Democrat Cleaver says he never “reported” being spat on
WaveCameCrashin
Posts: 2,929
Thought some on here just might like to know,that sooner or later the truth would come out.
http://dailycaller.com/2010/04/02/dem-n ... n/Democrat Cleaver
says he never “reported” being spat on
By Gregg Re | Published: 04/02/10 at 2:53 PM | Updated: 04/02/10 at 5:23 PM
UPDATE 5:20 P.M. – We reached out to Cleaver’s office in hopes they could clarify what the congressman meant when he said he had not “reported” the incident. Cleaver spokesman Danny Rotert e-mailed us back and said, in essence, that the congressman was attempting to say that he has not tried to draw attention to the incident by going on national TV programs and talking about it.
Rotert also says that the man who spit on Cleaver (intentionally or unintentionally) was detained by Capitol Police, and that he wasn’t arrested because Cleaver refused to identify him.
Here is Rotert’s full statement:
In the quote described, the Congressman is saying he did not hold a press conference, did not issue a release, has continually declined interview requests from both O’Reilly and Matthews. Had another office not spoken about the matter thus prompting requests for our office to confirm, we wouldn’t have even issued that statement to the media we did. Had he had his way-no one would have known about this incident.
The man was detained after the incident was reported to Capitol Police (upon entering the Complex). Sgt. Kimberly Schneider has confirmed the man was brought in and the Congressman declined to identify him, knowing what would happen if he did. In the context of his interview he was trying to say he didn’t want to make it a big deal. He said reported. But he is talking about reporting the incident to the press. Clearly the detention of the man would indicate the Capitol police were told of the incident. I understand that the added scrutiny of this unfortunate episode means that every word is picked apart. I am confident follow up with the local reporter would reveal that, as the story headline indicates, the Congressman continues to try and not talk about the issue, blame anyone or use the incident for anything other than to talk about the need for both parties to practice civility.
Hope that helps and thanks again for the request. Despite every effort our office has made to downplay the incident — it still hangs around. As your blog fairly states, and unlike many commentators on both sides, we have never characterized what was in the mans mind, and do not know if it was on purpose or and accident and will not speculate. People make mistakes, which is why the Congressman has declined to pursue the matter further.
*****
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri Democrat, was one of a few central figures key to the narrative that Democrats used in the days after the health care vote to argue that many of the people who opposed the massive new law are racist or deranged.
Cleaver, the story went, was spit on by Tea Party protesters, who also reportedly used racist language against black lawmakers. One incident that has been confirmed is that some protesters yelled an epithet at gay lawmaker Barney Frank, Massachusetts Democrat.
Video recently surfaced that called into question whether or not Cleaver was actually spat upon intentionally. The video (which is at the bottom of this post) shows Cleaver and other lawmakers walking into the Longworth House office building, while protesters surround them (but allow them to pass up the stairs).
One man is yelling with his hands cupped over his mouth as Cleaver walks by, and as Cleaver passes him, he recoils as if he has been hit in the face with spit. What is probably unknowable is whether the protester spit on Cleaver by accident or on purpose.
In an interview on Tuesday with a local Fox News affiliate, Cleaver would not directly answer the question of whether he was intentionally spit on, and in fact seemed to deny he ever had claimed to have 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.”
The denial appears to directly contradict a statement issued by Cleaver’s office following the incident. Cleaver’s statement incorrectly claimed that Capitol Police arrested a man for spitting on Cleaver. Capitol Police told the Associated Press that they did not make any arrests that day.
Here is the full statement released by Cleaver’s office to the Huffington Post the day of the incident:
For many of the members of the CBC, like John Lewis and Emanuel Cleaver who worked in the civil rights movement, and for Mr. Frank who has struggled in the cause of equality, this is not the first time they have been spit on during turbulent times.
This afternoon, the Congressman was walking into the Capitol to vote, when one protester spat on him. The Congressman would like to thank the US Capitol Police officer who quickly escorted the others Members and him into the Capitol, and defused the tense situation with professionalism and care. After all the Members were safe, a full report was taken and the matter was handled by the US Capitol Police. The man who spat on the Congressman was arrested, but the Congressman has chosen not to press charges. He has left the matter with the Capitol Police.
