Journo-politico Violence: Deadly Threat or Menacing Trend?

A Public Safety Alert from David Burge
Executive Director and Chief Research Officer
The Media Violence Project / Center for the Study of Politician Sociopathy

At the Media Violence Project, our charter is to protect public safety by researching, documenting and raising awareness about the ever-increasing wave of violent, disgusting crimes perpetrated by members of the American news media. It is a largely thankless task -- often requiring a cast iron stomach -- but if our work has prevented one more American child from falling victim to a criminally insane anchorman or newspaper reporter, it will all have been worth it.

Every day at the MVP we receive emails from concerned citizens, such as this:

Dear Mr. Burge:

I have read with increasing alarm new reports of violence erupting around our country. For example, the recent rampaging campus murderer in Huntsville, Alabama; the Austin, Texas man who flew his plane into an office building; and the unhinged shooter at the Pentagon. Do you suspect these people may have been journalists? Also, what can I do to prevent my family from falling victim to these violent journalists?

Please do not print my name, as I live near a journalist and am concerned about my safety.

Name Withheld By Request

Dear "Name Withheld By Request," let me first say these are excellent questions. Second, let me also say that I do not withhold names by request. Your name is Michael R. Bartolo, and you live at 2311 Briarcliff Court, Brown Deer, WI.

But let's get to the crux of your questions: yes, in the cases you cited there is some circumstantial evidence that the alleged perpetrators harbored pre-journalistic tendencies (for instance, violent hatred of George Bush and capitalism, and messianic obsession with President Obama), but it doesn't appear they were actual professional members of the news media. For one thing, unlike the vast majority of journalists, all of the suspects involved in these crimes reportedly had actual marketable skills -- biochemistry, computer programming, growing weed, and so on. Until further evidence of journalism emerges, I believe we can attribute these incidents to a handful of those rare random psychopaths who do not possess press credentials. 

Unfortunately, it now appears that these are the exceptions that prove the rule. In the two years since the MVP issued our first report, another tidal wave of media-related bizarre or violent crimes has come to light, each more shocking than the last. Like CNN reporter Richard Quest, arrested in New York's Central Park in 2008 brandishing a noose or ABC Miami reporter Jeffrey Weinsier, charged with entering a school with a firearm. Or New Hampshire Union Leader sports writer Kevin Provencher, charged with operating a prostitution ring. It is unknown whether Provencher's alleged activities were related to WABC New York sports anchor Marvell Scott, who was arrested earlier this year for allegedly raping a 14-year old prostitute. It is also unclear whether this Granite State "mack daddy" used a "strong pimp hand" with his "bitches," but he might have shared tips and techniques with fellow journalists like Jason Scott Kidd, charged in 2009 with hitting a woman in the face at a Mexican restaurant, Gawker editor Richard "Date Rape Tips" Blakely, arrested for domestic violence, or Boise anchorman and alleged wife beater David Tester.

Shocking as they are, these incidents scarcely scratch the surface of the global crime wave caused by rampaging journalists. Our in-depth biennial 30 minute Google search uncovered a seemingly endless catalog of journalist-related crimes, astonishing as much for their depravity as their number. The reasons behind this phenomenon are complex, according to Media Violence Project staff psychologist Divad Egrub.

"Journalism school leaves these people ill-prepared for life in conventional society," explains Egrub. "They see typical American people expressing normal opinions, and it causes confusion. In time, they become boiling cauldrons of paranoia and rage. This triggers a 'fight or flight' reaction, and sometimes they simply lash out."

Often the journalist reacts with petty violence, like animal cruelty, but he or she can quickly graduate to more serious crimes like criminal trespass, theft, extortion, and arson. Some reporters seek release from violent urges through sex crimes like assaulting hypnotized women, window peeping or public masturbation or bondage acts with underage prostitutes, but with little long term effect. Often the journalist will seek to slake his thirst for violence though bar fights or scuffling with police officers or kicking elderly people in laundromats. The brutality soon moves inside the home, in forms like child abandonment and spousal abuse including beatings and throwing scalding water. 

