Topic: NewsBusters
The boys at NewsBusters are doing their best to downplay the case of Lauren Valle, the liberal activist who was stomped in the head by a supporter of Rand Paul outside a venue where a Kentucky Senate debate involving Paul took place.
Matthew Balan was annoyed that "CNN devoted seven news briefs on Tuesday to an assault on a MoveOn.org employee by Rand Paul supporters caught on camera outside the Kentucky Senate debate on Monday evening, but failed to mention a second assault on Rand Paul supporter by a booster of Paul's opponent, Jack Conway. Most of the briefs also omitted how the MoveOn employee was trying to get an embarrassing picture of Paul."
Kyle Drennen complained that CBS interviewed Valle but "in September 2009 the network failed to give any coverage to a man having his finger bitten off by a MoveOn.org supporter at a California ObamaCare rally." Drennen continued: "In addition, on Wednesday, Smith did not report the fact that a Rand Paul supporter was assaulted by a Jack Conway supporter at the very same debate rally on Monday."
Drennen also wrote in an update: "New video obtained by RedState.com shows Valle run up to Rand Paul's car and shove a sign in his face. That runs contrary to Valle's assertion to Smith that she was 'simply there to hold a sign.'"
Actually, that's not quote what it shows. TPM writes:
What do we learn from the new video? Not a lot. It depicts the chaotic clash of supporters outside the Senate debate in Lexington that preceded the stomping, just as all witness accounts and Valle's own recounting have said. Conservatives touting the video say it shows Valle "attempting to assault" Paul but it also appears she was getting pushed from behind.
Regardless of what the clip adds to the story, the fact remains that Profitt stomped on her head, leaving him open to criminal investigation and the Paul campaign open to criticism and public shaming.
Mark Finkelstein, meanwhile, is the only NewsBusters writer moved to actually condemn the stomping. But even he found a way to deflect attention from it:
The guy who put his foot on an anti-Paul protester and pushed should be made to answer to the law. Period. That doesn't mean Chris Matthews had to break out the tired Nazi metaphor. But he did.
On this evening's Hardball, after rolling tape of the incident that occurred outside the Kentucky senatorial debate last night, Matthews dredged up the creakiest cliché in politics.CHRIS MATTHEWS: Wo-w-w-w. I don' t know what to make of that, but it reminds me of the 30s in another country.
If Matthews is going to go the Nazi-metaphor route, can't he at least have the courage of doing so straight up, instead of resorting to lamely-laminated references?
Funny, we don't recall anyone at NewsBusters complaing when their fellow right-wingers drag out the Nazi metaphor against President Obama.
