Congressman Wolf's Henchmen

It appears as if Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) just had his Macaca moment -- sort of -- but worse.

Staffers from Judy Feder's campaign were assaulted when attempting to ask Mr. Wolf a simple question. Mr. Wolf stood by idly and did nothing.

See the full story at Raising Kaine.

Comments

[racketmensch]

I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that I have supported Wolf in the past (circa mid-90's) but his vote for the Billionaire Bailout, on top of his support for Bush's undeclared and unconstitutional wars has really driven me to the other side. Although I'm a conservative leaning independent, I'm happy to see these fossilized phoneys swept out. My own representative, Tom Davis saw the hand-writing and didn't even bother running, saying that the Republican "brand" has lost it's shelf appeal. No kidding, genius, I wonder why that happened. Now they can take their generous pensions and go work directly for the same defense contractors and money men they've served so well on the taxpayers dime. If you want to help show more of these pimps to the exit, check out the Constituent Response Team at http://www.constituentresponse.com/

[Kindheart]

Bye, bye Mr. Wolf. You do not deserve to represent anybody in VA. I hope the people in your district have the guts to vote you out.

[John Bruhns - Huffpost Blogger]

Kindheart,

Thank you for your comment :-)

V/R
John

[rch427]

Correction: should read

"2. Do you think it's appropriate to follow / lead people around with A VIDEO CAMERA in their face..."

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

If he/she is an elected official, you betcha!

If he/she is a private citizen, no. Please pass this on to your Pals at Faux Noise.

[John Bruhns - Huffpost Blogger]

LiarLiarIr­aqsOnFire,

I agree,

V/R
John

[rch427]

Before everyone gets worked up into a lather, 2 simple questions:

1. Did you see an "assault" in this video? Because _I_ sure didn't, and I can't imagine any law enforcement officer, judge or jury seeing one either.

2. Do you think it's appropriate to follow / lead people around with in their face, if you expect to be respected enough to get an answer to a question? I certainly don't. Like it or not, Wolf has no obligation whatsoever to respond to any question, much less be hounded into answering in this manner.

It's knee-jerk reactionary whining like this that just brings us down to the right-wing, neo-con level. Let's try to raise the discourse, rather than practicing "gotcha" journalism, then crying about the slightest affront, shall we?

[peacebypiece]

No I did not see the assault, but I DID read the article linked to this video. Did YOU??

[rch427]

"No I did not see the assault, but I DID read the article linked to this video. Did YOU??"

Of course I did. The article reads "Two different individuals who were accompanying Congressman Wolf assaulted the Feder staffers, as you can see quite clearly in the video." But you CAN'T SEE ANY SUCH THING in the video. All you can see (other than Wolf's mug and his two companions) is one person standing against a wall, with two men standing in front of them, the closer one with his hand raised in a "hold on" gesture. "Assaulted"? Nope. Nor can you hear anyone being assaulted; just an argument.

The article claims that one of the Feder staffers was "hit with a cane and then punched". If they were assaulted thus, I'm sure that they went to the hospital and took photos of their injuries, right? I presume that they filed charges against the assailant(s), right? That corroborative information is exactly what they should be posting.

I mean, c'mon -- just a few days ago, we had a McCain supporter claiming that she was mugged, assaulted and disfigured by an Obama supporter. Does it not occur to you that we need a LITTLE higher standard of evidence to support the claims of assault than one person's claim? To see everyone here jump on the "victim bandwagon" without the slightest evidence suggests that we've learned NOTHING. We're just setting ourselves up for having this thrown back in our faces.

[John Bruhns - Huffpost Blogger]

peacebypiece,

Wolf's people should know better than to smack cameras out of people's hands. Thank you for the reply -- sincerely.

V/R
John

[BBackSoon]

So elected officials have no obligation to answer questions? When did this happen?

[rch427]

"So elected officials have no obligation to answer questions? When did this happen?"

OF COURSE they don't! What dream world do you live in?! If a person with a camera had approached Bill Clinton (whom I voted for, twice) and asked "President Clinton, are you having sexual relations with anyone other than your wife, while in the White House?", would Clinton have been obliged to answer?

There is a time and place for asking questions. It is not at the question-asker's discretion. The cameraman even says in the video that Wolf is unlikely to answer his questions, but that doesn't keep him from getting in Wolf's face.

Look: I want Wolf to lose this election to Feder as much as the next guy. But this is just obnoxious paparazzi activity, together with a victim complex. It doesn't produce anything useful and it won't help Feder win.

[John Bruhns - Huffpost Blogger]

BBackSoon,

They do indeed.

V/R
John

[ProFromOre]

There is only one way to stop this type of behavior: file charges. My God, you have the evidence on tape. At no time did you act out of line and at no time did they ask you to leave.

You can be damn sure if you knocked one of them on their ass after they hit you, they'd be filing charges in a nano-sec. We all have to learn top follow through with things if we are to wrest our country back from the criminals.

[rch427]

"My God, you have the evidence on tape. "

Except, of course, that they DON'T. There is zero evidence of assault on that videotape.

[ched]

Actually, there's more than enough to put the question to a jury or judge: was the cameraman assaulted? On top of that, you'd have the camera man's testimony, which is also evidence. Let them deny it if they wish, and let the judge or jury decide.

[John Bruhns - Huffpost Blogger]

ProFromOre,

I agree 150%

V/R
John

[Pdubya]

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable­." John F. Kennedy

[Chironomid]

These people like to talk tough on war, terrorism, etc., but are petrified with fear at simple questions and accountability.