This is not the first time the Congressman has been called the “n” word and certainly not the worst assault he has endured in his years fighting for equal rights for all Americans. That being said, he is disappointed that in the 21st century our national discourse has devolved to the point of name calling and spitting. He looks forward to taking a historic vote on health care reform legislation tomorrow, for the residents of the Fifth District of Missouri and for all Americans. He believes deeply that tomorrow’s vote is, in fact, a vote for equality and to secure health care as a right for all. Our nation has a history of struggling each time we expand rights. Today’s protests are no different, but the
Democrat Cleaver says he never “reported” being spat on
By Gregg Re | Published: 04/02/10 at 2:53 PM | Updated: 04/02/10 at 5:23 PM
UPDATE 5:20 P.M. – We reached out to Cleaver’s office in hopes they could clarify what the congressman meant when he said he had not “reported” the incident. Cleaver spokesman Danny Rotert e-mailed us back and said, in essence, that the congressman was attempting to say that he has not tried to draw attention to the incident by going on national TV programs and talking about it.
Rotert also says that the man who spit on Cleaver (intentionally or unintentionally) was detained by Capitol Police, and that he wasn’t arrested because Cleaver refused to identify him.
Here is Rotert’s full statement:
In the quote described, the Congressman is saying he did not hold a press conference, did not issue a release, has continually declined interview requests from both O’Reilly and Matthews. Had another office not spoken about the matter thus prompting requests for our office to confirm, we wouldn’t have even issued that statement to the media we did. Had he had his way-no one would have known about this incident.
The man was detained after the incident was reported to Capitol Police (upon entering the Complex). Sgt. Kimberly Schneider has confirmed the man was brought in and the Congressman declined to identify him, knowing what would happen if he did. In the context of his interview he was trying to say he didn’t want to make it a big deal. He said reported. But he is talking about reporting the incident to the press. Clearly the detention of the man would indicate the Capitol police were told of the incident. I understand that the added scrutiny of this unfortunate episode means that every word is picked apart. I am confident follow up with the local reporter would reveal that, as the story headline indicates, the Congressman continues to try and not talk about the issue, blame anyone or use the incident for anything other than to talk about the need for both parties to practice civility.
Hope that helps and thanks again for the request. Despite every effort our office has made to downplay the incident — it still hangs around. As your blog fairly states, and unlike many commentators on both sides, we have never characterized what was in the mans mind, and do not know if it was on purpose or and accident and will not speculate. People make mistakes, which is why the Congressman has declined to pursue the matter further.
*****
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri Democrat, was one of a few central figures key to the narrative that Democrats used in the days after the health care vote to argue that many of the people who opposed the massive new law are racist or deranged.
Cleaver, the story went, was spit on by Tea Party protesters, who also reportedly used racist language against black lawmakers. One incident that has been confirmed is that some protesters yelled an epithet at gay lawmaker Barney Frank, Massachusetts Democrat.
Video recently surfaced that called into question whether or not Cleaver was actually spat upon intentionally. The video (which is at the bottom of this post) shows Cleaver and other lawmakers walking into the Longworth House office building, while protesters surround them (but allow them to pass up the stairs).
One man is yelling with his hands cupped over his mouth as Cleaver walks by, and as Cleaver passes him, he recoils as if he has been hit in the face with spit. What is probably unknowable is whether the protester spit on Cleaver by accident or on purpose.
In an interview on Tuesday with a local Fox News affiliate, Cleaver would not directly answer the question of whether he was intentionally spit on, and in fact seemed to deny he ever had claimed to have 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.”
The denial appears to directly contradict a statement issued by Cleaver’s office following the incident. Cleaver’s statement incorrectly claimed that Capitol Police arrested a man for spitting on Cleaver. Capitol Police told the Associated Press that they did not make any arrests that day.
Here is the full statement released by Cleaver’s office to the Huffington Post the day of the incident:
For many of the members of the CBC, like John Lewis and Emanuel Cleaver who worked in the civil rights movement, and for Mr. Frank who has struggled in the cause of equality, this is not the first time they have been spit on during turbulent times.
This afternoon, the Congressman was walking into the Capitol to vote, when one protester spat on him. The Congressman would like to thank the US Capitol Police officer who quickly escorted the others Members and him into the Capitol, and defused the tense situation with professionalism and care. After all the Members were safe, a full report was taken and the matter was handled by the US Capitol Police. The man who spat on the Congressman was arrested, but the Congressman has chosen not to press charges. He has left the matter with the Capitol Police.
