Althouse: "Wise-cracking funnyman Al Franken yesterday body-slammed a demonstrator to the ground after the man tried to shout down Gov. Howard Dean."

May 27, 2017

"Wise-cracking funnyman Al Franken yesterday body-slammed a demonstrator to the ground after the man tried to shout down Gov. Howard Dean."

"The tussle left Franken’s trademark thick-rim glasses broken, but he said he was not injured.... 'I got down low and took his legs out,' said Franken afterwards.... "I’m for freedom of speech, which means people should be able to assemble and speak without being shouted down.'"

"Yesterday" = January 26, 2004.

87 comments:

traditionalguy said...: Franken knew how to do it. He went low and took his kegs out from under him, and then Franken was in control. But "Body Slam" sounds so much more violent.

Media says about a story, " if it slams a body, it leads."; 5/27/17, 9:58 AM
tcrosse said...: Franken was a college wrestler. So was his idol Paul Wellstone.; 5/27/17, 10:00 AM
rcocean said...: In August 2000, Franken challenged Rich Lowry to a fist-fight. It seems Al was full of pent up energy back in the old days.

I found it amusing that the article states Franken sneaked up from behind, and slammed a man to the ground, but the reporter is just interested in whether *Franken* was injured. What about the Heckler?

And he did it for "Free speech?" Couldn't he have just shushed him?; 5/27/17, 10:00 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: If Franken is consistent, he should be showing up at Antifa flag burning/ Trump supporter beat-downs - and doing some un-masking.; 5/27/17, 10:02 AM
Wince said...: Instapundit also linked this video today.

When a Dem Congressman Attacked a Student Journalist, the Media Didn't Bat an Eye; 5/27/17, 10:04 AM
rcocean said...: "Franken was a college wrestler."

He was actually a HS wrestler at Minneapolis' most exclusive Prep school - "Blake".; 5/27/17, 10:05 AM
n.n said...: Franken emerged from the crowd and charged one male protester, grabbing him with a bear hug from behind and slamming him onto the floor.

“I was a wrestler so I used a wrestling move,” Franken said.

He's a professional. Don't try this at home.

BERKELEY PRO-TRUMP RALLY IN CHAOS - ANTIFA CONFRONTS MARCHERS

It was recorded in a foreign nation, where Americans are the minority, alien residents, right?; 5/27/17, 10:10 AM
Darrell said...: Lefties are heroes of the People. They can do no wrong. They can break no laws.; 5/27/17, 10:10 AM
Michael K said...: Just like deBlasio's aide with the kiddie porn, these are just "local" stories., Nothing to see. Move on.; 5/27/17, 10:11 AM
Left Bank of the Charles said...: Can't distinguish slamming a journalist from slamming a LaRoucher? All body slams are equal?; 5/27/17, 10:35 AM
Drago said...: Left Bank of the Charles: "Can't distinguish slamming a journalist from slamming a LaRoucher? All body slams are equal?"

What an absolutely perfect leftist comment.

Perfect.; 5/27/17, 10:40 AM
Darrell said...: Shouting down a Lefty is a serious offense. Shouting down Gov. Walker is truth to power.; 5/27/17, 10:41 AM
Etienne said...: Fran-ken took the victim down from behind. There's -5 points for that. The real way to do it is from the front.

That way the victim hits his head on the floor which knocks him out, and then you can easily snap his ankle.

Both injuries requiring hospitalization, and significant re-evaluation of your political activism.; 5/27/17, 10:47 AM
Anonymous said...: No one should lay their hands on anyone else. Full stop. Violence should not be employed to silence people or even to allow other people to speak.; 5/27/17, 10:53 AM
Darrell said...: The Guardian sent its reporter to Montana to report on the turning of the tide--the day Americs awoke and started sending Democrats to Washington again, the third time being the charm. The narrative of Trump being less popular than spit would be affirmed. The story was already written. A Guardian reporter actually causing the loss would be glorious icing on that glorious cake. Mr. Slip-and-Fall would get "Beet of the Week" for months to come!; 5/27/17, 10:59 AM
n.n said...: Our personal space is growing progressively smaller.; 5/27/17, 11:00 AM
n.n said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/27/17, 11:05 AM
n.n said...: The difference is, of course, that Franken mounted a proactive attack on a perceived threat to freedom of speech.

