Althouse: I've been avoiding writing about this person lately.

September 17, 2008

I've been avoiding writing about this person lately.

But I want to flag this current story.

Click the tag for old posts about him. I haven't been publicizing his run for Congress.

29 comments:

Simon said...: Can't say that it surprises me. This is the same guy who wrote a raving piece in some Madison newspaper threatening the media with the gallows for their complicity in Bush's crimes. Unhinged, and given to a violent streak? Doesn't surprise me. If he gets more than about six votes I'll be very disappointed.; 9/17/08, 8:20 AM
froggyprager said...: I know why you want to avoid it, I put one or two small post on my blog (which no one reads) about this topic and got several worrisome comments on there. Listen to the This American Life episode called The Spokesman http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1254 It includes an interview with a woman who was on the subway during the London bombings and her blog about it. Wow.; 9/17/08, 8:21 AM
The Drill SGT said...: “When Dr. Barrett is cleared, he will be hailed as a hero who beat the system.

wow, everything is about the Fascists and their police state :)

Even his wife is part of the conspiracy to silence our hero; 9/17/08, 8:23 AM
John said...: Barrett, tired from a long day of traveling, allegedy struck their son ...

Is it common for the Cardinal to provide excuses for abusive behavior?; 9/17/08, 8:26 AM
MadisonMan said...: It's curious that they don't give his party affiliation. I can figure out he's not a Democrat, as he's running against Ron Kind. But other than that...?

Aaah.. Google says libertarian.; 9/17/08, 8:35 AM
Palladian said...: "Aaah.. Google says libertarian."

Which in American political parlance seems to translate: too fucking nuts for a real political party.; 9/17/08, 8:39 AM
AlphaLiberal said...: I'll avoid writing about him, too. As well as traffic accidents and certain relatives.

Hey, Ann, I nominate this video for your review.

And, Bush has brought socialism has arrived in America! We all own a piece of AIG!; 9/17/08, 8:40 AM
Peter V. Bella said...: Barrett, tired from a long day of traveling, allegedy struck their son because their two children failed to lower the TV volume, the complaint said.

Rolf Lindgren, Barrett’s spokesperson, said Bellouchi’s allegations appear to be a publicity stunt.

Lindgren said he believes Bellouchi filed the report in an effort to draw media attention to her husband.

The old long day of traveling excuse for domestic violence. Spokesweasel says it is all a publicity stunt. Hmmmm. I guess she had the protective order, with no contact, in place as a publicity stunt too.

Is there some group of lawyers and public relations people who get paid to provide excuses for wife and child beaters, especially if they are public figures or lightening rods? It seems the excuses are too well prepared and scripted.

“The [fill in the blank] is responsible for my client’s violent behavior. My client is a peace loving man who was thrown over the edge by [abuse excuse here].”

As to his heroic beating of the system; OJ beat the system too.; 9/17/08, 8:40 AM
Meade said...: "Allegedly" striking his son = abuse?

I suspect his wife is trying to set herself up in a favorable position for a probable contested divorce by filing the restraining order. I wouldn't be surprised if Barrett knew nothing about the order.

Just because he's a truther nut doesn't mean he deserves to be railroaded.; 9/17/08, 8:46 AM
Palladian said...: Railroading is too soft of a punishment for truthers.; 9/17/08, 8:50 AM
Meade said...: Truth is, these days, plenty of disrespectful 14 year-old boys are not getting the kick in the ass they deserve because they are being overprotected by their mommies.; 9/17/08, 8:54 AM
Meade said...: It's actually a passive form of abuse, part of the feminization of males in our society - adolescent boys with no male father figures to bump up against and teach them boundaries, respect, and how to grow up to be strong self-disciplined adult men.; 9/17/08, 9:08 AM
Palladian said...: These days, plenty of disrespectful 49 year-old ex-UWM lecturers and conspiracy-theorizing publicity whores are not getting the kick in the ass they deserve either.; 9/17/08, 9:08 AM
Palladian said...: "adolescent boys with no male father figures to bump up against and teach them boundaries, respect, and how to grow up to be strong self-disciplined adult men."