This is not the first time the Congressman has been called the “n” word and certainly not the worst assault he has endured in his years fighting for equal rights for all Americans. That being said, he is disappointed that in the 21st century our national discourse has devolved to the point of name calling and spitting. He looks forward to taking a historic vote on health care reform legislation tomorrow, for the residents of the Fifth District of Missouri and for all Americans. He believes deeply that tomorrow’s vote is, in fact, a vote for equality and to secure health care as a right for all. Our nation has a history of struggling each time we expand rights. Today’s protests are no different, but the
Democrat Cleaver says he never “reported” being spat on
By Gregg Re | Published: 04/02/10 at 2:53 PM | Updated: 04/02/10 at 5:23 PM
UPDATE 5:20 P.M. – We reached out to Cleaver’s office in hopes they could clarify what the congressman meant when he said he had not “reported” the incident. Cleaver spokesman Danny Rotert e-mailed us back and said, in essence, that the congressman was attempting to say that he has not tried to draw attention to the incident by going on national TV programs and talking about it.
Rotert also says that the man who spit on Cleaver (intentionally or unintentionally) was detained by Capitol Police, and that he wasn’t arrested because Cleaver refused to identify him.
Here is Rotert’s full statement:
In the quote described, the Congressman is saying he did not hold a press conference, did not issue a release, has continually declined interview requests from both O’Reilly and Matthews. Had another office not spoken about the matter thus prompting requests for our office to confirm, we wouldn’t have even issued that statement to the media we did. Had he had his way-no one would have known about this incident.
The man was detained after the incident was reported to Capitol Police (upon entering the Complex). Sgt. Kimberly Schneider has confirmed the man was brought in and the Congressman declined to identify him, knowing what would happen if he did. In the context of his interview he was trying to say he didn’t want to make it a big deal. He said reported. But he is talking about reporting the incident to the press. Clearly the detention of the man would indicate the Capitol police were told of the incident. I understand that the added scrutiny of this unfortunate episode means that every word is picked apart. I am confident follow up with the local reporter would reveal that, as the story headline indicates, the Congressman continues to try and not talk about the issue, blame anyone or use the incident for anything other than to talk about the need for both parties to practice civility.
Hope that helps and thanks again for the request. Despite every effort our office has made to downplay the incident — it still hangs around. As your blog fairly states, and unlike many commentators on both sides, we have never characterized what was in the mans mind, and do not know if it was on purpose or and accident and will not speculate. People make mistakes, which is why the Congressman has declined to pursue the matter further.
*****
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri Democrat, was one of a few central figures key to the narrative that Democrats used in the days after the health care vote to argue that many of the people who opposed the massive new law are racist or deranged.
Cleaver, the story went, was spit on by Tea Party protesters, who also reportedly used racist language against black lawmakers. One incident that has been confirmed is that some protesters yelled an epithet at gay lawmaker Barney Frank, Massachusetts Democrat.
Video recently surfaced that called into question whether or not Cleaver was actually spat upon intentionally. The video (which is at the bottom of this post) shows Cleaver and other lawmakers walking into the Longworth House office building, while protesters surround them (but allow them to pass up the stairs).
One man is yelling with his hands cupped over his mouth as Cleaver walks by, and as Cleaver passes him, he recoils as if he has been hit in the face with spit. What is probably unknowable is whether the protester spit on Cleaver by accident or on purpose.
In an interview on Tuesday with a local Fox News affiliate, Cleaver would not directly answer the question of whether he was intentionally spit on, and in fact seemed to deny he ever had claimed to have 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.”
The denial appears to directly contradict a statement issued by Cleaver’s office following the incident. Cleaver’s statement incorrectly claimed that Capitol Police arrested a man for spitting on Cleaver. Capitol Police told the Associated Press that they did not make any arrests that day.
Here is the full statement released by Cleaver’s office to the Huffington Post the day of the incident:
For many of the members of the CBC, like John Lewis and Emanuel Cleaver who worked in the civil rights movement, and for Mr. Frank who has struggled in the cause of equality, this is not the first time they have been spit on during turbulent times.
This afternoon, the Congressman was walking into the Capitol to vote, when one protester spat on him. The Congressman would like to thank the US Capitol Police officer who quickly escorted the others Members and him into the Capitol, and defused the tense situation with professionalism and care. After all the Members were safe, a full report was taken and the matter was handled by the US Capitol Police. The man who spat on the Congressman was arrested, but the Congressman has chosen not to press charges. He has left the matter with the Capitol Police.