How did he choose his target?

It's reminiscent of Obama's elective wars.

Similarly, the reporter mounted a proactive provocation through invasion of another person's personal space. I suppose after the reporter failed to respond to "no", the target should have said "no-no", and perhaps squirted him. Down boy!; 5/27/17, 11:07 AM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: "Blogger Left Bank of the Charles said...
Can't distinguish slamming a journalist from slamming a LaRoucher? All body slams are equal?"

Well, let's see, they're American citizens with exactly identical rights. Nope, I can't distinguish. Perhaps you could explain what, under the law, the difference is.

But I doubt it.; 5/27/17, 11:08 AM
Etienne said...: "No one should lay their hands on anyone else."

"the desire of the treacherous is violence." -- Proverbs

The delight of transgressors is violence. That's why they are there. They are daring someone to violence.

The meek walk backwards, the brave and righteous take their transgressors invitation.; 5/27/17, 11:13 AM
Bay Area Guy said...: If the Left didn't have double- standards, they'd have no standards at all.; 5/27/17, 11:19 AM
Fen said...: Hey Inga, how about a full-throated denunciation specifically naming Franken and his fellow democrats?

Haven't you figured out by now that the reason we don't take your outrage seriously is because it's so situational?

Republican strikes protester.
Inga: facism blah blah right wing nazi

Democrat strikes protester
Inga: both sides should respect speech; 5/27/17, 11:27 AM
Fen said...: Franken attacked him from behind? What a cowardly pussy move.; 5/27/17, 11:31 AM
traditionalguy said...: When the oldest son got out of the 82nd, he got the then new Octagon shows on pay per view cable TV, which bragged that their contestants trained in many exotic forms of hand to hand combat and deadly boxing, etc, etc.

After watching an hour, I told him that all the winners ever did was a wrestler's leg take down and control the opponent under them while they beat him with elbows...in other words it was good old fashioned wrestling, the oldest contest known to men.; 5/27/17, 11:32 AM
traditionalguy said...: Hooray for Franken. If the guy did not want to be taken from behind, he should not have turned his back.; 5/27/17, 11:34 AM
bgates said...: Can't distinguish slamming a journalist from slamming a LaRoucher?

Well, I know one involves violence against a crackpot defender of a product of the 60s radical left who claims to no longer be a Marxist but who still wants vastly more government control over the economy.

But what's a LaRoucher?; 5/27/17, 11:40 AM
Unknown said...: Don't forget that Ritmo last night explicitly said left wing violence against "nazi's" is ok.... and who is a Nazi? He named lots of commentators here. In other words anyone he disagrees with.

Right wing "violence?" Beyond the pales of decency! I suppose Ritmo, ARM and the left are a-ok with the attempted murder of Robert Spencer, the head of Jihad Watch, in Iceland by various leftists.

Care to comment on that Inga? It was only poisoning. Against a man who has been very effective at exposing leftist crimes. So it's all ok, right? Just like Breitbart dying... Scalia's death.... Jim Treacher being run over in DC, Seth Rich, etc.

--Vance; 5/27/17, 11:45 AM
alan markus said...: When there is a chance a conservative speaker is going to be shouted down, the crowd should be populated with some burly guys sporting big black rimmed glasses and T-shirts that say "Representing Al Franken". Wearing a diaper would be over the top, though.; 5/27/17, 11:47 AM
Fen said...: Inga?

Chirp. Chirp. Chirp....

You can't do it, can you?; 5/27/17, 11:53 AM
Drago said...: bgates: "But what's a LaRoucher?"

Well, Left Bank probably intends for ""LaRoucher" to mean a "rabid right winger", a "far right right-winger", a "right-winger", someone "right of center", a "neo-con", an "alt-right-er". a conservative, a republican, etc.

