Congressman Assaults Student on Washington Sidewalk

[Jeanfromfillmore]

Congressman Assaults Student on Washington Sidewalk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v60oN...layer_embedded
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N.C. Congressman Apologizes for Physical Confrontation With Student in Washington
Three days after an Internet video surfaced showing North Carolina Rep. Bob Etheridge in a physical confrontation with a self-described student, the lawmaker said he is "profoundly" sorry for the tussle on a Washington street.
Rep. Bob Etheridge, a Democrat, is seen in an amateur video grabbing the wrist and neck of an unidentified young man after he approached the congressman and asked if he supported the "Obama agenda."
"I have seen the video posted on several blogs," Etheridge said in a statement Monday. "I deeply and profoundly regret my reaction and I apologize to all involved.
"Throughout my many years of service to the people of North Carolina, I have always tried to treat people from all viewpoints with respect. No matter how intrusive and partisan our politics can become, this does not justify a poor response. I have and I will always work to promote a civil public discourse," he said.
The video, posted to YouTube on June 11, shows the man, who appears to be in his early 20s and who identifies himself as a college student, approaching Etheridge on the sidewalk.
Etheridge is then seen trying to snatch a cell phone camera out of the student's hands. He then grabs the man's wrist and refuses to let go.
"Who are you!" the seventh-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, National Republican Congressional Committee 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."
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 on YouTube by "DCCameraGuy," does not reveal the identity of the would-be students.
Etheridge, who has represented North Carolina's 2nd congressional district since 1997, is running for re-election against Republican Renee Ellmers, a registered nurse, in November. Political observers have predicted that the 68-year-old congressman will likely hold on to his seat.
Etheridge voted in favor of President Obama's health care overhaul legislation as well as the Democratic climate change bill known by opponents as cap-and-trade.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010...tion-students/