Bob Etheridge apologizes 'profoundly' for actions [Video] | D.C. Now | Los Angeles Times

Does that about cover it?
 
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Agent Ferris said:
Is there something wrong with citizen journalism?
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Jesus, where do I start...

The problem with the internet is this: When some no-talent hack writes a screenplay or a book and posts it on the internet, they get ignored because most of us know real authors and filmmakers have their work published and produced.... But Michele Michelle Malkin has a website. Any jagoff with a computer can start a blog. That doesn't make you a journalist.

Reporting the news takes practice. Not everybody can do it.

Now, if you have no desire to be objective -- don't call yourself a journalist. Because you're not.
 
RightinNYC said:
You're absolutely right that it could be argued that they assaulted him.

You'd be wrong, but you could argue it.
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Give hazlnut a break. He's once again protecting his own, and he's once again backed himself into a corner.
 
hazlnut said:
That should be the end of it, right there. 'Sorry, boys, I lost my cool. Come by the office and I'll give you 2 minutes.' Bam. Done.

But no-oooo Fox and Druge are going to have a field day blowing this wa-aaay out of proportion. (as the partisan far-righties have already done here)
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How does a generic apology absolve him of wrongdoing? He can apologize until he's blue in the face, but it doesn't change the fact that he acted inappropriately.
 
hazlnut said:
Jesus, where do I start...

The problem with the internet is this: When some no-talent hack writes a screenplay or a book and posts it on the internet, they get ignored because most of us know real authors and filmmakers have their work published and produced.... But Michele Michelle Malkin has a website. Any jagoff with a computer can start a blog. That doesn't make you a journalist.

Reporting the news takes practice. Not everybody can do it.

Now, if you have no desire to be objective -- don't call yourself a journalist. Because you're not.
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So in other words you don't feel that the average citizen has the right to question their elected officials and not only that, but asking questions of your leaders is tantamount to assault and punishable by physical violence. I'm sure you would have made a good SA recruit. Seig Heil.
 
Dr_Patrick said:
How does a generic apology absolve him of wrongdoing? He can apologize until he's blue in the face, but it doesn't change the fact that he acted inappropriately.
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I say we give the blue face thing a try. :mrgreen:
 
hazlnut said:
Jesus, where do I start...

The problem with the internet is this: When some no-talent hack writes a screenplay or a book and posts it on the internet, they get ignored because most of us know real authors and filmmakers have their work published and produced.... But Michele Michelle Malkin has a website. Any jagoff with a computer can start a blog. That doesn't make you a journalist.

Reporting the news takes practice. Not everybody can do it.

Now, if you have no desire to be objective -- don't call yourself a journalist. Because you're not.
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Well, it took a bunch of jagoffs to "discover" that Dan Rather and company had forged a document in Microsoft Word and tried to pass it as authentic.

Your ideal "journalists" are so in bed with you and yourn that objectivity is a inconvenient nuisanace to be ignored at every turn.
 
Dr_Patrick said:
How does a generic apology absolve him of wrongdoing? He can apologize until he's blue in the face, but it doesn't change the fact that he acted inappropriately.
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I wish we'd do away with these political apologies altogether. If you said, or did it, then own it and take the heat. Save us with your "I'm sorry I got caught" meaningless diatribes.
 
hazlnut said:
I guess you've never seen his movies. There's a few street interviews. But I've never seen him 'bust' in someone's office.

Take a lesson from Moore, if you're going to spin, stick close to the truth...
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pfft, Michael Moore busted into the K-Mart offices to try to get refunds on the bullets that were in two kids from Columbine who he had brought with him. These kids asked a simple question from a public servant on a public sidewalk. But you're right there really is no comparison, Michael Moore is a gotcha ambush yellow journalist, and the students in the video are serious journalists.
 
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