Anyone not far left.

Naturally, in reality, LaRouche was a long-time Marxist/Trotskyite guy who only turned against the Soviet Union when he believed he was being targeted by Soviet backed groups within the US.

BTW, the LaRouchies were big advancers of the hilariously false "October Surprise" conspiracy theory against Reagan/HWBush which so many lefties were happy to embrace, like our own Robert Cook.; 5/27/17, 11:54 AM
Jim said...: Body-slamming is like Gerrymandering. Its cool when Democrats do it.; 5/27/17, 11:55 AM
Fen said...: On the heels of Ritmo's confesion that he will punch Nazis in the face, I will admit that Marxists should be shot in the head.

We should meet up.

"Look! The pie!" - Ann, Game of Thrones; 5/27/17, 11:59 AM
Earnest Prole said...: I can't control how the media responds to political violence, but I can control how I respond.; 5/27/17, 12:10 PM
Fen said...: "Be the change you want to be!

I can't control the fire in the kitchen, but I'm building a new room in the east wing. It will be glorious.; 5/27/17, 12:16 PM
Fen said...: "I can't control the fire in the kitchen and the living room but -; 5/27/17, 12:17 PM
Fen said...: I can't control the fire in the kitchen, living room and hallway but the east wing is looking marvelous.

Be the change you want to be!; 5/27/17, 12:19 PM
Nyamujal said...: "Hey, it's OK because this liberal guy did something similar in 2004. Haha, liberal hypocrisy amirite?"
This is pretty much what this blog has turned into.; 5/27/17, 12:21 PM
Thuglawlibrarian said...: It is totally different, he is a Democrat

/sarc; 5/27/17, 12:24 PM
Drago said...: Nyamujal: "This is pretty much what this blog has turned into."

In fairness, there's a helluva lot of liberal hypocrisy to discuss.

I can understand why that upsets those on the left since so much of the lefties time is spent conveniently "forgetting" what happened prior to whatever the latest manufactured lefty outrage happens to be.; 5/27/17, 12:32 PM
Drago said...: BTW, how many protestors have been murdered by the lefties in Venezuela now? It's difficult to keep up with the body count in the Leftist Peoples Paradise there.; 5/27/17, 12:36 PM
Fen said...: NyaSomething: "what this blog has turned into"

That's because you have poor reading skills or are being deliberately dishonest. The response from the right have been:

1) why do you expect us to take your outrage seriously when you don't criticize your own side for doing the same thing,

2) Prisoners Dilema. Our side always keeps our mouth shut (ie renounces violence), your side always rats us out (ie supports violence). We're sick of the double standard, so we're no longer going to police our side. If some want to rat you out, fine by us. We're playing the game by your own rules now from here on out.

And as you may have noticed, we have all the guns.

"I wish you good fortune in the wars to come" - Fenrisulven, Game of; 5/27/17, 12:45 PM
Earnest Prole said...: Underscoring: Commenters endorsing tribal political violence on the right apparently have no idea how dopey they and their mirror-image counterparts on the left sound.; 5/27/17, 12:46 PM
n.n said...: So, personal space is now measured in what, millimeters? Is this a world standard?

Also, when did the meaning of "no" change? Is everything now "no-no", "rape-rape", "baby-baby", etc.?; 5/27/17, 12:52 PM
Fen said...: Because honestly, the only way to get America back on track is to identify all the Marxists, drag them into the street, and shoot them in the face.

We've resisted taking up such extreme measures, but the Left has been encouraging and agitating its Brownshirts to beat down any American who stops clapping.; 5/27/17, 12:58 PM
Yancey Ward said...: No, Nyamujal, we are simply pointing to the hypocrisy and laughing our asses off at you.; 5/27/17, 1:01 PM
Fen said...: Ernie, drop the tu quo's. They make your butt look fat. And you don't want to look silly. Europe might laugh at you.

It's all about self-image with you prople. Even your choice of attack vectors are a tell. The age of narcissism.

