Republicans Assault Democratic Tracker While Rep. Wolf Does Nothing
Representative Frank Wolf (R-VA) is in what must be a tough race against Judy Feder because suddenly he’s breaking out the attack ads on TV. And also looking on peacefully while his goons assault members of Feder’s staff:
That’s via Matt Stoller. Lowell Feld explains:
On Friday, two Feder staffers approached Congressman Wolf in a public location to ask him some questions. Two different individuals who were accompanying Congressman Wolf (staffers? relatives? friends?) assaulted the Feder staffers, as you can see quite clearly in the video. The first Feder staffer was hit with a cane and then punched. The second staffer (as you will see on the video) was pinned to a wall and forcibly held there. All of this took place in the presence of Congressman Wolf, who stood by and did nothing to intervene.
I’m sure he’s a nice guy, though.
47 Responses to “Republicans Assault Democratic Tracker While Rep. Wolf Does Nothing”
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October 26th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
I wish we lived in the day where you could challenge a man to a duel.
October 26th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Hit with a cane??
These old folks today!! We really must do something to keep our senior citizens from running wild in the streets and creating mayhem.
October 26th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Maybe a curfew right after the early-bird special ends…..
October 26th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Wolf is (or once was) the longtime chairman of the House Human Rights Caucus! That fact is offered neither to excuse him nor to call him a hypocrite, but it does add an odd note to the proceedings.
October 26th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
After the tasering incident here at UF, Jon Stewart said something along the lines of it being the perfect mixture of police over reaction and student douche-baggery. I have the same ambivalent feelings and reaction over this incident. While I cannot condone Wolf’s staffers actions or his lack of reaction (save a small smile) in anyway, I cannot help but think these guys acted like complete douche bags on purpose to elicit just this reaction on tape. That’s their job. I have no doubt after this tape was made they dapped, chest-bumped and rushed to Youtube to upload.
Again, I am not excusing Wolf’s or his staffs’ actions or lack thereof, it was kind of revolting. But I also can’t be a little peeved that our political process is devolving into an episode of Punk’d.
October 26th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Congressman Wolf has championed telecommuting for federal workers. He has also fought against the Dominion Power transmission line they want to build in order to sell electricity to the Northeast from coal-fired power plants in the Midwest.
October 26th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Ah, this is chickenshit. Wait till the little asshole with the camera gets a cane across the kneecap. That fucking hurts!
I think Members of Congress should be forced to accept and answer hostile questions in any public forum they visit. The BUsh/Cheney policy of using the Secret Service to ban people from their public meetings should be made illegal.
But I don’t think Members of Congress should be followed and harassed like this.
October 26th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
And *I*’m sure CNN will run with this story, because they abhor the specter of politically-motivated violence.
At least, that’s the lesson I learned from their Ashley Todd coverage.
Because it’d be awfully fucking revealing if they only ginned up outrage for attacks on *Republican* campaign people.
October 26th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Anyone ever see that HBO series ROME? Remember when the centurion retired and was talked into running for the Senate by Julius Caesar? — who lent his slave Pasca to teach the centurion about how to do politics.
Remember that scene where the centurion was trying to speak to a crowd of people on the street –and was harassed by the heckler? Pasca tugged his ear and two rough types grabbed the heckler and dragged him into the dark alley –where you shortly heard thumping sounds and yells of pain.
Ha ha ha. I loved that show.
October 26th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
It’s a cinch this video ends up on some right-wing site, with a caption like “effete liberals sent scampering and howling by octagenarian Republicans”. If there were a consensus as to how civilized people are supposed to behave in public, that video would be advantage Dems. But no such consensus exists, Wolf’s supporters are barbarians and proud of it, and so that video ends up reinforcing both sides’ narratives.
October 26th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Nice is a relative term. Sarah Palin would have shot on sight.
October 26th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
why was the asshole shoving his camera into the MC’s face? wolf may be a jerky republican but the cameraman was a douchebag. I say let’s save our outrage for something more substantial than this.
October 26th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
I didn’t watch it, and I suspect there’s going to be more here than MattY and his friends have let on.
Meanwhile, from the world of primary sources, does anyone here have kids or know those who do? If so, have those kids been looking a little glassy-eyed lately?
P.S. Everything’s been cached already, so it’s too late. Already almost 500 views on FR, and it will probably get hundreds of thousands once it’s posted to various forums and sent through email. Didn’t Hugo teach you guys anything about doing things incrementally?
October 26th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
Drudge headline: CAMPAIGN STAFFERS CANED; LIBERAL YGLESIAS COMMENT THREAD WATCHES THE TAPE AND DOES NOTHING!
I see no violence on this clip. You implied I’d see a caning, MY, and all I see is Frank Wolf trying his best not to embarrass himself on camera!
Seriously though; there’s no proof here the Wolf saw the “assault” or that the alleged caning was really that bad.
October 26th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
The ’staffer’ was a bit annoying but using physical violence to obstruct his questioning is beyond the pale as they say. Also, the Congressman’s stern disregard for someone being assaulted by his own partners is a bit disgusting. The guy most have been tired or knowing he’s losing the election. But is he?
Matt, you sure get a lot of interesting stuff here? thx for the great posts and the plentitude of them.
