Day: October 27, 2010

Verbatim

Buck Banks

It’s always nice to have friends who wish you the best, and as you know, in politics the number of people who say they were with you last time is substantially larger than the number of people that actually were with you last time.

— Mitt Romney, quoted by the Des Moines Register.

KY Sen: Rand Paul Thug Blames Victim, Camera Angle, Back Pain and Police for Curb Stomping

Jon Ponder

Lauren Valle shown on curb assaulting Tim Profitt's foot
Lauren Valle seen here on curb assaulting Tim Profitt's foot
In a jaw-dropping development yesterday, Tim Profitt, the volunteer goon for the Rand Paul U.S. Senate campaign in Kentucky who was filmed stomping on the head of a Moveon.org activist outside a debate venue, has suggested that it was his victim who should apologize:

“I don’t think it’s that big of a deal,” Profitt said. And when asked if he would apologize to Valle. “I would like for her to apologize to me to be honest with you.”

Republicans like Profitt like to talk about personal responsibility and accountability — but, to their way of thinking, accountability only applies to Democrats. When they do something that is demonstrably wrong, they invariably blame someone, anyone, else.

For example, in Profitt’s first media statement yesterday, he offered a cleverly worded non-apology that shifted blame to his victim and cast himself as merely a concerned bystander trying to protect a candidate from a potential assailant:

“I’m sorry that it came to that, and I apologize if it appeared overly forceful, but I was concerned about Rand’s safety,” Profitt said.

[…]

Vote, Even If It’s for Moderates. Hell, Especially If It’s for Moderates!

Trish

Here’s a great video produced by Progress Florida, but worth watching even if you live elsewhere. Remember folks, they are turning out the base this election. As Democrats and progressives, we can’t prove that the only way to get us to vote is to also appeal to our most extreme views. If you’re not enthusiastic about supporting moderate or even conservative Democrats, then you can’t complain when Republicans and tea baggers continue to trot out their most extreme candidates, the ones least likely to get anything helpful done in Washington or state capitals. Now go vote.