Have you ever considered your positions are based solely on what will make you more popular? Like the cheerleader who puts her ankles behind her ears under the bleachers every nigjt. And then wonders why the football team has no respect for her.; 5/27/17, 1:05 PM
Quaestor said...: n.n wrote Our personal space is growing progressively smaller.

By progressive means.; 5/27/17, 1:09 PM
Fen said...: Take a selfie. Pouty face with sign saying

"Political violence makes me sad, even when the Left does it. I'm sorry I was silent for the last 8 years"

Post it all over Twitter and Facebook, and maybe I'll care about your opinion.

And think of all the Virtue Points you'll acumulate! Might even be enough to settle that karmic debt for whatever horrible act you have been compensating for.; 5/27/17, 1:18 PM
Snark said...: While we're comparing 2005 apples to 2017 nectarines, it's kind of amazing to realize that John Dean's run was ended by an over-enthusiastic scream when you consider the crazy looking things Trump did in episodes like the one related to the disabled reporter or Ben Carson. Watching it again for the first time in forever it seems hard to believe now that it was as disqualifying as it was.; 5/27/17, 1:20 PM
Fen said...: "Our personal space is growing progressively smaller and smaller"

Not small enough - SJW Cersei Lannister, Game of Thrones; 5/27/17, 1:21 PM
Fen said...: Snark, even as someone who despises Dean, I still agree that he got a raw deal on that "scream". But it was the left-wing media that isolated distorted and turned it up to 11.

I think the Establishment Left wanted to sabotage him for some reason. Likely for the same reason they stole the nomination from Bernie.; 5/27/17, 1:26 PM
Lewis Wetzel said...: Franken is a very odd person.
His dad, IIRC, owned a print shop. Franken was raised in Saint Louis Park, a western suburb of Minneapolis. Saint Louis Park is sometimes referred to (derogatorily) as "Saint Jewish Park." Minneapolis has had a touchy relationship with its Jewish population. There were anti-Semitic incidents back in the 30s. When I was young I heard that there were anti-Jew riots, shops burned, etc., because the Minneapolis Jews were socialists/communists. It is still hard to find out what happened, and who was responsible for the anti-Semitism. It may have been the Swedish-German population, or it may have been the Eastern European population.
The "physicality" of Franken may be a reaction to the stereotype of Jews as non-athletic accountants and shop keepers.
The Fargo movie and television series reflects a bit of the Minneapolis attitude towards Jews. The Jewish characters are barely identified, but they are identified. They aren't Christian. They have their uses. They try not to stand out.
Minnesota has a small Jewish population, but Minnesota has had at least one Jewish US senator since 1978 (if you count Boschwitz as a Jew).
I was raised in Minneapolis, but I haven't lived there since 1990. I am free to talk about this.; 5/27/17, 1:30 PM
tcrosse said...: Minnesota has had at least one Jewish US senator since 1978 (if you count Boschwitz as a Jew).
Sen. Paul Wellstone was a Jew. Norm Coleman, who ran against Franken, was also a Jew. Rudy Boschwitz was Jewish enough that his family had to flee Germany in 1933.; 5/27/17, 1:43 PM
Drago said...: Earnest Prole: "Underscoring: Commenters endorsing tribal political violence on the right..."

Earnest Prole somehow, with herculean effort, rousts himself out of his decades long slumber to suddenly notice that the political violence that is and has been quite commonplace on the left is now yielding a few green sprouts of response on the right and thus Earnest is now, quite suddenly, "Very Concerned About All This" and "rightly and justly outraged" and so is now willing to call for a truce lest everyone look bad.

LOL

But not really. We all know that if the Right goes back to the Marquess of Queensbury Rules he will return to his slumber safe in the knowledge that his little lefty lovelies are once again solely empowered to "punish their enemies".

An outstanding opening gambit Earnest.; 5/27/17, 1:46 PM
Earnest Prole said...: The Fargo movie and television series reflects a bit of the Minneapolis attitude towards Jews.