October 26th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Hit with a cane? Time to break out the Thorazine!
October 26th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Wait, before we get carried away, can anyone clarify whether this Congressman represents the Real America part of Virginia, or is he from the America-Hating part of Virginia?
It’s so hard to keep track of these things.
October 26th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
I agree with Adolphus on this one. It seems that over the last 2 weeks or so, there is a certain faction that seems as every bit hell bent on inciting violence as the wayward supporters are to issue it.
That’s too bad, because anyone who has ever experienced real violence, knows that no matter the case or stakes you don’t ever welcome it. Welts in the name of Feder, shouldn’t be a campaign mantra.
Igloo, unfortunately I cannot condone this type of blog baiting, seriously. I think you are a serious dude, with great progressive credentials…there’s a way to handle yourself in victory…this ain’t it.
October 27th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Already almost 500 views on FR
And you hit refresh fifteen times to count every one, Kelly, didn’tcha? Ooey. The pathetic, it burns.
October 27th, 2008 at 12:01 am
“Wait, before we get carried away, can anyone clarify whether this Congressman represents the Real America part of Virginia, or is he from the America-Hating part of Virginia?”
Part fake, and getting faker all the time. In fact he represents Nancy Ptotenhauer and the neighbors of the many members of Congress who live in Mclean. But his district also goes out to the WV border, near Winchester.
October 27th, 2008 at 12:44 am
So is this the first congressional caning since Sumner?
October 27th, 2008 at 1:17 am
Wolf, who’s been in office for 28 years, is a throwback to the era of congressmen-for-life in Virginia, who, whenever possible, didn’t speak to lesser beings and certainly didn’t tolerate hostile questioning.
In order to survive this long, he had the state GOP carve him a district dominated by horse-country gentry, and has cultivated WaPo editorial-page and federal-beat types to keep them sweet.
Assuming he isn’t defeated this year (an outside possibility) or doesn’t retire before redistricting, he will soon find himself in a hostile constituency. Wolf won’t be kicking around the media much longer.
October 27th, 2008 at 1:36 am
I’ve been seeing a lot of stuff like this lately- the video from the GOP meeting in a MO park, this one, reports of Obama canvassers being grabbed, etc. I can see why the people doing the filming, canvassing, whatever don’t defend themselves when they legally can use the force that appears reasonably necessary (”Obama supporters incite violence!”), but are they even taking this stuff to the police, or suing for civil damages? Even without doing any actual damage, the Wolf aid here (and other goons in other videos) are committing battery (both the tort and the crime), and it’s right there on video. No “he said, she said” involved.
October 27th, 2008 at 1:39 am
Re datadave’s comment “The ’staffer’ was a bit annoying but using physical violence to obstruct his questioning is beyond the pale as they say.”
————-
“Beyond the Pa..” — I didn’t know Wolf was Jewish.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_of_settlement
October 27th, 2008 at 5:51 am
I suspected that after the Allen-Macaca moment of two years ago that DEmocratic Party operatives would start following Repubican politicians around with camera hoping for a confontation. This proves the prediction.
I guess since the Democratic Party knows that they will soon be the only relevant political party that they do not have to fear having camera stuck in their faces.
October 27th, 2008 at 7:39 am
If I were attacked by a geezer with a cane, I sure wouldn’t release the video for the world to see.
October 27th, 2008 at 8:51 am
you damn kidz get offa my lawn!
October 27th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Re Don Williams
For the information of the blogs resident Bolshevik, Representative Wolf, who is from Philadelphia by the way, is not Jewish; in fact, he is a born again Christian.
Representative Wolf is most noted around these parts for his so far unsuccessful efforts to alleviate Washington area traffic congestion by encouraging the Federal Government to expand telecommuting. Thus far, he has been banging his head against the wall to little avail.
As for the redistricting that occurred in 1990, the Eastern boundary of the 10th Virginia Congressional District was less then 2 blocks from his house. If it had been moved 2 blocks further west, the poor soul would have had to move.
October 27th, 2008 at 10:11 am
I also have to side with Adolphus on this. On a scale of “Macaca moment” to Ashley Todd, this is uncomfortably close to the attention-whoring side of the dial.
Kids, if you’re looking for a “get”: the story will only truly have legs if you catch (in tennis-speak) an “unforced error.” Patience and perseverance (and maybe some politeness) will pay off in the end, whereas provocation (e.g. getting in someone’s way and sticking a camera in their face) just makes you look like a douchenozzle.
October 27th, 2008 at 10:32 am
24-7Blogwhore said: “I don’t know anything about the subject of this thread, but whatever Matt thinks must be wrong. Meanwhile, here is a link to some random nutbaggery.”
This guy needs — he is the poster child for — a judicious whack with the banhammer. Please!
October 27th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Don Williams: The term comes from a different pale:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pale
October 27th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Kids, if you’re looking for a “get”: the story will only truly have legs if you catch (in tennis-speak) an “unforced error.” Patience and perseverance (and maybe some politeness) will pay off in the end, whereas provocation (e.g. getting in someone’s way and sticking a camera in their face) just makes you look like a douchenozzle
Dan, I think you were talking about this
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