This is not the first time the Congressman has been called the “n” word and certainly not the worst assault he has endured in his years fighting for equal rights for all Americans. That being said, he is disappointed that in the 21st century our national discourse has devolved to the point of name calling and spitting. He looks forward to taking a historic vote on health care reform legislation tomorrow, for the residents of the Fifth District of Missouri and for all Americans. He believes deeply that tomorrow’s vote is, in fact, a vote for equality and to secure health care as a right for all. Our nation has a history of struggling each time we expand rights. Today’s protests are no different, but the Congressman believes this is worth fighting for.
http://dailycaller.com/2010/04/02/dem-n ... n/Democrat Cleaver
says he never “reported” being spat on
By Gregg Re | Published: 04/02/10 at 2:53 PM | Updated: 04/02/10 at 5:23 PM
UPDATE 5:20 P.M. – We reached out to Cleaver’s office in hopes they could clarify what the congressman meant when he said he had not “reported” the incident. Cleaver spokesman Danny Rotert e-mailed us back and said, in essence, that the congressman was attempting to say that he has not tried to draw attention to the incident by going on national TV programs and talking about it.
Rotert also says that the man who spit on Cleaver (intentionally or unintentionally) was detained by Capitol Police, and that he wasn’t arrested because Cleaver refused to identify him.
Here is Rotert’s full statement:
In the quote described, the Congressman is saying he did not hold a press conference, did not issue a release, has continually declined interview requests from both O’Reilly and Matthews. Had another office not spoken about the matter thus prompting requests for our office to confirm, we wouldn’t have even issued that statement to the media we did. Had he had his way-no one would have known about this incident.
The man was detained after the incident was reported to Capitol Police (upon entering the Complex). Sgt. Kimberly Schneider has confirmed the man was brought in and the Congressman declined to identify him, knowing what would happen if he did. In the context of his interview he was trying to say he didn’t want to make it a big deal. He said reported. But he is talking about reporting the incident to the press. Clearly the detention of the man would indicate the Capitol police were told of the incident. I understand that the added scrutiny of this unfortunate episode means that every word is picked apart. I am confident follow up with the local reporter would reveal that, as the story headline indicates, the Congressman continues to try and not talk about the issue, blame anyone or use the incident for anything other than to talk about the need for both parties to practice civility.
Hope that helps and thanks again for the request. Despite every effort our office has made to downplay the incident — it still hangs around. As your blog fairly states, and unlike many commentators on both sides, we have never characterized what was in the mans mind, and do not know if it was on purpose or and accident and will not speculate. People make mistakes, which is why the Congressman has declined to pursue the matter further.
*****
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri Democrat, was one of a few central figures key to the narrative that Democrats used in the days after the health care vote to argue that many of the people who opposed the massive new law are racist or deranged.
Cleaver, the story went, was spit on by Tea Party protesters, who also reportedly used racist language against black lawmakers. One incident that has been confirmed is that some protesters yelled an epithet at gay lawmaker Barney Frank, Massachusetts Democrat.
Video recently surfaced that called into question whether or not Cleaver was actually spat upon intentionally. The video (which is at the bottom of this post) shows Cleaver and other lawmakers walking into the Longworth House office building, while protesters surround them (but allow them to pass up the stairs).
One man is yelling with his hands cupped over his mouth as Cleaver walks by, and as Cleaver passes him, he recoils as if he has been hit in the face with spit. What is probably unknowable is whether the protester spit on Cleaver by accident or on purpose.
In an interview on Tuesday with a local Fox News affiliate, Cleaver would not directly answer the question of whether he was intentionally spit on, and in fact seemed to deny he ever had claimed to have 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.”
The denial appears to directly contradict a statement issued by Cleaver’s office following the incident. Cleaver’s statement incorrectly claimed that Capitol Police arrested a man for spitting on Cleaver. Capitol Police told the Associated Press that they did not make any arrests that day.
Here is the full statement released by Cleaver’s office to the Huffington Post the day of the incident:
For many of the members of the CBC, like John Lewis and Emanuel Cleaver who worked in the civil rights movement, and for Mr. Frank who has struggled in the cause of equality, this is not the first time they have been spit on during turbulent times.
