According to the AP, Bobby Jindal's top campaign fundraiser, Allee Bautsch and her boyfriend were assaulted recently after they left a fund-raising event.
Some have speculated that the attacks were politically motivated, but the AP says only the following:
A department spokesman wouldn't elaborate on the nature of the suspects' derogatory comments and said a possible motive for the attack was under investigation.
The story has not attracted the attention of most of the mainstream media. I have been searching for mentions and have found very few.
Why is this?
It's hard to say, but one can speculate. Perhaps the media outlets are afraid they might find some truth to the rumors. Maybe they simply don't think that assaults on Republicans are newsworthy. I suspect that this story would have broken in the mainstream media long ago if the attack were made on a Democrat. I daresay it would be all over front pages if the assault was rumored to have been perpetrated by a tea-partier or even a Republican.
Certainly the idea of a Republican being assaulted does not fit well with the image the media has been trying to paint of our political situation lately. Right-wingers are supposed to be the crazy and violent characters, not the victims.
It is very possible that the attacks were not at all politically motivated. Bautsch and Brown may have just walked into the wrong area at the wrong time. But the lack of coverage of the Bautsch assault is, in my opinion, due to political bias and the media ought to be embarrassed by it.
Some have speculated that the attacks were politically motivated, but the AP says only the following:
A department spokesman wouldn't elaborate on the nature of the suspects' derogatory comments and said a possible motive for the attack was under investigation.
The story has not attracted the attention of most of the mainstream media. I have been searching for mentions and have found very few.
Why is this?
It's hard to say, but one can speculate. Perhaps the media outlets are afraid they might find some truth to the rumors. Maybe they simply don't think that assaults on Republicans are newsworthy. I suspect that this story would have broken in the mainstream media long ago if the attack were made on a Democrat. I daresay it would be all over front pages if the assault was rumored to have been perpetrated by a tea-partier or even a Republican.
Certainly the idea of a Republican being assaulted does not fit well with the image the media has been trying to paint of our political situation lately. Right-wingers are supposed to be the crazy and violent characters, not the victims.
It is very possible that the attacks were not at all politically motivated. Bautsch and Brown may have just walked into the wrong area at the wrong time. But the lack of coverage of the Bautsch assault is, in my opinion, due to political bias and the media ought to be embarrassed by it.
One can speculate, indeed. Call me when there's hard news.
Posted by: caheidelberger | Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 07:14 PM
Cory:
Well, there is hard news. Bautsch was assaulted. You'd think that could at least make
the same page as stories like "Guy's body wax for charity goes viral," (CNN) or "Footloose Town Celebrates 30 Years of Proms." (ABC)
You know. Hard news Stories like that.
Posted by: Miranda Flint | Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 08:08 PM
Cory: forgive me for thinking that, if the victims had been coming from a Democratic rally and there were Tea Party Protesters outside, you would certainly regard this story as hard news. If the story were circulated that the attacker yelled obscenities against the Obama Administration, you would certainly believe that story. You'd believe it even if no one person was willing to stand up and say that they heard the obscenities. If the victims were Black, and someone later said that the attacker yelled racial slurs, you'd certainly believe that. You'd believe it even if the whole thing was captured on video, and the audio revealed no racial slurs.
I see no reason to conclude that this attack was politically motivated other than circumstantial evidence. Even if it was, all that proves that there are some dangerous hotheads out there.
Posted by: KB | Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 09:55 PM
They were beaten, not robbed, and there was a previous incident that night when others left the event and were chased by individuals associated with the protesters. The victims also believe their attackers were from that group.
"The mother of one of the victims of a brutal beating in New Orleans outside of a Southern Republican Leadership Conference (SRLC) event has confirmed in a new interview that the two victims assaulted outside of the high-dollar GOP fundraiser believe their attackers were part of the crowd of protesters outside the event."
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=36584
Obviously, this is not the narrative the "MSM" wants to promote.
Posted by: William | Monday, April 19, 2010 at 06:15 AM
Thanks, Dr. Blanchard and William.
I agree that there is, at present, no reason to believe that the attack was politically motivated. I also agree that the fact that the two were beaten and not robbed is strange.
It merely think that it would be nice if the media tried a little bit of investigative journalism on this story - or any sort of journalism at all.
Posted by: Miranda | Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 01:24 AM
Miranda, only when it's your political side that doesn't get the coverage you expect it to get, you are angry about it and shame the media. Well, you know what? You would not be making your judgement calls if the shoe was on the other foot. That's why I don't take sides in this foolish paritsan crapola. Blame goes around on both sides, but, as the typical game continues (including this blogsite)each side hurls their victim card while they think of themselves as saints. LOL whatever...
Posted by: Guard | Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 03:10 PM