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Subscribe to RSSDays after conservatives made a video go viral of North Carolina Rep. Bob Etheridge (D) getting rough with an unidentified videographer, a North Carolina paper quotes a former resident who alleges that Etheridge also got rough with him.
Brandon Leslie, who moved away seven years ago and is now an attorney in Oxford, Miss., said he had an encounter with the now seven-term Democratic congressman from Lillington almost 14 years ago.
In the fall of 1996, when Leslie was a senior at Pinecrest High School, he said he met Etheridge at a Pinecrest football game. Etheridge - then the state superintendent of public instruction - was challenging incumbent Republican David Funderburk for his congressional seat. At the time, Moore County was part of the 2nd District, which Etheridge now represents.
Leslie said he introduced himself to Etheridge and asked him about his stance on a particular education program. He said Etheridge didn't answer his question, so he pressed him two more times.
"And that's when he grabbed me by the shoulders, he shook me, and I'll never forget it, he said, 'Son, you need to learn to respect your elders,'" he said by phone on Wednesday. "I was just so taken aback, I think my jaw just dropped, and he walked off."
Leslie said he was angrier about Etheridge's attitude and "patronizing" tone than the physical contact.
"It wasn't to hurt me, it wasn't to harm me," he says. "It was that he was irritated and wanted to get my attention."
*** UDPATE *** Etheridge's office emails a statement from Bob Greene, the retired principal of Pinecrest High School, who served in that post in 1996: “The story in today’s Pilot is inaccurate. I witnessed the event firsthand 14 years ago. The student was in the wrong, and Bob Etheridge acted appropriately at all times. I would have been happy to tell the newspaper reporter the facts in this matter, but I was never contacted before the story appeared in the newspaper.”
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It looks like Etheridge is and has been a jerk for quite some time. I don't care what party one belongs to this kind of behavior is unacceptable.
When one is in the public eye he must expect to be confronted by those who aren't desirable to him or one who asks uncomfortable questions. He must be tollerent of the public as what he is doing is a public contact job. Etheridge fails miserably in his public contact skills.
When that republicrap "heckler" learns to accept HIS question will not be answered he should quit while he is ahead, NOW HE HAS FORCED SOMEONE TO GIVE HIM "SOMETHING I WILL NEVER FORGET " MOMENT!!! Another teabag loudmouth now has "suffered" a "lifetime altering moment, GOOD HE SHOULD HAVE VISITED A SHOE UP HIS A**!!!!!!! It seems me the term "bully" is used by the very ones THAT ARE BULLY'S, and demand that all other "bully" stay out of "their territory.
Well, can we say 'anger management issues'?
I've hesitated to comment on this matter because the man is not my congressional representative, but I will say that I was not surprised to see the ususal suspects leap to his defense.
Interesting to see that his favorite target seems to be students. That is another way of saying he's a bully. Unless, perhaps, Chuck Todd has had any interesting encounters with him.
Buffoons exist in both political parties. Democrats never said Republicans had the monoply on jerks in their caucus. But, may I just point all to Rep. Peter King, from NY. Not too long ago he was telling constituents to go f'''' themselves over the phone. Nice.
please send a link to this incident
Fight the power young not wrong wingers!!!! bahahahaha The leftist criminals control the media, banking, both houses and the white house. No where to go but up!!! Stand up to the man!!!
I am honestly surprised any southernor ever becomes a politician. I know that if some snotty little bastard like the ACORN pimp came up and started filming me walking down the street while asking obnoxious and loaded questions, the next image the camera would capture would be me laying the little prick out on the street.
That is probably the one defining characteristic of the southern politician that the rest of us in the south lack - the ability to sublimate the impulse to beat ass when annoyed.
Having spent a lot of time down there in Carolina I would agree with you that they do tend to be a little more combative than many other areas of the country but I think that if the folks that are sending these fellows out to practice this gotcha stuff don't dial it back a little the tendency is bound to spred a little further.
What a completely bigoted statement. If I said the same thing about blacks you would scream racist and rightfully so, but you have no problem blasting people becase of the part of the country they live in. Bigot.
Most people learn in grade school that the civilized thing to do is ignore annoying people rather than assault and batter them.
Most people don't live in the south. I am considered downright pacifistic where I live.
It is often impossible to ignore people who are stalking and verbally assaulting you.
This type of pip-squeak attack is actually a form of bullying which relies on "civilized" people not responding.
Just goes to show that Bob Etheridge is tougher than any limpwristed conservative crybaby! Just more crybabying from the Tea Bagging Drag Queen Prancers who are a bunch of Wailing Old Woemen! I support Bob Etheridge 110% for roughing up phony rightwing media hack posers. Serves them right for their gotcha yellow journalism.
Bob Etheridge is Tougher than any Tea Bagger!
Regardless of party, THIS IS WRONG!!!
Way to show your hypocritical colors Eric. When it is on your side, you approve of any behavior possible. When it is the opposition, you would slam some politician for killing a mosquito. Class- pure class as always from you Eric.
Poor behavior is wrong - regardless of the letter next to their name.
Now, I agree the man's reaction was extreme and he'll probably pay for it at the polls, but I also think that when jackasses like Breitbart try to gin up hits by sending out paparazzi style 'reporters' to inflict themselves on people, reactions like this are also pretty predictable. Unlike the celebrities, however, the pols will suffer more of an immediate ramification to it, (in the form of losing their seat or the like) than say, Russell Crowe does when he loses it and breaks one of their cameras.
Rep. Etheridge is my congressman and I 'm proud of the way he stood up to those punks in D.C. From what I'm hearing, most of his constituents feel the same way. I'd say his supporters run about 7-to-1.
If those kids are from around here, they're not identifying themselves because they're afraid of the ass-whippin they'll get if their daddies find out. They're just a couple of cowardly punks.
And this last guy? His 15 minutes is up.
You are a real class act "Katie B from NC" do your children act like you?
And this thread is still up after 3 years because...???
He is the same brand of hypocritical, lying, whoring scum as all politicans (yes, both parties!). Why are we surprised. It's the attitude: Politicans fancy themselves as American royalty and will not tolerate any preceived disrespect. The real problem is that they treat the American voter as if we are stupid and the voter's real problem is that too often we prove them correct.
Why is this "story" in the news section? Witnesses to the so-called event have a diffferent version than Leslie's story, which is 17 years old. The "current" story is from 2010, and it may be unreliable news also. Another smear tatic from the Republican propaganda ministry; keep telling lies until no one remembers the truth any more.
Wait a minute--I thought Republicans idolized people like this.
So the nazi style shout-down democrat roughted up a guy a few times. its par for the course for a "type A personality" like him. Look...all political parties have jerks in them and its no big surprise........he has just been caught on camera. one thing him and ALL politicians need to remember is that they work for US and they cannot just think they dominate people. Feinstein, this guy and soooo many more need to re-look at how they handle themselves. If they cannot act civilized and drop the "im better than you" shtick, then they need to be booted from office!!!!!!!!!!