Bob Etheridge Altercation With "Student" Caught on Tape, Goes Viral (Outrage! MSM Attacks Victims)

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[jessduntno]

Democratic Rep. Bob Ethridge of North Carolina lost his cool on camera in a video that is making the rounds of the conservative blogosphere today.

Ethridge was walking down the street when he was approached by a pair of camera-wielding questioners.

As one asks if Ethridge "fully supports the Obama agenda," a visibly agitated Ethridge asks, "Who are you?" He repeats the question and appears to slam the camera with his hand.

In the edited video, which you can watch above, Ethridge is then shown holding the wrist of one of the questioners and repeatedly asking him to identify himself.

The two people will only identify as students and say they are "just here for a project." In the video, the face of the student in the shot with Ethridge is blurred.

"I have a right to know who you are," the congressman says, holding one man's arm. The pair refuse to tell him where they are from and repeat that "all we are is students."

Ethridge then grabs one of the self-identified students by the neck and pulls him next to him, apparently so that his face will appear on camera.

Ethridge apologized for his actions in a statement Monday.

"I deeply and profoundly regret my reaction and I apologize to all involved," he said. "Throughout my many years of service to the people of North Carolina, I have always tried to treat people from all viewpoints with respect. No matter how intrusive and partisan our politics can become, this does not justify a poor response. I have and I will always work to promote a civil public discourse."

You can see what appear to be the two unedited videos here. In comments on that site and others, commenters are calling on Ethridge to be charged with assault.

[JRandomFreeper]

The kids should have ID’d themselves

There is NO requirement for the kids to ID themselves. None. That's statist bull-shit.

/johnny

[Truth29]

When he grabbed the kids neck, the Congressman had already committed assault. A quick response would have only been self defense.

[TYVets]

The kid should have said, “Joe the Plumber.”

His records have already been picked over.

You have a quick mind, a great answer!

I definitely have that one saved to my minds hard drive.

[Nervous Tick]

I always thought I has political skillz... but yours are clearly superior! :-)

[thethirddegree]

Etheridge is going to get his ass kicked all over NC over this.

[The KG9 Kid]

... and Democrats are howling over 'felony charges' one state away that Alvin Greene of North Carolina showed a picture of a stripper to a college student.

Why, the charges alone invalidate Greene's candidacy for Democratic senator, they shout!

What's worse? Assaulting a college student or showing them a dirty picture?

[RexBeach]

On the contrary, if you are proposing to ask questions of a public official ,or anyone for that matter, you should always ID yourself while you’re putting the camera in his kisser.

Even the best and worst of ambush reporters do this.

I know. I used to do it - here in DC. :)

[Deb]

Apparently Democrats are comfortable with their Representatives assaulting them. Jim "Wife-Beater" Moran "roughed up" an 8 year old black kid and it was no problemo.

They only get annoyed when terrorists are man-handled or threatened with insects.

[FrankR]

Actually, the Congressman is in "deep and profound" $#!+ right now.

Insofar as the MSM (obama's stenographers), they are not the Supreme Court of free speech in this country; "freedom of the press" was added to prevent another instance of the government owning and dictating what the press could print back in merry olde England, but ironically, we're back there again...same stuff, different time.

Actually, to the people (you know the ones who consume their garbage and buy from their advertisers), they have become such a joke - a fraud - that they will never again regain the status they once held.

Never before have the people yeilded such power themselves. One viral email can reach more people in a week than all of the networks and newspapers combined...THAT'S PRESS POWER.

The people have become the new "fourth estate", and rightly so.

Sure, the MSM is jacked out of joint because "commoners" are doing their job that they slept through journalism class to get...but for their support of this administration, socialism, and democrats, I hope they all end up in the unemployment line.

[Lazamataz]

We Gnomes know EVERYTHING about politicks!

[Hoodat]

One encouraging item here in the first sentence:

Democratic Rep. Bob Ethridge of North Carolina lost his cool on camera in a video that is making the rounds of the conservative blogosphere today.

(Translation: We were forced to acknowledge right away that Ethridge is a Democrat because of the immense popularity of the Conservative blogosphere. Only a few years ago, we could have easily gotten away with omitting his party affiliation, or possibly falsely stating that he was a Republican.)

[Bob]

In the original headline, was the word Student enclosed in 'scare quotes'? Has there been any indication that he was something other than a student?

[Huck]

I don't see any attack on the "student." I think it's fair to put student in quotes, a)because it IS a direct quote of how the person identified himself, and B) it has not been confirmed.

The breitbart reference is factual, and pretty straight. Doesn't say "conservative blog" or "right wing website". Doesn't cast any aspersions. The "student" might have been a subversive for all we know.

[KevinB]

For what it's worth, assault is creating the fear of an unwanted touching (a threat, actual or implied) while battery is the actual unwanted touching. Assault can happen without battery, but it's unusual for battery to happen without assault. So this guy is potentially guilty/liable for criminal and civil assault and battery (as well as false imprisonment for holding the guy against his will).

Most people get the assault/battery distinction wrong because reporters routinely say assault when they should say battery or assault and battery.

[Huck]

I think it’s in quotes because it’s a quote. The person identified himself only as a “student.” However, that has yet to be confirmed. So they can’t say he was a student—they haven’t confirmed it. They can refer to him as a “student”, because that’s quoting the individual.

[kcvl]

"I deeply and profoundly regret my reaction and I apologize to all involved," he said. "Throughout my many years of service to the people of North Carolina, I have always tried to treat people from all viewpoints with respect. No matter how intrusive and partisan our politics can become, this does not justify a poor response. I have and I will always work to promote a civil public discourse."

What a LIAR! He just got caught acting like the thug he is!

[Parley Baer]

Looks like the dimoKKKRATS are a little touchy these days. No job in Mudville with Obama in charge.

[Lazamataz]

The kids should have ID’d themselves....

I remember Germany in the late 1930's - early 1940's, too!

[Parley Baer]

job=joy

[Truth29]

Thanks for the distinction. Assault and battery committed by the Congressman would have strengthened any defense of a physical response by the student.