No Way To Treat a Lady

Eighteen months ago, I watched with horror as CNN reporter Susan Roesgen was roughed up by demonstrators at a Tea Party rally in downtown Chicago while trying to get legitimate answers to legitimate questions about their views. Almost as soon as that report aired on CNN, conservative groups complained about her conduct and demeanor as a journalist, challenging her professionalism.

CNN, hoping to avoid trouble with the Tea Party, announced in July 2009 that Roesgen's contract with the news channel would not be renewed. Apparently plenty of people found Roesgen's questions rather objectionable. Me? I find their objections highly questionable.

Well, it turns out that the pushing and shoving Susan Roesgen faced in Chicago was hardly an isolated incident but in fact the first attack against anyone the Tea Party finds intimidating ,be it a reporter or a political opponent. How else could you explain a supporter of Sharron Angle in Nevada punching a female Harry Reid supporter? Or Alaska U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller having security officers detaining a journalist for nearly half an hour for . . . asking tough questions!

Now Tea Partiers in Kentucky supporting U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul have taken the violence beyond the pale. A MoveOn.org volunteer named Lauren Valle hoped to walk up to near Rand Paul was standing and hold up a placard from a mock corporation thanking Paul for everything he's done to help companies over people. Valle was accosted by Paul supporters, who promptly wrestled her to the ground and stomped on her head. The attacker, Timothy Profitt, was fired by the Paul campaign. The candidate himself, however, issued a mealy-mouthed press release stating regret about the incident and implying that activists on both sides (but especially MoveOn.org) are responsible for the increasingly violent climate in the election campaigns, and that activists shouldn't encourage violent behavior.

In other words, Lauren Valle was asking for trouble. So was Susan Roesgen. So is any woman who stirs things up against the Tea Party.

Sure - blame the victim!

This is the Tea Party at its truest, folks. These are the angry, intolerant people who hope to take over this country. In one week, they could do just that. Unless those of us bullied by these extremists stand up to them.

Oh yeah, I'd like to add an endorsement, for U.S. Senate from Kentucky: This blog endorses Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway. If you have to ask why, you haven't been paying attention.