See also the Coen Brothers' A Serious Man.; 5/27/17, 1:47 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Sen. Paul Wellstone was a Jew. Norm Coleman, who ran against Franken, was also a Jew. Rudy Boschwitz was Jewish enough that his family had to flee Germany in 1933.

5/27/17, 1:43 PM

Could it possibly be that people in the hinterlands of Minnesota have less of a problem with Jews than Twin City liberals do?

If parts of Minnesota do indeed have some sort of issue with Jews, well, I'm sure importing a lot of Somalian Muslims will certainly remedy matters. Oh, and Keith Ellison too.; 5/27/17, 1:49 PM
Fen said...: I'd forgotten about the Wellstone pep-rally funeral disgrace. Standing on the casket and rallying the troops with "We will win! We will win!"

And these people have the audacity to whine about Trump's lack of decorum...; 5/27/17, 1:51 PM
Drago said...: Snark: "Watching it again for the first time in forever it seems hard to believe now that it was as disqualifying as it was."

It wasn't disqualifying though I can understand the need by some to make it seem that way.

Dean had just finished 3rd (behind Kerry and Edwards) when he was supposed to roar to victory and his post-caucus conniption was simply seen as a scream of a loser who was trying to create momentum where none existed. Dean only garnered 18% of the Iowa dem primary vote. Kerry had more than double that and Edwards almost hit "double dean" as well.

But I guess the Dean fans need the scream to be his "Russia!! Collusion!!" meme.

Whatever.; 5/27/17, 1:52 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Fen,

"It's OK when we do it."; 5/27/17, 1:53 PM
Fen said...: "rousts himself from a decades long slumber"

Yay! Althouse Geographic is back on again! Thanks. I love you guys :); 5/27/17, 1:54 PM
Lewis Wetzel said...: Blogger Earnest Prole said...
. . .
See also the Coen Brothers' A Serious Man.

An underrated movie. The main character (a secular Jew) tries to work up the chain of rabbis when he had spiritual questions. The low level rabbi could have passed for a Methodist minister. The higher up the chain of rabbis, the more ethnic and incomprehensible the rabbis became.
The Coen Bros (IIRC) were Lake of the Isles Jews, not Saint Louis Park Jews (but Lake of the Isles runs hard against Saint Louis Park on its Western side).; 5/27/17, 2:09 PM
Char Char Binks, Esq. said...: "...all the winners ever did was a wrestler's leg take down and control the opponent under them while they beat him with elbows"

All that Fancy Fu, Chop Socky, and Hu Flung Poo flew out the window when it came to real fighting. Fighting, whether red-in-tooth-and-claw scrapping for dear life, Marquess of Queensberry, or sport wrestling, can take a lot of skill, but it isn't Japanese flower arrangement, Shaolin acrobatics, or Tai Chi. Current MMA rules favor stand-up knock-out punching, and to a lesser degree, kicking, but that's to make it more exciting for spectators.; 5/27/17, 2:18 PM
Bilwick said...: Modern "liberalism" is a secular religion (if you doubt that, ask a "liberal" to defend his dogma logically), and what we are seeing in the two body-slam incidents is an example of Antinomianism. (That is, the Faithful get a pass, the heretics and unbelievers do not.)

On another topic, I loved "A Serious Man." I'm a Gentile, but I saw it when a Jewish friend of mine said of it, "This may be the Most Jewish Movie Ever Made." And I'm inclined to agree with her.; 5/27/17, 2:20 PM
Earnest Prole said...: When you find yourself at the bottom of a dopey hole, first stop digging.; 5/27/17, 2:25 PM
Fen said...: Glad you finally realized that. But no need to say it aloud.; 5/27/17, 2:41 PM
Lewis Wetzel said...: Blogger Earnest Prole said...
When you find yourself at the bottom of a dopey hole, first stop digging.

5/27/17, 2:25 PM
Unless you are Thomas Friedman. Then you need more shovels.
"The first rule of holes is when you’re in one, stop digging. When you’re in three, bring a lot of shovels."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/opinion/21friedman.html; 5/27/17, 2:49 PM
Fen said...: Although I marvel at the lack of self-awareness. For the last 2 days lefties have been trying to shame us over acts that make their panties wet. And have become more and more frustrated as this ploy fails again and again.

