The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Do the Kentucky Head-Stomp!

Posted on | October 26, 2010 | 37 Comments

It’s the dance sensation that’s sweeping the nation:

Lisa Graas (who experienced the frightening online wrath of Paulistas during the Kentucky GOP primary) linked this story at her blog.

I’m hesitant to jump to conclusions about what actually happened in this kind of made-for-TV publicity stunt. Who were these “Rand Paul supporters” who roughed up MoveOn.org activist Lauren Valle? Why did police question Valle, and not the guys who roughed her up? At any rate, I remember when Alex Jones sicced a mob on Michelle Malkin during a protest at the 2008 Democrat convention in Denver. Malkin did nothing at all to provoke that attack.

So: I’m definitely anti-head-stomping. But if an innocent journalist being attacked by a mob of raging Truthers at a Democratic event wasn’t held against Obama, I’m not sure how Rand Paul can be blamed for these idiots who stomped the MoveOn.org protester.

UPDATE: WCPO-TV reports that there were actually two fights outside the debate in Louisville:

They describe the incident with the MoveOn.org woman this way:

The woman, determined to pose in front of Rand Paul holding a sign that read “Rand Paul Republicore: Employee of the Month,” tripped and fell on the ground after someone grabbed her blonde wig off her head.
She was then stepped on by a man wearing a Rand Paul t-shirt. Police say she refused treatment and later filed an assault report.

OK, so a police report has been filed, and the people involved in the incident are now suspects in an assault case.

UPDATE II: This is becoming a cause célèbre on the Left side of the blogosphere. Joshua Green’s headline at The Atlantic Monthly is “MoveOn Supporter Brutally Attacked by Rand Paul Supporter.” So far as I’m aware, Joshua Green has never written a word about the brutal attack on Kenneth Gladney.

Louisville police are now investigating the incident. The man who stomped Valle will be identified, and we’ll see how the story develops in coming days.

UPDATE III: Lots more news coverage now: CNN, Congressional Quarterly and Politico, among others. Mike Tobin of Fox News quotes a statement from Rand Paul’s campaign: “Violence of any kind has no place in our civil discourse and we urge supporters on all sides to be civil to one another as tensions rise heading toward this very important election.”

RAND PAUL for U.S. SENATE
Pro-Aqua Buddha. Anti-Head-Stomping.

UPDATE IV: One participant in the incident has been identified and I have been accused of “headstomperism.”

Category: Crime, Election, Kentucky, Senate

Comments

37 Responses to “Do the Kentucky Head-Stomp!”

  1. MrPaulRevere
    October 26th, 2010 @ 3:30 am

    Two points to consider: 1) Self restraint is a virtue. The God of Abraham demands it. 2) As pointed out it update#2, never ever give your enemies a freebie.

  2. DaveP.
    October 26th, 2010 @ 8:51 am

    REMEMBER KENNETH GLADNEY!