This afternoon, the Congressman was walking into the Capitol to vote, when one protester spat on him. The Congressman would like to thank the US Capitol Police officer who quickly escorted the others Members and him into the Capitol, and defused the tense situation with professionalism and care. After all the Members were safe, a full report was taken and the matter was handled by the US Capitol Police. The man who spat on the Congressman was arrested, but the Congressman has chosen not to press charges. He has left the matter with the Capitol Police.
This is not the first time the Congressman has been called the “n” word and certainly not the worst assault he has endured in his years fighting for equal rights for all Americans. That being said, he is disappointed that in the 21st century our national discourse has devolved to the point of name calling and spitting. He looks forward to taking a historic vote on health care reform legislation tomorrow, for the residents of the Fifth District of Missouri and for all Americans. He believes deeply that tomorrow’s vote is, in fact, a vote for equality and to secure health care as a right for all. Our nation has a history of struggling each time we expand rights. Today’s protests are no different, but the
Democrat Cleaver says he never “reported” being spat on
By Gregg Re | Published: 04/02/10 at 2:53 PM | Updated: 04/02/10 at 5:23 PM
UPDATE 5:20 P.M. – We reached out to Cleaver’s office in hopes they could clarify what the congressman meant when he said he had not “reported” the incident. Cleaver spokesman Danny Rotert e-mailed us back and said, in essence, that the congressman was attempting to say that he has not tried to draw attention to the incident by going on national TV programs and talking about it.
Rotert also says that the man who spit on Cleaver (intentionally or unintentionally) was detained by Capitol Police, and that he wasn’t arrested because Cleaver refused to identify him.
Here is Rotert’s full statement:
In the quote described, the Congressman is saying he did not hold a press conference, did not issue a release, has continually declined interview requests from both O’Reilly and Matthews. Had another office not spoken about the matter thus prompting requests for our office to confirm, we wouldn’t have even issued that statement to the media we did. Had he had his way-no one would have known about this incident.
The man was detained after the incident was reported to Capitol Police (upon entering the Complex). Sgt. Kimberly Schneider has confirmed the man was brought in and the Congressman declined to identify him, knowing what would happen if he did. In the context of his interview he was trying to say he didn’t want to make it a big deal. He said reported. But he is talking about reporting the incident to the press. Clearly the detention of the man would indicate the Capitol police were told of the incident. I understand that the added scrutiny of this unfortunate episode means that every word is picked apart. I am confident follow up with the local reporter would reveal that, as the story headline indicates, the Congressman continues to try and not talk about the issue, blame anyone or use the incident for anything other than to talk about the need for both parties to practice civility.
Hope that helps and thanks again for the request. Despite every effort our office has made to downplay the incident — it still hangs around. As your blog fairly states, and unlike many commentators on both sides, we have never characterized what was in the mans mind, and do not know if it was on purpose or and accident and will not speculate. People make mistakes, which is why the Congressman has declined to pursue the matter further.
*****
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri Democrat, was one of a few central figures key to the narrative that Democrats used in the days after the health care vote to argue that many of the people who opposed the massive new law are racist or deranged.
Cleaver, the story went, was spit on by Tea Party protesters, who also reportedly used racist language against black lawmakers. One incident that has been confirmed is that some protesters yelled an epithet at gay lawmaker Barney Frank, Massachusetts Democrat.
Video recently surfaced that called into question whether or not Cleaver was actually spat upon intentionally. The video (which is at the bottom of this post) shows Cleaver and other lawmakers walking into the Longworth House office building, while protesters surround them (but allow them to pass up the stairs).
One man is yelling with his hands cupped over his mouth as Cleaver walks by, and as Cleaver passes him, he recoils as if he has been hit in the face with spit. What is probably unknowable is whether the protester spit on Cleaver by accident or on purpose.
In an interview on Tuesday with a local Fox News affiliate, Cleaver would not directly answer the question of whether he was intentionally spit on, and in fact seemed to deny he ever had claimed to have 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.”
The denial appears to directly contradict a statement issued by Cleaver’s office following the incident. Cleaver’s statement incorrectly claimed that Capitol Police arrested a man for spitting on Cleaver. Capitol Police told the Associated Press that they did not make any arrests that day.
Here is the full statement released by Cleaver’s office to the Huffington Post the day of the incident:
For many of the members of the CBC, like John Lewis and Emanuel Cleaver who worked in the civil rights movement, and for Mr. Frank who has struggled in the cause of equality, this is not the first time they have been spit on during turbulent times.
