Rep. Frank Wolf, R-VA, does nothing while GOP staffers physically assault Democratic trackers

[marmar]

from ThinkProgress:


Rep. Wolf does nothing while GOP staffers physically assault Democratic trackers.»

Last Friday, two staffers for Judy Feder, the Democratic nominee for Virginia’s 10th congressional district, were assaulted by two individuals accompanying Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA). Feder’s staffers were trying to ask Wolf about his support for Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) proposed $5,000 health care tax credit. Wolf stood idly by as the assault took place. Lowell Feld at Raising Kaine described the encounter:

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.

Watch it: http://thinkprogress.org/2008/10/27/wolf-watches-assault/

[FSogol]

1. Kick, Wolfe needs to be shown the door. n/t

[Stand and Fight]

2. I don't know...

By what I saw in the video -- and I watched it once -- this didn't look anywhere near as bad as the blog described it. In fact, at times it looked like the camera man was running into the other guy... I'm just saying.

[hughee99]

4. I just watched the video and didn't see anything that looks like being

"physically assaulted". I saw no cane, I saw no punch, and it appeared to me like the cameraman knew he wasn't going to get his answer so perhaps there was some other motivation for doing this. Frankly after reading the over-the-top description and then seeing the video, it all looks kind of fishy to me.

[Virginian]

3. I'm in his district and I am voting for Judy Feder, his opponent

but I did not see an assault. I heard a cracking noise and saw the camera jostle, but I did not actually see any cane or hand strike a person.
Wolf evaded questions from an opponent's staff. It isn't exactly a macaca moment either, as the Feder staffer did all the talking and Wolf said nothing.

Our district is the northernmost in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is very gerrymandered from the exclusive areas in McLean, inside the Washington beltway, to the state borders with West Virginia and with Maryland. He represents the rural and the rich. We are thrown in to dilute the Democratic presence in this county. Our county has a ribbon of each of three congressional districts flowing through it. I look forward to the census and redistricting of the entire Northern Virginia region into more rounded districts.

Judy - You go girl - I'm counting on you to beat Wolf. He doesn't represent any of MY interests.

[progressoid]

5. Huh?

I guess I missed something. :shrug:

[mrbarber]

6. 0.16 seconds...

you can see a hand come up and hit the cameraman, along with hearing the sound of the hit and camera suddenly jostling.

0.32 you can see another hit.

And the thug holding up the guy against the wall, how is that not assault?

[Virginian]

8. 0.16 looks like the back of a bald man's head

I stepped through it and looked. A few times I saw nothing, then I saw the head, bald on top with brown hair around the sides.

In the second one, Wolf is hiding behind another man and it looks like the camera ran into the horozontal striped tie.

I don't see a cane at all.

I think Wolf is acting cowardly by not engaging the cameraman. Looks like he has something to hide, or he's too good to talk to the lowly camera

[Sidney J Mussburger]

7. No one likes paparazzi

that's what this looks like. Only political instead of celebrity.