[John Bruhns - Huffpost Blogger]

Chironomid,

Absolutely. They're petrified. But not so when they send our kids off to be killed needlessly.

V/R
John

[LanguagePolice]

"Republicans are bullies! This assault proves it."

I don't like this any more than you do, but this is the same kind of over-generalized polemic labeling that we see Republicans doing. "Obama pals around with terrorists­." "He's leading us toward Communism. Fallacious logic. Overly broad generalization. "Obama is a Muslim".

I seriously hope that there is a massive Democrat victory, not only with the Presidency, but in both houses of Congress and at the state and local level.

But please. Maybe I should be the "Illogical­Overgenera­lzationPol­ice" too.

[John Bruhns - Huffpost Blogger]

LanguagePolice,

And when there is a massive Dem victory, the hard-line right will only have themselves to blame for the damage they inflicted.

V/R
John

[GodBlessAmerica]

Yawn ... sorry, but from where this Hollywood boy stands, this guy was nothing but a papparazzi rat. He's still standing, too -- this was nothing.

C'mon, there's no reason for this obnoxious behavior.

[weatherwaxx]

Lawmakers allowing their thugs to break the laws against assault -- that's nothing?

How can you call yourself "God Bless America" when you blow off behavior that strikes at the rule of law that keeps this country functional?

If it becomes okay for politicians to beat up members of the free press -- which, we know, was done in 04 at the RNC in New York and the 08 RNC in Minneapolis, then we're letting the neocons turn the US into a 3rd-world banana republic -- rule of thugs.

Only the thugs themselves, and their integrity-free owners, could possibly approve of that.

[rch427]

weatherwaxx: please point out the exact time in the video where you saw anyone "break the laws against assault" or "beat up members of the free press". Because again -- I can see no such thing.

Let's not be the party that cried Wolf, OK?

[John Bruhns - Huffpost Blogger]

weatherwaxx,

Thank you for speaking truth to power.

V/R
John

[RobinLandseadel]

Rickie Lee Jones: Tell Somebody (Repeal the Patriot act Now)

not long ago it was alright
there were no bad dreams that
kept me up at night
it was not brother against brother
mother against mother

so tell somebody,
you've got to tell somebody
tell somebody what happened in the usa

now they want us to just get in line
behind a president
when you know they spent milions of dollars
condemning and accusing
the last one from the other side

tell somebody, tell somebody
tell somebody
what's happening in the usa?
tell somebody, tell somebody
tell somebody
what happened in the usa

tell somebody, tell
somebody, tell somebody..­.

i want to know how far you will go
to protect our right of free speech?
because it only took a moment
before it faded out of reach...

oh, tell somebody, tell sombody right now
tell somebody
what happened in the usa?
i wanna read about it in the news
i wanna hear about it on tv, yeah
what happened in the usa?
when they ask you
what happened in the usa?
tell sombody.
they'll wanna know, oh people

the depth of our democracy
is only as good as the voices
of protest she protects
voices of protest - rise!

[cowboyjerkface]

That is simple assault and people need to start filing criminal charges against these bullies! They are not above the law regardless of being under the guise of "politics"­...assault is assault and rape is rape (Can you hear that Haliburton)

[realvirginian]

Please donate to Mrs. Feder!!

I have had personal dealings with Mr. Wolf in a dispute with a government agency. It literally took dozens of emails and phone calls over the course of multiple months for his office to finally send me an email.

Please give to her as we all gave to Tinklenberg.

[John Bruhns - Huffpost Blogger]

realvirginian,

I agree. I had a meeting in the summer of 2007 regarding the surge in Iraq with one of Wolf's staffers. She was totally unqualified to speak on the issue -- her answer was ISG to every question I asked. As an Iraq veteran, it more than insulted my intelligence.

V/R
John

[FlamingLibrul]

Absolutely disgraceful. I hope this wolf in "Moderate Republican" clothing is voted out the door by 'Real' Virginians.

[John Bruhns - Huffpost Blogger]

FlamingLibrul,

Me too.

V/R
John

[prcleburne]

Please let us know the follow up to this disgraceful episode : who is responsible, whether criminal charges are made , lawsuits filed, etc. There must be a response to this outrage.

[John Bruhns - Huffpost Blogger]

prcleburne,

Will do -- for sure.

V/R
John

[Danny]

Republicans are bullies! This assault proves it. I hope this is the end of Congressman Frank Wolf's political career. Soon-to-be Congresswoman Judy Feder , is a classy lady, who would be a great improvement over this ... ?/&@$*&^#!! (I think I mean dinosaur).

[John Bruhns - Huffpost Blogger]

Danny,

I echo your comment.

V/R
John

[Pdubya]

Welcome to the police state, John.

Have you seen what Adam Kokesh and company has been subject to lately?

[peacebypiece]

Pdubya,

Will you link us to what you are referring? I am very interested.

Thanks

[Pdubya]

sure, give me a minute...t­hanks.

[John Bruhns - Huffpost Blogger]

Pdubya,

Always good to hear your perspective. Please send the link.

V/R
John

[Pdubya]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4un9lejuMo (1st of 12)

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-115455

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exeXzfsZB7E



some additional police state subjects:

http://kstp.com/article/stories/S627869.shtml?cat=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyCeeA_rqvU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7Ktjta-URY

Thanks for allowing me to post these John. We must continue to educate our veterans. They've been locked and loaded and we need them on our side.

v/r

pdubya