These are mere warm ups for what often comes next. Emboldened, the reporter begins packing heat and attempts to bring it into a courtroom, like KDKA Pittsburgh journalist Rob Milford, or join the "Mile High Journalist Assault Club" like Toronto TV anchor Colleen Walsh. Left untreated, he or she graduates to the "big leagues" of journalist crime. Examples include TV anchor Elena Skordelli, charged with arranging a murder hit on her producer, accused terrorist and Al-Jazeera reporter Baltasar Garzon, and alleged murderers like reporter Vlado Taneski, Ray Gosling, and TV anchorman Ted Failon.

In many cases, the violence is self-directed in the form of substance abuse. Wallowing in bitterness and self pity, clinging to his J-school memes, the journalist will seek escape in a fog of drugs and alcohol. This path remains only temporarily victimless as the drunk, drug-addled journalist can no longer resist the urge to get behind the wheel of his car. Television anchormen and anchorwomen seem particularly susceptible to this weakness, with recent arrests including South Bend IN anchor Debra Daniel,  Tulsa anchor Jerry Giordano, Chicago anchorman and 2-time DUI loser Walter Jacobsen, Fort Wayne IN anchor Mary Collins, Austin anchor David Scott, Minneapolis anchor Beth McDonough, Mobile AL anchor Bob Solarski, and San Diego anchor Allison Ross. Before you can say "you stay classy, San Diego," the vehicular casualty count begins to skyrocket as innocent bystanders begin falling victim to drunk anchormen like CNN veteran Rick Sanchez and Winston-Salem's Tolly Carr.

For typical news reporters, these episodes teach an important lesson: a 4000-pound vehicle can be an amazingly effective and deadly weapon. Even in their brief, dimishing moments of sobriety, motoring reporters still enjoy the adrenaline rush of running over unsuspecting animals and pedestrians who stand in their way. Witness New York reporter Michael Sheehan, arrested for allegedly running his car into a police horse, and fellow Fox employee Don Broderick, accused of dragging a bicyclist 4 blocks through Central Park and menacing a female assistant with threats to "rip your f---ing head off." 

And what do professional journalists do when they're not busy with murder, rape, assault, and vehicular manslaughter? Sadly, as will come as no surprise to those who read our initial 2008 report, they continue to prey upon America's children.

As bad as these cases are individually, collectively they represent only the tip of a vast, bloody iceberg of media brutality. Most experts believe that the overwhelming majority of media crimes are never reported. "Think about it," says Egrub. "We are actual relying on reporters to report on the crimes of reporters. All we really know about are the cases other journalists were too incompetent to cover up. For every one of them there are likely dozens lying on the media's cutting room floor."

Politicians: An Even Greater Menace?

And yet, Americans may be facing an even worse wave of domestic attacks from the only organized group arguably even more violent, stupid and useless than the news media: elected public officials.

In response to growing public outcry, the board of the Media Violence Project earlier this morning established a new affiliate organization, the Center for the Study of Politician Sociopathy. What our comprehensive 15 minute Google search revealed was an explosive outbreak of violence that, if trends continue, may actually eclipse the media public safety crisis by November. Most Americans were relieved to hear of the resignation of Congress's disgraced predator Eric Massa, but we must realize his ticklefight dungeon was only one cell in a complex nationwide network of politicians with a thirst for violence or perversion.  Like Illinois Lt. Governor candidate Scott Cohen, arrested for assaulting and holding a knife to throat of his prostitute ex-girlfriend. Or former U.S. congressman Craig Washington, indicted for aggravated assault in a shooting incident.  Or Tennessee State rep  and judiciary committee chairman Rob Briley, who allegedly tried to kick the window of a state patrol car after leading police on a drunken 100 mph car chase. Or California U.S. congressman Bob Filner, arrested for security tresspass and assaulting airport workers. Or Racine, WI mayor Gary Becker, facing five counts of felony child sex crimes. 

"There's an deep undercurrent of anger, alienation and frustration in Congress, as well as America's statehouses and city halls," explains CSPS study director Vadid Grube. "They feel that voters are no longer listening to them. Then come the drugs, followed by the extensive, journalist-like paranoid fantasies. And then... snap."