"How many Starks do they have to behead before you get it?" - The Hound, Game of Thrones; 5/27/17, 2:54 PM
Anonymous said...: To the lefties complaining about righties supporting violence, I have a suggestion that should please decent people on both sides. Congressional leaders should refuse to seat Gianforte, while simultaneously expelling Al Franken and firing former NC congressman Bob Etheridge from his current government job for doing pretty much the same thing (link). That would measurably improve the tone of both houses and encourage decent behavior by future candidates in both parties. So: Inga, Earnest Prole, Nyamujal, do you agree? Will you write to the leaders of both parties in both houses of Congress urging them to do a three-in-one unseating/expulsion/firing? It's the right thing to do. If your reply contains a big "but", you risk looking like a damned hypocrite (not to mention a big butt).; 5/27/17, 3:10 PM
Unknown said...: my friend's sister makes $87 hourly on the computer . She has been out of a job for 8 months but last month her payment was $14893 just working on the computer for a few hours. see here>>>
https://goo.gl/VeuqeK; 5/27/17, 3:16 PM
Lewis Wetzel said...: I went to Minneapolis public schools. A lot of the teachers and administrators were Jewish, but it wasn't obvious. Minnesota was settled by Germans, Scandinavians, Poles and Ukrainians. A lot of Lutherans and Catholics had last names that could have been Jewish (what kind of name is Wetzel?).
I had a high school teacher named Huber. He was Jewish, now that I think of it. He taught social studies. For a side job he owned a sporting goods store. I helped him out one weekend hauling rubbish. The next school day he told me to stay late after class. When the room was empty he asked me if five bucks am hour was enough for me. I said "sure!". He whipped out a wad of bills, peeled off a twenty and stuck it in my shirt pocket. I had never seen so much money in my life. He must have had $500 on him. He saw the shocked look on my face and said "If you tell anyone one about this" -- meaning the roll of cash -- "Tell them about this, too!" he opened his desk drawer. There was a big ol' revolver in it. This was a public high school, circa 1975.
Minnesota Jews are funny.; 5/27/17, 3:50 PM
Earnest Prole said...: To the lefties complaining about righties supporting violence . . .

No one who's read my comments lo these many years would confuse me with a lefty. And it's fine by me if voters want a thug as their state's Representative, but I'm still going to call him a thug.; 5/27/17, 3:56 PM
Bad Lieutenant said...: Earnest Prole said...
To the lefties complaining about righties supporting violence . . .

No one who's read my comments lo these many years would confuse me with a lefty.

Uh, no, actually, that is not true, unless you've changed your name. You're not exactly hard lefty but you're kind of bipolar.; 5/27/17, 4:31 PM
Sprezzatura said...: "You're not exactly hard lefty but you're kind of bipolar."

I agree w/ Bad L,

I've definitely seen divergence from the "official" talking points.

Shameful.; 5/27/17, 5:16 PM
Lewis Wetzel said...: The official talking points said Trump was unelectable.; 5/27/17, 6:00 PM
Jim at said...: "All body slams are equal?"

They should be. But it's leftists like you who want them categorized according to class, status and political persuasion.

Sorry. We're not playing the game anymore.; 5/27/17, 6:15 PM
Achilles said...: Blogger Inga said...
"No one should lay their hands on anyone else. Full stop. Violence should not be employed to silence people or even to allow other people to speak."

My friends and I did much violence so you had the freedom to type that. So no we will not accept your stupid assertion. There are always little tyrants out there who need to be defeated.

It is clear that you and all the other leftists here are fine with people you disagree with getting beat up.

It is clear you are the little tyrants we need to fight.; 5/27/17, 9:50 PM
Achilles said...: "Blogger Drago said...
Left Bank of the Charles: "Can't distinguish slamming a journalist from slamming a LaRoucher? All body slams are equal?"

What an absolutely perfect leftist comment.

Perfect."

