Washington – A North Carolina congressman is under fire after a video surfaced Monday showing him in a physical confrontation with a young man on a street in Washington.
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Rep. Bob Etheridge, a Democrat, is seen in the amateur video grabbing the wrist and neck of the unidentified man after he approached him and asked if he supported the “Obama agenda.”
The video, posted to YouTube, shows the man, who appears to be in his young 20s and who identifies himself as a college student, approaching Etheridge on the sidewalk.
Etheridge is then seen trying to snatch a cellphone camera out of the student’s hands. He then grabs the man’s wrist and refuses to let go.
“Who are you!” the six-term congressman demands. “Tell me who you are … I have a right to know who you are.”
Another man, not seen on camera, then tells Etheridge, “We’re just here for a project.”
When the student asks Etheridge to “please let go of me,” the congressman then grabs him by the neck.
In a statement Monday, NRCC spokesman Jon Thompson said, “Bob Etheridge has lost it.
“His conduct is unbecoming of a member of Congress. It’s bad enough that he’s joined Obama’s assault on North Carolina jobs, but his physical assault on a college student goes beyond the pale.”
**UPDATE** 1:52 PM
Rep. Bob Etheridge, just released a statement saying that he regrets his reaction.
Mike Flynn, a conservative blogger for biggovernment.com, wrote that the confrontation occurred last week outside a fundraiser headlined by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The video, which was posted to YouTube by “DCCameraGuy” on June 11, does not reveal the identity of the two men.
Here is another person who is going to lose his job because of YouTube.
Don’t ever forget ‘Ayin Roeh…’ ‘…Vechol maasecho besefer nichtovim’.
There’s no twisting this.
I do not understand. Congress always had actors (Geprge Murphy), comedians, and singers (Sonny Bono) that were elected. What is wrong with a professional wrestler?
Liberalism is a very bad mental disorder and it must be stopped by throwing them out of DC.
I guess he won’t make a seventh term.
see what obama has wrought
i see and they say the tea party people are the violent ones, HA! you all show your true colors.
I hope he presses charges, can you imagine if it would have been a Republican what kind of outrage there would have been. Shame on you Congressmen.
“Who are you”?
Well he’s the kid who had you lose your job.
it’s been a while since i’ve seen such a good one
WOW!!! This guy is crazy. Charlie Hall, what say you? One of YOURS, my friend.
He acted properly. That kid could have had a knive or gun in his hand and might have attacked him. These conservative nutcases engage in ambush style video interviews that will get them killed one of these days. Until he knew of the kid’s intentions, he reacted like any normal person would react.
Reply to #11 : “any normal person”?! You my friend are insane!
The truth is: everyone is stressed out more and more thanks to Obama Hussein. He is making our country lose it. Don’t you feel the added stress since this Muslim became our President, elected by 78% of the Jews…political idiots…who live in the USA. And what about all the new anti semitic assimilated Jews that keep showing up in the news?>
Could the congressman justify why he needs to know his name & who he is, what was the legal reason?
I am suprised the boy didn’t throw him a punch in self defense. I think the congressman shouldn’t wait until November, he should go now.
Boy please press charges, & what ever project you were on, you now have a first hand opinion of what congress really is, all that is left to your imagination is who is our president, but don’t risk that one you may not live to tell the tale.
he looks like a real Bigot.
why is that because someone said something that was not exactly to his liking that physicaly assulted that person?
he can be charged with battery and assult.
and besides, he will have a hard time to get re’elected.
Sir, Who are you?!
Hey-when he grabbed the boy, he could be charged for imprisonment against his will….just saying…even if it was for just a second…
There are safety issues with this random guy running up and getting in his face. Obviously, the kid wasn’t a reporter and how would the congressman know if it was safe? I didn’t like the kid’s approach. Something tells me he was trying to make trouble. Hopefully he didn’t succeed.
If I were this kid, I wouldn’t have posted it on YouTube — it just makes him look obnoxious and stupid. But I guess everyone wants his 15 minutes these days.
What can one expect from those bigoted southern crackers?
Next time, the students should be trained in defensive techniques, and take appropriate action, if necessary.
Not a good time for Washington D.C. knockers being asked questions by people carrying cell phones. aka Hele Thomas, this loser is also going to lose his job.
Charlie hall is guy a liberal like you and this is how they act vote the dems out of office.
if he didn’t like the tone of the college kid, or if the college kid refused to ID himself or what his purpose was, the proper response was to MOVE ALONG and IGNORE them…
In the days of our glorious democracy this fascist politician would have known that it is NOT his right to know, rather it is the student’s right to question. Furthermore this is criminal harrassment and he should have beem arrested…. boy did the US experience climate change in a short period!
I think that the Dems arel osing it completely. I hope trhat his opponent keeps on playing this in his district during the campaign.
He says he regrets his actions.
Actually, I think he regrets his actions ending up on youtube…
I’d love if this had been a Republican congressman. Then everyone would be jumping on the kid “reporter,” “gotcha media,” etc. Because he’s a Democrat he should be hung.
Grow up. Partisan obsessions are so 2008.
why isnt this congressman under arrrest?
Where is Charlie Hall? Why are you so quiet now Charlie? Did this story hit a sensitive nerve?
It will be GLORIOUS!
He would have made a good nazi.