Alabama Senator Charles Bishop punches Senator Lowell Barron

Alabama state senator Charles Bishop punched Lowell Barron:

In typical Republican fashion, Bishop admitted that the incident "shouldn't have happened" but declined to apologize to his Democratic colleague for punching him in the face.

Comments

[skeptical]

Some guy insults one's mother, he gets a pop in the face. This is not a Republican-Democrat thing. Grow up.

[John Lucid]

Human conflict - The next best thing after Diet Coke and Mentos

[The Phantom]

News Flash!

Democrat Congressman William Jefferson indicted for soliciting and dispensing bribes!

Will we be getting a "William Jefferson Perp Walk" photo essay? Is it only crime when a "Rethug" does it?

Thought so!

[Ken C.]

"Some guy insults one's mother, he gets a pop in the face."

Right, calling someone a "son of a bitch" is insulting his mom. By the way, what response is appropriate for getting told "fuck yourself" on the hallowed floor of the U.S. Senate? How about getting called a traitor? Should various Republans be watching out for a "pop in the face" from a majority of Americans?

[The Phantom]

Who called who a traitor?

[Skeptic8]

Phantom "thought so" in a pejorative response to his own question.
Rational citizens want corrupt practices prosecuited regardless of any affiliations. Kleptons are not noted for fidelity to performance for the citizenry.

[The Phantom]

Skeptic8

My foot. Count the posts here about Republican transgressions, then count the posts on Democrat transgressions, and divide one into the other.

Do the same for Huffington Post, then do the same for Crooks and Liars and the other single minded sites.

Then decide whether the gross and complete disparity is due to the fact that only "Rethugs" commit crimes or because some folks only care about "my side winning". A most human frailty, but one completely at the root cause of all the world's problems.

[Stogoe]

It seems The Phantom is falling victim to the all-too classic "Why is this post about X not discussing Y?" syndrome.

Fucking Google it, dipshit. The left is talking about how corrupt Freezer Cash Jefferson is; you just have to look for it instead of complaining on non-relevant posts.

[Republic of Palau]

Well, Phantom, that just might be because they're liberal blogs, like rightwing blogs are you know, right wing.

Do you go to the liquor store for deodorant? Of course not. (I dunno though, you might, cultural differences and all).

Come off it. If partisanship were a crime, the entire rightblogosphere would be in chains.

[Gelf]

skeptical: This is not a Republican-Democrat thing. Grow up.

You're absolutely right. This is not a partisan issue. It is an issue of the elected officials of the great state of Alabama once again humiliating their constituents by behaving like uncivilized yokels out in public for everyone to gawk at. It's practically a state tradition.

[janet]

I love the cognitive dissonance of being told to "grow up" and accept the fact that hitting someone who's insulted you is reasonable behavior.

[skeptical]

Didn't say it was reasonable. It's just totally predictable. The puncher shouldn't have done it; nor should we be particularly solicitous of the punchee. What is risible is the notion that this is something Republican, or something Democratic. Maybe it's Alabaman. More like, maybe it's male. But Republican? Again, grow up.

[bernarda]

Let's find some "Yo Mama" jokes for this typical Rethuglican sleazebag--sorry for the pleonasm.

[Tyler DiPietro]

"Didn't say it was reasonable. It's just totally predictable."

Yes, it's totally predictable because of the undisputable fact that statesman are wont to physically assault one another and we can expect nothing less than such barbarism in the Senate chamber.

Between this and Phantom's latest idiocy simultaneously in the same thread, I find myself wondering whether the wingnuts can descend any further into self-parody.

[Ichthyic]

"How about getting called a traitor? Should various Republans be watching out for a "pop in the face" from a majority of Americans?"

Yes.

Now you know the real reason behind the forming of the Dept. of Homeland Security.

:p

[The Phantom]

Ah, so noone called anyone a traitor? Thought so.

Stogoe, you name-calling cockroach--

I speak of broader trends, and I am correct. The left has to say something (some of the left, anyway) when one of their Democratic heroes from New Orleans for Gods sake is indicted! But the comments are few and they are quick, and they are not followed up on.

Unlike the unending parade of photos and images and "culture of corruption" and Perp Walk bullshit we were hearing when Delay was under attack.

Remember when there was all the bellyaching about insurance issues and the level of aid to New Orleans, it was only your friendly Phantom made comments about the unimaginable level of corruption that is the norm in New Orleans and Louisiana generally. None of the rest of you said a word. So be quiet about the Refrigerator. He's your guy, not a one of you said a word against him in the past, and you'll have to live with it.

http://majikthise.typepad.com/majikthise_/2006/12/insurance_firm_.html

[Anacher Forester]

IOKIYAR!

AF

[Lindsay Beyerstein]

I'm glad Jefferson's going to jail. They found tens of thousands of dollars in cash in his freezer for god's sake.

Louisiana is a cesspool of corruption.