This afternoon, the Congressman was walking into the Capitol to vote, when one protester spat on him. The Congressman would like to thank the US Capitol Police officer who quickly escorted the others Members and him into the Capitol, and defused the tense situation with professionalism and care. After all the Members were safe, a full report was taken and the matter was handled by the US Capitol Police. The man who spat on the Congressman was arrested, but the Congressman has chosen not to press charges. He has left the matter with the Capitol Police.
This is not the first time the Congressman has been called the “n” word and certainly not the worst assault he has endured in his years fighting for equal rights for all Americans. That being said, he is disappointed that in the 21st century our national discourse has devolved to the point of name calling and spitting. He looks forward to taking a historic vote on health care reform legislation tomorrow, for the residents of the Fifth District of Missouri and for all Americans. He believes deeply that tomorrow’s vote is, in fact, a vote for equality and to secure health care as a right for all. Our nation has a history of struggling each time we expand rights. Today’s protests are no different, but the
Democrat Cleaver says he never “reported” being spat on
By Gregg Re | Published: 04/02/10 at 2:53 PM | Updated: 04/02/10 at 5:23 PM
UPDATE 5:20 P.M. – We reached out to Cleaver’s office in hopes they could clarify what the congressman meant when he said he had not “reported” the incident. Cleaver spokesman Danny Rotert e-mailed us back and said, in essence, that the congressman was attempting to say that he has not tried to draw attention to the incident by going on national TV programs and talking about it.
Rotert also says that the man who spit on Cleaver (intentionally or unintentionally) was detained by Capitol Police, and that he wasn’t arrested because Cleaver refused to identify him.
Here is Rotert’s full statement:
In the quote described, the Congressman is saying he did not hold a press conference, did not issue a release, has continually declined interview requests from both O’Reilly and Matthews. Had another office not spoken about the matter thus prompting requests for our office to confirm, we wouldn’t have even issued that statement to the media we did. Had he had his way-no one would have known about this incident.
The man was detained after the incident was reported to Capitol Police (upon entering the Complex). Sgt. Kimberly Schneider has confirmed the man was brought in and the Congressman declined to identify him, knowing what would happen if he did. In the context of his interview he was trying to say he didn’t want to make it a big deal. He said reported. But he is talking about reporting the incident to the press. Clearly the detention of the man would indicate the Capitol police were told of the incident. I understand that the added scrutiny of this unfortunate episode means that every word is picked apart. I am confident follow up with the local reporter would reveal that, as the story headline indicates, the Congressman continues to try and not talk about the issue, blame anyone or use the incident for anything other than to talk about the need for both parties to practice civility.
Hope that helps and thanks again for the request. Despite every effort our office has made to downplay the incident — it still hangs around. As your blog fairly states, and unlike many commentators on both sides, we have never characterized what was in the mans mind, and do not know if it was on purpose or and accident and will not speculate. People make mistakes, which is why the Congressman has declined to pursue the matter further.
*****
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri Democrat, was one of a few central figures key to the narrative that Democrats used in the days after the health care vote to argue that many of the people who opposed the massive new law are racist or deranged.
Cleaver, the story went, was spit on by Tea Party protesters, who also reportedly used racist language against black lawmakers. One incident that has been confirmed is that some protesters yelled an epithet at gay lawmaker Barney Frank, Massachusetts Democrat.
Video recently surfaced that called into question whether or not Cleaver was actually spat upon intentionally. The video (which is at the bottom of this post) shows Cleaver and other lawmakers walking into the Longworth House office building, while protesters surround them (but allow them to pass up the stairs).
One man is yelling with his hands cupped over his mouth as Cleaver walks by, and as Cleaver passes him, he recoils as if he has been hit in the face with spit. What is probably unknowable is whether the protester spit on Cleaver by accident or on purpose.
In an interview on Tuesday with a local Fox News affiliate, Cleaver would not directly answer the question of whether he was intentionally spit on, and in fact seemed to deny he ever had claimed to have 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.”
The denial appears to directly contradict a statement issued by Cleaver’s office following the incident. Cleaver’s statement incorrectly claimed that Capitol Police arrested a man for spitting on Cleaver. Capitol Police told the Associated Press that they did not make any arrests that day.