The result can be devastating, as seen in the domestic abuse arrests of Ohio US congressional candidate Stephanie Studebaker, Washington state rep. Geoff Simpson, North Dakota state legislator and two-time domestic assault arrestee David Weiler, White Plains NY mayor Adam Bradley, Louisiana state senator Derrick Shepard (arrested for punching an ex-girlfriend and stealing her cell phone) or Queens city councilman Hiram Monserrate (accused of slashing his girlfriend's face with a broken bottle). Eventually the violence moves to the streets, as in the cases of NY state senator Kevin Parker, Massachusetts state senator Anthony Galluccio, Rhode Island congressman and violent airport shover Patrick Kennedy, Republican Virginia legislative aide and accused violent gay-basher Bryan Fumagalli and California Democratic Council chief Christopher Stampolis, arrested for punching a female U-store clerk in the face. Sometimes legislators enlist their own children in the escalating mayhem, like Wisconsin U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore whose son was arrested for slashing the tires of political rivals. 

The descent of a typical politician into a dark miasma of psychopathy does not happen at all once; in many cases it take weeks, even months, after election before evidence of full-blown criminal dementia becomes clear. The key is to recognize the warning signs. One early symptom is angry, threatening, and abusive verbal behavior: examples include U.S. senator Charles Schumer and his expletive-laced harrassment of a female flight attendant, Senate colleague Mary Landrieu and her threat to "punch [George Bush] in the face - literally," California U.S. congressman Pete Stark, who left an angry message on the phone of an Iraq war veteran challenging him to "tell me why you think you're such a great goddamned hero," and the notorious live TV appearance of former presidential candidate Jesse Jackson where he expressed the urge to "cut [Barack Obama's] nuts off." 

This behavior is frequently encouraged by other group members. Before his felony arrest and conviction for defrauding the government, NY State Comptroller Alan Hevesi publicly goaded Schumer at a Democratic fundraiser to "put a bullet between [George Bush's] eyes." A similar collegial appeal to shoot George Bush came from Kentucky governor Steve Beshear, addressed to famed face shooter Dick Cheney. The former vice president has yet to respond to this reach across the aisle, but frequently Republicans and Democrats can work together in a spirit of bipartisan violent cooperation. After Suffolk County NY Republican legislator Michael D'Andre threatened to attack Latino immigrant constituents with baseball bats, his Democratic legislative colleague Elie Mystal upped the ante by vowing that "I would load my gun and start shooting, period."

"The ritualistic violent rhetoric acts as a kind of pregame lockerroom talk for the political class," explains CSPS forensic psychiatrist Dr. Ivadd Ugber. "It builds and builds, sometimes including the vilest possible racial epithets, like in the cases of U.S. representative Carolyn Maloney and her senate colleague and former Ku Klux Klan official Robert Byrd. A charismatic team captain knows how to feed it, telling his teammates to 'get in their face,' and 'punch back twice as hard' and encouraging the use of weaponry such as pitchforks. Soon, they are worked up into a catatonic trance-like state of violent euphoria, like the Thuggee cult of ancient India."

Hopped up on this rhetorical "Roid Rage," politicians will begin banging helmets and savagely shoving each other, like in the case of Maxine Waters and David Obey, or ex-con fellow U.S. representative Alcee Hastings. By "game time" they have reached the point of explosive, near-murderous frenzy against their real opponents - random American citizens like you and me. Witness Massachusettes state senator and accused nighttime park stalker James Marzilli, or Virginia congressmen Jim Moran whose physical fury has been inflicted on his own wife, female friends, and an 8-year old boy whom he considered insufficiently deferential. Luckily, that young boy got off easy compared to the childhood victims of Portland Oregon's mayor and admitted statutory rapist Sam Adams, and former Illinois congressman Mel Reynolds, convicted on 12 counts of sexual assault on an underage constituent. Police stings on politicians like Thomas Bodall have been partially successful in preventing further trauma to America's children, but law enforcement officials say innovative programs like beefed-up capitol safety patrols and Special Politician Victim Units suffer from an unsurprising lack of funding -- from politicians. Left unchecked, the politician graduates to more and more dangerous criminal activity -- like Texas state representative Borris Miles, accused of waving a gun and assaulting female guests in a Houston hotel lobby.

