The woman, Lauren Valle, is a MoveOn volunteer and a Pennsylvania resident. The violent incident took place outside a Kentucky Senatorial debate between Paul and Jack Conway.
Here's the video:
Via HuffPo:
According to a local Fox station, Valle had attempted to approach Paul before the debate took place, dressed in a blonde wig and with a "RepublicanCorp" sign mocking him as a stooge of special interests.Valle spoke to reporters after the incident. She later filed charges with the police and went to the hospital with head pains.
Attendees around Valle are heard screaming, "get the cops" as cameras captured her being dragged to the pavement by her red sweater. Once on the ground a man wearing white sneakers pushed the sole of his shoe down on her head.
Also via HuffPo:
A spokesman for the Lexington Police Department, Lt. Edward Hart, tells The Huffington Post that as off 12:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time they have not yet identified the man captured on video stomping the head of the MoveOn volunteer. Hart said that the department would be reviewing news footage of the incident and that they "are hoping someone can identify who the person is." Until then, he said, it is a "pending investigation."Here's the man who stomped on her head:
Here's the man who held her down:
(More photos at Blue Bluegrass)
We're not sure if this is what Palin and Angle mean by manning up. Nor do we know if anyone demanded that she worship Aqua Buddha while on the curb.
Seriously though, while there will be those who say that you cannot blame Rand Paul for the actions of his supporters, that would be much easier to defend if Paul hadn't appeared at a rally with men in camo waving guns and calling for violence earlier this year:
I guess Valle should be grateful that she wasn't shot.
Via Talking Points Memo:
In a separate incident, according to the Kentucky Post, "a Conway supporter stepped on the foot of a female Rand supporter, who recently had foot surgery. The woman was wearing a surgical boot, but after the injury, her incision was cut open. Police say she refused medical treatment and also filed an assault report.".
17 comments:
the woman is a professional agitator..and at the time a perceived threat...she got what she came for...a headline...
Yes! Opposing opinions deserve a good head stomping! She may have actually waved a sign at Paul! Thank you for putting this in perspective!
nope..not condoning violence or the shoulder stomp.merely stating ms. valle got the attention she wanted...and why the wig/disguise...and all reports state she attempted to "give" something to the candidate...
Last time I checked, perceived threats are handled by security or police.
And if you're not condoning it, why not say so instead of playing this passive-aggressive game, Rich?
As far as Lexington police are concerned:
"I think we're probably going to come up with something later today," Roberts[public information officer for the Lexington division of police] said, adding that tips have been coming in literally from around the country about who the suspects in the attack might be. "Because it was captured on video, we have a good idea what happened [and] at this point there doesn't seem to be anything to justify how this incident unfolded." http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/10/kentucky-attack-victim-suffers-concussion-police-hope-to-identify-suspects-today.php?ref=fpblg
She might be a professional agitator, but that does not give citizens the right to attack her.
Too bad she didn't shout "Allah Akbar".. she would have been allowed to 'deliver' her 'gift'. /sarcasm
Re: "Allah Akbar": For you spelling police people.. snort. I don't have time or the inclination to look up the correct phrase, nor do I care. You know what I'm saying.
I have no idea what you're saying, Con. Are you saying that she's like a terrorist or are you saying that certain people would let terrorists attack us? Who was president on 9/11/01 again?
And heaven forbid you actually look something up to get it correct. Wouldn't want anyone to think you know what you're talking about or mistake you for an intelligent person.
You and Rich are such manly men - defending two other men physically attacking a woman. A couple of dickless little cowards if you ask me.
jai."not condoning violence or the shoulder stomp."
No jai it doesn't... she was high fiving her comrades soon after her headline grabbing stunt...she'll take a little shoulder stomp for that anyday...I'm sure she considers the day a success.
ah Jai, the real progressive comes out...the name calling, the derisive comments...cya next tuesday...oh by the way morning call has sestak down by 8 again..so all the euphoria you were feeling about the Admiral winning is as i said before "dead in the water" ttyl
The whole thing was staged and stupid.
It accomplished it's goal of making headlines that have nothing to do with "opposing opinions" and intelligent discussion of the issues. It even got a lefty political blog in Pittsburgh to talk about it rather than real issues. Thank you Maria for having perspective.
Oh yea...
Tell me why I should vote for Dan Onorato again?
Unlawful restraint and aggrivated assault are serious crimes in PA. Not sure about KY, but the stomper is apparently being charged with 4th degree assault.
Forgot to mention, but in one of the reports I read in the Lexington KY media, local police were asked by the Paultards to restraine Valle, but they refused, saying there is nothing illegal in trying to get your picture taken with a public figure. That's when the thugs decided to take matters into their own hands, because you cannot allow a politician to be photographed next to an embarrassing sign.
Right, from now on your Rich the Willfully Obtuse.
If you don't condone the violence perpetrated against her you don't say things like "She got what she wanted" or "she was a perceived threat" or "she attempted to give something" or "she was high fiving her friends" (got a source that isn't rightwing propaganda for that claim btw?)
That's called equivocating, Rich. That's called being a moral coward; that's called making excuses, justifying, and rationalizing. That's called being a moral relativist, Rich.
And, honestly, as someone I am assuming is a member of the Teabagger "movement," you don't have a lot of credibility calling someone out for name-calling and derisive comments when in this very thread another conservative sarcastically equates her to a terrorists and you equivocate on the issue of condemning violence. Nevermind the last two years of conservatives accusing their opposition of being equivalent to Nazi's or murderous communist regimes and all the other epithets you folks like to throw around or the hate and unjustified fear folks like you have helped incite against Muslim Americans or Americans who have the audacity to be born with brown skin.
I mean, really, Rich. Really.
What I called you Rich (and ConMoun), is exactly what you are when you can't state unequivocally that the violent act against this woman was JUST PLAIN WRONG.
And if you want to proclaim victory before a single vote (excluding absentee) has been cast in this state, go right ahead because there was also a poll yesterday from Reuters/Ipsos that had the race tied. If you bothered to learn anything about statistics you would understand that such fluctuations in polling data speak to one thing: this race is up for grabs and Sestak most certainly can win it.
And personally, Rich, I'm speaking to you as one man to another: You don't condone violence, of any sort, against women.
Stop making excuses and justifications for this. Man up, already.
jay who cares you think..really...i know who i am..and your little school boy name calling is cute,but really who cares what you think??
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2010/10/27/moveonorg_activist_lied_about_events_at_head_stomping_incident.html
Rich,
HA! The video you reference actually shows that Valle was truthful in her account. She tries to show Paul her sign. What's likely a Paul security person moves her away. "Crisis" averted.
THEN, at around 54 in, you see that she's been chased entirely around the car and is now in front of it (meanwhile Rand is surrounded by real security and headed in to debate) and it's at this point that the thugs grab her, push her to the ground and stomp on her.
Apparently, you care, Rich, or you wouldn't bother responding. And I'll say it again - you're a very small, tiny, hardly-a-man-at-all who makes excuses for other men who use violence against women.
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