Here is the full statement released by Cleaver’s office to the Huffington Post the day of the incident:
For many of the members of the CBC, like John Lewis and Emanuel Cleaver who worked in the civil rights movement, and for Mr. Frank who has struggled in the cause of equality, this is not the first time they have been spit on during turbulent times.
This afternoon, the Congressman was walking into the Capitol to vote, when one protester spat on him. The Congressman would like to thank the US Capitol Police officer who quickly escorted the others Members and him into the Capitol, and defused the tense situation with professionalism and care. After all the Members were safe, a full report was taken and the matter was handled by the US Capitol Police. The man who spat on the Congressman was arrested, but the Congressman has chosen not to press charges. He has left the matter with the Capitol Police.
This is not the first time the Congressman has been called the “n” word and certainly not the worst assault he has endured in his years fighting for equal rights for all Americans. That being said, he is disappointed that in the 21st century our national discourse has devolved to the point of name calling and spitting. He looks forward to taking a historic vote on health care reform legislation tomorrow, for the residents of the Fifth District of Missouri and for all Americans. He believes deeply that tomorrow’s vote is, in fact, a vote for equality and to secure health care as a right for all. Our nation has a history of struggling each time we expand rights. Today’s protests are no different, but the Congressman believes this is worth fighting for.
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Comments
when i heard about someone saying they were spit on, i pictured a dude hawking back a loogie and letting it fly. in that video, it looks like if spit did fly, it wasn't intentional. and as far as the "spitter" laughing with his friends...i just don't see it. i see them talking, but i don't see any laughing.
or
roger mcdowell?!
Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
"Way to go, pretty boy!"
+1
www.seanbrady.net
Hey burger king dude I think you might need to clean your glasses or actually read the article.The incident happened on march 20 the artticle was posted april 2nd. Use some common sense. If it actually had happened like all the left wing networks said it did,then why didn't the officer that was behind Cleaver arrest him or say anything to him. In fact I wouldn't be suprised if the guy was a plant put there by the SEIU or some other far left out fit to try and smear these people..
Actually i did watch the video with no need for glasses and read the article as i stated was from April 2nd (common sense says that today is the 19th, a full two weeks later) so I ask again -- what "truth" has come out that we all should know?? I think maybe you should wear glasses if you dont see a undercover cop talk to the man after the incident.
An undercover plant put there by the SEIU or some other far left out fit to try and smear these people..?? You sound like you might have some paranoia issues, lol.
Maybe not laughing but definitely gigling and he wipes his cheek to show his buddies what happened to Cleaver. What is screwed up is he continues to bark at him after it happens, whether inttentional or not. To me Cleaver showed great restraint - I would have yanked the guy's head down onto the handrail if he continued yelling at me after spit hitting me.
Well than ask your self this. Towards the end of the clip when the congressman walks back down the steps with the police officer why didn't he have that man aressted if he was spit on. It just seems logical that he would have had him aressted if he was.
and no I dont have any paranoia issues. The FAR LEFT is known to use tactics like these to try and smear those of whom they dissagree with.
At the rally, one Tea Partier was accused of ‘crashing’ the rally, or pretending to be part of the movement while saying or doing things that may hurt its image.
The alleged crasher held a plastic head of Obama, which he shoved on top of a stick. The forehead of the plastic head read “666,” and below the head was a sign with a communist symbol. Johnston had the crasher removed when he refused to take down the sign.
“That’s negative symbolism,” said Albert Martinez, a member of the St. Johns County Tea Party’s media group. “We’re all about positive symbolism.”
The crasher refused to leave and stayed outside the rally’s field with his sign, so Martinez made his own sign that read “Tea Party Crasher” with an arrow and pointed it at him.
Event organizers also had sign-in sheets to “keep the media honest” as to how many Tea Partiers were actually there. The Florida Times-Union reported that “more than 2,000” protesters were at a Tax Day Tea Party in downtown Jacksonville, which many St. Augustine Tea Partiers considered to be a gross understatement.
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2010/04/18/flori ... z0lZEG39yy
giggling i might give you. but in all honesty, you don't know what was being discussed. he could have turned to his friends and said "see, i told you i was gonna scream my fool head off when they walked by and you guys didn't believe me." i really don't think he intentionally spit on the guy. this is all being blown way out of proportion.
You have convinced me -- I bet everything negative with this dunking party has been perpetrated by the left, those crafty devils.
So the group that wants less intrusion in their lives by the government has no problem intruding on their own members' right to free speech?