Attached to my previous post.; 5/27/17, 9:51 PM
Snark said...: "It wasn't disqualifying though I can understand the need by some to make it seem that way."

It's kind of interesting - his ultimate failure and that screamy speech are forever linked in the minds of most people. Did he lose because it stuck to him, or did it stick to him because he lost? He had been steady in the NH polls for a week prior, in the lead, and then he plummeted about 13 points over the next few days in the three day rolling polls. He recovered much but not all of that and came 2nd in NH before he sputtered out not long after. The clip was played incessantly and I don't know how it can be separated from his failure. Anyway, I just found it interesting in its tameness compared to what became de rigeuer in 2016.; 5/28/17, 1:32 AM
rcommal said...: l F'n Franken? Franken's B.S. is supposed to be the justification for Gianforte's B.S? Blind-eyed supporters/justifiers of Franken's shenanigans are supposed to be the justification for blind-eyed supporters/supporters of Gianforte's shenanigans?

Oh, please.

Pure crap, which I am not buying and will not buy.

It's a craws-sticker for me that Franken's supposed to be admired. I don't. From experience, I know that it will be a craw-sticker for me that Gianforte's supposed to be admired. I suspect that I won't, and that a few years hence that'll become a don't, as well.; 5/28/17, 1:34 AM
rcommal said...: If people, regardless of from whatever tribe, are desirous of becoming Congress-critters (of either the U.S Senator or U.S. Representative type) don't want to deal with the reality of the U.S. Constitution and its amendments, including the first of those which were included in what used to be commonly referred to as the Bill of Rights, I suggest that those individuals are unfit for office on the face of it.; 5/28/17, 1:56 AM
iowan2 said...: Rcommal, you're funny.

I give you Citizen United. Every leftist since the ruling, has run against the SCOTUS decision. Strange, being that SCOTUS slapped back congress that made a law limiting free speech. If that sounds familiar, start reading the BoR from the top. You will be amazed.; 5/28/17, 7:00 AM
Bad Lieutenant said...: I've definitely seen divergence from the "official" talking points.

Shameful.

Oh don't worry, not you. You are quite shameless. A perfect rotter.

If, by your lights, I don't deserve to communicate uninterrupted, perhaps your friend Earnest Prole deserves to hear me without interference.; 5/28/17, 7:43 AM
Bad Lieutenant said...: Can't distinguish slamming a journalist from slamming a LaRoucher?

No. I don't think a LaRouche follower, assuming you are correct which is never safe, is one bit better than a reporter.

If I had to draw distinctions, I would say that it is generally less virtuous to hit someone from behind, as Franken did.; 5/28/17, 7:47 AM
JAORE said...: Perhaps the media might profit from reviewing their treatment of the Franken story versus the Gianforte story.

Franken was lauded, Gianforte was criticized.... It has been noted.

Of course the fact that one of their own was the victim might account.... oh wait, I've forgotten about Etheridge.... So what could be the diffe(R)ence, party? Oh I (D)oubt that.

The point is NOT that Franken makes it OK to body slam. The point is that disparate treatment is not longer ignored.

And, hey, at least Gianforte apologized.; 5/28/17, 9:42 AM
furious_a said...: Can't distinguish slamming a journalist from slamming a LaRoucher?

Is there some 1A scale-of-rights along which journalists fall differently from protesters or the severity of the infringement varies directly with one's party's placement in the alphabet?

I read where Franken wrote a book about his experience at the Dean rally: "Heckling Hecklers and the Tackling Tacklers who Tackle Them"; 5/28/17, 10:26 AM
Bad Lieutenant said...: How about a LaRouche journalist? Or a communist? Can we hit communists? Please say yes. Then why not a communist journalist like Jacob's or anyone else who could be hired at Al-Guardian?; 5/28/17, 3:36 PM
rcommal said...: @iowan2:

OK, then. Whatever you say. God knows that I know how often I've had just to do that too often.

--

(my son is a native iowan; my husband is a native kansan; and I am a native hoosier.); 5/30/17, 4:58 AM