What's your point? Astonishingly, there's some doubt that Tom DeLay will be convicted for his misdeeds. Whereas, Jefferson's going away soon, and good riddance.

[The Phantom]

My point?

That a significant talent such as yourself should not only post negative things about the perceived other side while giving politically friendly crooks a pass. You've spoken truth in this last comment, but I cannot recall any posts over the past one year plus where a Democrat/liberal was savaged, or where a Democrat/Liberal was criticized in any way in comparison with a Republican and/or conservative.

When I said a while back, when all this Tom Delay/Culture of Corruption (for one party only ) bullshit was raging, that nearly all politicians were corrupt, I was scoffed at here. Still scoffing now?

This asshole was caught only because he was stupid and was dealing with people who dealt in cash. But there are so very many ways slick politicians can and do sell their souls on the first day they decide to join a party.

Every one of these sons of bitches in the Senate and House -conservative, liberal, Republican, Democrat--deserves to be frog marched to prison. Including those you may hold dear.

Mark Twain (not Will Rogers) said "there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.".

Rep. Jefferson is not an anomoly. There are more like him, in Louisiana and elsewhere, most decidedly on both sides of the aisle.

--Well, Phantom, that just might be because they're liberal blogs, like rightwing blogs are you know, right wing.--

Like,yeah, man. And if the libs went after liberal crooks twice as hard as they went after the right wing crooks, and vice versa, what a beautiful world it would fucking be.

[janet]

Didn't say it was reasonable. It's just totally predictable. The puncher shouldn't have done it; nor should we be particularly solicitous of the punchee. What is risible is the notion that this is something Republican, or something Democratic. Maybe it's Alabaman. More like, maybe it's male. But Republican? Again, grow up.

You know, I agree with you, sort of. But "grow up" still strikes me as an amusing rebuttal.

And since we're splitting hairs, Lindsey didn't say the punch was typical Republican behavior, but rather admitting it was wrong without apologizing, that is (and this is my interpretation of Lindsey's words) admitting a mistake without taking responsibility for it. Probably also an unfair characterization, but we've certainly seen a lot of variations on "mistakes were made" recently.

[inkybrain]

I'm glad Jefferson's likely going to jail too, but the idea that he and DeLay are commensurate just because they've both been indicted strikes me as kind of absurd. DeLay was a key figure in the Republican Revolution in the nineties, a key figure in the dramatic integration of K Street lobbying and Congress, a key figure in the general crap that passes for political rhetoric nowadays. He just carries a lot more semantic weight than does Jefferson, and so merits more attention (even more than he's getting, I'd say). I mean, not to minimize Jefferson's crimes or anything, but come on! Just because they're similar in one regard doesn't mean they're similar in all regards.

Also, I recall reading a story about DeLay deliberately trying to smoke a cigar in a non-smoking restaurant. Now that's just rude.

[squidink]

In 1806 Andrew Jackson shot and killed a man in a duel -- an attorney named Charles Dickinson. Dickinson had insulted the character of Jackson' wife, or something.

To many people, the phrase "son-of-a-bitch" is translated as "your mother is a dog"; dog meaning "low-to-the-ground and dirty" or "of little or no value" -- though we dog people protest.

Jackson, who I certainly respect, if nothing else for killing the national bank (Second Bank of the United States), was EVEN MORE UNCIVILIZED than Mr. Bishop, since he not only threw a punch re: the honor of a beloved female, but actually blew holes in him and made him "not alive."

Call me a homophobe, but it seems to me that Mr. Bishop's reaction wasn't exactly uncivilized. If Dick Cheney had told you to "fuck off", wouldn't you want to kick him in his eye?

Restraint isn't always a good thing. You can call Bishop uncivilized, but I'd say it was Senator Lowell Barron who broke that ice.

[Ian Welsh]

Perhaps. Nonetheless, I don't think "son of a bitch" meets "fighting words", so odds are he just commited assault. Personally I'd tell him he makes a sincere public apology, or I press charges on him.

[Ken C.]

Ah, so noone called anyone a traitor? Thought so.

True, hardly anyone ever talked about liberals, journalists, Democrats, or those against the war as though they were traitors, or deserved execution. A few minutes search just finds these folks:

• Karl Rove, Phil Gramm, Bill O'Reilly, John Derbsyshire, and many more
• warbloggers
• Ann Coulter
• John Thune, John Ashcroft
• Dick Cheney, Tony Snow
• Republican strategist Brad Blakeman
• Radio host Neil Boortz
• South Carolina GOP chair Katon Dawson
• Wolf Blitzer

[Ken C.]

To many people, the phrase "son-of-a-bitch" is translated as "your mother is a dog"; dog meaning "low-to-the-ground and dirty" or "of little or no value" -- though we dog people protest.

Really, "bitch" literally means female dog? So "son of a bitch" literally means "son of a female dog"? So calling someone a "son of a bitch" literally means that their mother was a dog? Ah, now I understand. How about calling someone a "bastard"? Does that say something bad about their mother? How about "motherfucker"?