And you think Kevin Barrett is a good example of a boundary-respecting, strong, self-disciplined adult man for his son? Scary.; 9/17/08, 9:10 AM
Tibore said...: "“When Dr. Barrett is cleared, he will be hailed as a hero who beat the system."

From what we see in the story, the system's not the only thing he's beating. :-/

And seriously, Mr. Lindgren, Barrett spokesperson: This attempt to paint a marginalized personality with delusions of grandeur as some sort of hero are pitiful. Give it up.; 9/17/08, 9:19 AM
Meade said...: Palladian, I don't know Barrett. He may be a terrible parent for all I know. I do think he deserves the presumption of innocence regarding the child abuse allegations. All I'm trying to suggest is that this case may be more complex than it appears.; 9/17/08, 9:24 AM
KCFleming said...: "We hope the media does not fall for this cheap publicity stunt by Dr. Barrett’s wife," dais his lawyer.

Sssooo, she is part of the vast conspiracy as well.

It's all connected. I'll bet she has a thermite underwire bra, too.

Anyway, I can see that Barrett has taken the teachings of Islam to heart, and proudly practices what he preaches.; 9/17/08, 9:25 AM
MadisonMan said...: I agree with Meade. It's very easy to knock Barrett for his publicly-stated views on 9/11. His lunatic publicly-stated views.

But when it comes to what's going on inside his house -- or his wife's house where he apparently is not supposed to be -- it's very unclear what is going on and judgement should be withheld.

I'm curious though -- not curious enough to look it up -- where he's living, if he's running for the 3rd district and his wife/kids are living in the 2nd.; 9/17/08, 9:47 AM
Crimso said...: "Truth is, these days, plenty of disrespectful 14 year-old boys are not getting the kick in the ass they deserve because they are being overprotected by their mommies."

He should have tased him.; 9/17/08, 10:23 AM
Tibore said...: All right. Good point Meade. Even reprehensible people deserve the full protection of the law and presumption of innocence. You're absolutely right about that.

On the other hand, I'm still disgusted by the bombast his spokesperson demonstrated. "A hero who beat the system"? This is a domestic dispute, not "The Man" oppressing him. That very same system is what's demanding proof of the accusation he faces, and will be the same system that protects him should it be found that the charges are false. It's silly, fantasy-prone bombast to make this out as some sort of fight against "the system".; 9/17/08, 10:35 AM
Anonymous said...: Fatwa against Fatna; 9/17/08, 10:41 AM
bearbee said...: Appears wifey has a history of abuse charges.

Barrett calls charge that he struck his son '100 percent false'

Barrett said he has no previous criminal convictions, but his wife has faced abuse charges twice.

A review of Wisconsin's online court records finds two misdemeanor criminal counts of disorderly conduct filed in 2005 and 2006 against Barrett's wife. One involved incidents with Barrett and another involved a third person.

Kids are in the middle.; 9/17/08, 10:50 AM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/17/08, 11:05 AM
Anonymous said...: The Sharia Law experiment in the Barrett household appears not to be working satisfactorily.

As for the son - maybe he simply said 'Dad, shut up about 9/11 already'.; 9/17/08, 11:06 AM
bearbee said...: Is the law such that if a parent hits a child, that parent can be charged with abuse?

Doesn't the striking have to meet a certain level of violence to qualify as abuse?; 9/17/08, 11:14 AM
KCFleming said...: Doesn't the striking have to meet a certain level of violence to qualify as abuse?

Barrett's a Marxist and apologist for Islam. he can't use such exculpatory reasoning.; 9/17/08, 12:22 PM
blake said...: Regardless of the facts of the case, I just wanted to point out that:

Just because he's a truther nut doesn't mean he deserves to be railroaded.

No, not deserves, but there is a sort of poetic justice to it.; 9/17/08, 2:35 PM
Kirk Parker said...: "I'll bet she has a thermite underwire bra, too."

Gives new meaning to the phrase "hot date".; 9/17/08, 11:18 PM
Kirk Parker said...: ... not to mention, "blonde bombshell".; 9/17/08, 11:41 PM