The Democrats' Smear Campaign against the Tea Party Protestors

The Democrats were all over this one. Here is Ellis Close from Newsweek:

Much has been made of the abuse showered on members of Congress at a recent tea-party demonstration on Capitol Hill. Georgia Congressman John Lewis was greeted with racial slurs. Emanuel Cleaver, a black congressman from Missouri, was spat on.

Much has been made indeed. Dozens of pundits have seized on the incident as proof that the Tea Party activists are generally motivated by racism. Of course, one incident hardly makes that case, especially if it didn't happen.

In an interview with Fox4 News, Representative Cleaver refused to say whether he had been spit on.

"I haven't talked about this incident on TV or anywhere, and I've been approached to talk about it on every national TV show," said Rep. Cleaver in an interview with FOX 4 News. "I never, I never reported anything, never a single thing in Washington, not one thing. People assume I went somewhere, never done press conference, never done an interview on it and I'm not going to do it."

In fact, Cleaver's staff did report the incident. The Huffington Post reproduces their press release in which this is included:

This afternoon, the Congressman was walking into the Capitol to vote, when one protester spat on him.

If the Congressman is now backing away from the latter statement, I think we can assume it didn't happen. It was a false accusation, intended to damage the reputation of the Tea Party protestors.

So what about the "racial slurs"? As the House prepared to vote on ObamaCare, Nancy Pelosi and other representatives chose to walk past a group of demonstrators. They didn't have to. They were trying to draw hostile fire (that's a metaphor), which was a fair strategy. It was during this incident that the alleged racial slurs occurred.

Video clips of the incident are available, and Andrew Breitbart posts one. You can hear the protestors boo loudly, and chant "Kill that Bill!" Maybe that's one of Krugman's hints of violence. What you do not hear is the "N" word, or any other racial slurs.

Breitbart has offered a cool one hundred grand to anyone who can produced evidence that any protestors actually used racial slurs during this incident. So far, he seems to be in no danger of paying out.

The mainstream press, left-leaning pundits, and certain bloggers have repeated this story without bothering to verify it. Racism is a terrible thing, and if you are going to accuse someone of it you had better make sure of the facts. Otherwise, you look like a damned liar.

Comments

[Stace Nelson]

Disgusting is the most polite expression of contempt that I can manage to muster at this time.

While I understand that such antics may be in Saul's handbook, what does it say about the party that would employ such tactics against Americans legally and peacefully protesting?

[KB]

It means, Stace, that they can't stomach dissent. Thanks for the comment.

[Roger Meyer]

The word racism has been thrown around to flippantly as to be rendered meaningless. There was a time when being a racist meant you actually disliked African Americans, believed in segregation or thought Black people were inferior. Today it simply means you disagreed with the Democrat party.

[caheidelberger]

"especially if it didn't happen"?

Shame.

http://voices.kansascity.com/node/8452

[caheidelberger]

Please review what Rep. Cleaver actually said via spokesman the day of the spitting incident. (I also stand by every word in my commentary.)

http://madvilletimes.blogspot.com/2010/03/cleaver-shows-class-protesters-show.html

[KB]

Cory: when I wrote of "certain bloggers" I did not have you in mind. But now that you mention it: you may stand by every word in your commentary, but Rep. Cleaver isn't standing by what his staff said at the time. He refuses to confirm that he was indeed spit on. Are you saying you know the facts better than he does? If not, the story is unconfirmed. What more do you want?

As to the racial slurs, we have audio tapes of the incident on which no racial slurs can be heard. You have a reward for any evidence that they occurred that has gone unfulfilled.

You seem frustrated that I doubt your account merely because the evidence for it is non-existent. Well, now you must know how the birthers feel.

[Guard]

Well, you guys are not helping matters by also involving yourselves in the gossip over this issue. They issue their half-truths and spin it and you all do the same things in retaliation by listening to your "bloggers" and repeating their half-truths. Both sides make my head spin...so, who can you really believe? Of course, you all band together and believe your side to the hilt just like they do. So, I believe none of you. Same old us versus them and its getting worse and frankly, who cares since I do not believe any side anymore.

[Ivan]

Guard, why don't you just go away. You bring nothing to the discourse,you have nothing substantive ever to say. Maybe you should look into something for your depressive personality.

[Guard]

Ivan, lol...I "bring nothing to the discourse?" What you mean to say is that I don't agree with you and I don't say what you want to hear. ha, ha...you just proved my point.

[William]

Guard, it's difficult to believe you when you say none of this matter & you don't believe any side anymore when you post here daily. SOMETHING here must interest you.

[Stan Gibilisco]

Guard, please stick around.

[Guard]

Stan, I sure will stick around. Thanks for the support although we don't agree all the time because thats the way it is.

Will, in all reality there is nothing we can do to change circumstances or events. You know the only thing you really have control over: your actions and reactions to the events and I do not say in a mean way, I really believe that.

[Will]

Tea party members wake up you are lift up palin she couldnt run alaska and you want her to help change congress a vote for republicans is a loss for america they help the rich middle class and poor get left in the cold to suffer