“The Lexington police report that Profitt is ‘currently being served with a criminal summons,’ though no arrests have been made. And despite the Paul campaign’s claim that Valle was ‘not injured,’ MoveOn reports that she ‘suffered a concussion and sprains to her shoulder and arm as a result of the stomping.’posted by ericb at 4:45 PM on October 26, 2010 [3 favorites]
Profitt passed some blame onto police, saying ‘A friend of mine went up to three policeman before Rand got there, and told them about the girl who was standing there with that wig on [Valle] and that she was getting ready to do something.’ Indeed, Valle told TPM, ‘The Rand Paul campaign knows me and they have expressed their distaste for my work before.’ She said five men ‘surrounded’ her before the incident, telling Valle and her partner that they were ‘here to do crowd control and we might have to take someone out.’
Blogger Sandi Behrns tweeted an undated photo of Paul with Profitt (above right). And ironically, as local blog Barefoot & Progressive observed, Profitt was among a group of Republicans who took out a full page ad today in the Lexington Herald Leader showing their support for Paul
Profitt’s accomplice, who held Valle down while he stepped on her head, has been identified as tea party activist Mike Pezzano. Gawker reports Pezzano ‘belongs to Lexington’s Rand Paul Meetup group and is an ‘assistant organizer’ for Kentucky Open Carry, a group that wants to make it legal to carry firearms openly and in public.’” *
The second [confontation] occurred after a Conway supporter stepped on the foot of a female Rand supporter, who recently had foot surgery, according to police.posted by ob1quixote at 5:29 PM on October 26, 2010
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.
A person is guilty of assault in the second degree when: . . . He intentionally causes physical injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon or a dangerous instrument2nd degree assault is a Class C felony.
"Profitt explained that he used his foot to try and keep her down because he can't bend over because of back problems."posted by delmoi at 9:52 PM on October 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
“On a conference call organized by the campaign for Democratic nominee Jack Conway today, a 60-year-old Conway supporter named Michael Grossman said he was also assaulted by a Paul supporters at the same event. Grossman — who attended the event ‘simply as a supporter’ of Conway — was carrying a sign with Conway’s name on it. Shortly after Valle was attacked, Grossman said he ‘felt a heavy hand on his shoulder’ and turned around to see a ‘thug’ who ‘happened to be massive.’ Grossman said the man tried to ‘thrust me to the ground’ in order to get to Valle and take part in that melee. When Grossman turned around, he said the man ‘verbally berated’ him, called him a ‘communist’ and a ‘socialist,’ and said ‘you ought to be back in California or New York with all the rest of the scum.’” *posted by ericb at 8:06 AM on October 27, 2010
“I am offended and outraged by the words of Tim Profitt, the Rand Paul campaign worker who, with two other men, threw 23 year-old Lauren Valle to the ground and then stomped on her head, leaving her with a concussion. Profitt said the attack was 'not a big deal,' that Lauren 'instigated it' and that 'she should apologize' -- words that are eerily familiar to many women who have faced assault and abuse.posted by ericb at 1:13 PM on October 27, 2010 [5 favorites]
“Lauren's exercise of her First Amendment rights cannot possibly justify the violence against her any more than a woman's clothes can excuse a sexual assault. If Tim Profitt can get away with blaming Lauren for his attack on her, then women -- and all those speaking out for their beliefs in this political climate -- will have reason to fear. Candidates on both sides of the aisle, including Rand Paul, must condemn Profitt's outrageous statements and call out this violence for what it is: anti-women and anti-American."
"Rand Paul’s campaign said Thursday that it would not return $1,950 in contributions from a Bourbon County supporter [Tim Profitt] involved in an altercation in which a woman was injured before Monday night’s U.S. Senate debate in Lexington."posted by ericb at 1:15 PM on October 27, 2010 [2 favorites]
WASHINGTON—Conceding almost certain Republican gains in next month's crucial midterm elections, Democratic lawmakers vowed Tuesday not to give up without making one final push to ensure their party runs away from every major legislative victory of the past two years.posted by Rhaomi at 2:55 PM on October 27, 2010 [8 favorites]
Party leaders told reporters that regardless of the ultimate outcome, they would do everything in their power from now until the polls closed to distance themselves from their hard-won passage of a historic health care overhaul, the toughest financial regulations since the 1930s, and a stimulus package most economists now credit with preventing a second Great Depression.
"There's a great deal on the line, and we know it isn't going to be easy for us," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), speaking from the steps of the Capitol. "But if we suffer defeat, we will do so knowing we cowered away from absolutely anything we produced that was even remotely progressive or valuable in any way." [...]
Tea Party members have started challenging voter registration applications and have announced plans to question individual voters at the polls whom they suspect of being ineligible....
In St. Paul, organizers from the Tea Party and related groups announced this week that they were offering a $500 reward for anyone who turned in someone who was successfully prosecuted for voter fraud.
The group is also organizing volunteer “surveillance squads” to photograph and videotape what it suspects are irregularities, and in some cases to follow buses that take voters to the polls.
In Milwaukee last week, several community groups protested the posting of large billboards throughout the city that show pictures of people behind jail bars under the words “We Voted Illegally.” The protesters said the posters — it was not clear who paid for them — were intended to intimidate people from voting.
« Older Graham "Grickle" Annable, perpetrator of... | No mystery left in the world: ... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by KokuRyu at 4:23 PM on October 26, 2010