When they first learn of the extent of this crime wave, a typical layperson will often ask me why the politician's family, friends, consultants and staff don't step in and hold an intervention before the behavior goes too far. Sadly, prolonged exposure to the politician's violent extremism and sexual perversions can have a contagious effect on their aides and campaign workers. One example is Andrew Young, the former top aide / surrogate baby daddy / biographer of disgraced presidential candidate John Edwards, who was arrested several times while in his employ. Others include Missouri political consultant Skip Ohlsen, sentenced to Federal prison for firearm violations, or Durham County (NC) Democratic Party official Joy Johnson, charged with kidnapping, rape and assault related to her membership in a satanic cult. All too often, political aides allegedly train their perverse attentions on America's vulnerable children -- like Benjamin Jakes-Johnson, Barbara Boxer U.S. senate staffer Jeff Rosato,  and Carl Stanley McGee, top aide to Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick. Although experts believe that most child molesters were themselves victims of an older attacker/mentor, we should note that so far there is little evidence that Governor Patrick or Senator Boxer were personally involved. But even after criminal conviction, some politicians are all too happy to welcome child predator aides back to work with a nod and a wink.

Laymen are often confused why we "just don't kick these people out of office." Unfortunately, this often results in unintended and bloody consequences. In many cases retirement does little to affect the urge for violence; consider former US Congressman Chip Pickering, arrested after a fight with a youth soccer coach; or former speaker of the Missouri statehouse Rod Jetton, accused of felony assault after allegedly hitting and choking a woman, and afterwards blaming it on her for failure to use their agree-upon safe word 'green balloons';  or former US Congressman Tommy Robinson, cited for assault after a bloody attack on a man in a Brinkley Arkansas BBQ restaurant. "I mean, I'm a nonviolent guy, but you push me far enough and that's what happens," explained Robinson, giving vent to the seething, violent rage that all too often consumes the minds of the American political class.

"There is an ongoing 'chicken-and-egg' debate about this phenomenon in the research community," notes Dr. Ugber. "Does a primal urge for violence drive the need to be in politics, or does being in politics drive the urge for violence?"  Ugber cites the contradictory cases of Bobby Rush, who served as an officer in a domestic terror organization before joining the U.S. House, and Mark Siljander, a former Michigan congressmen who left the House prior to his indictment as part of an Al Qaeda money raising scheme. 

What you can do to protect yourself and your family

Even after being confronted with the facts some citizens try to wish the crisis away. They naively believe it will take care of itself -- pointing to instances of politician-on-journalist violence, like congressman Pete Stark's threat to a journalist that "get the f--k out of here or I'll throw you out the window," and Senator Al Franken's repeated angry challenges to fistfight another journalist. While this in theory would potentially thin the ranks of politicians and/or journalist, the battle-hardened survivors would constitute an even more dangerous threat to public safety. In the "Armageddon scenario," journalists and politicians may even unite forces to wage an all-out bloody crime war against the public.

While it is impossible to completely eliminate the risk, there are specific steps each of us can do to minimize the body count. The key to survival is knowledge. Previous awareness-raising efforts by the Media Violence Project have helped Americans reduce their exposure to criminally insane journalists, but the threat of politicians continues to explode.

"Americans are accustomed to viewing their political representatives in an idealized light," explains Divad Egrub. "We assume them to be clean, friendly, hard working, nonviolent criminals, peacefully thieving away at the public trough and diligently extorting bribes from special interest groups. The politician takes advantage of this gullible trust to draw an unsuspecting constituent within striking distance. Before you know it, the constituent is dealing with an erupting volcano of psychosexual rage." 

In order to protect yourself and your family the MVP and the CSPS recommend that you recognize the warning signs and take quick corrective action. In specific:

• Hone your senses to be aware of journalists or politicians in your immediate vicinity. Be vigilant for satellite trucks, cameras, placards, bunting, and strangers with an excessive interest in hand shaking and baby kissing.
• If your 'gut' tells you something is amiss, leave before the situation escalates.
• Avoid eye contact, and walk by in a brisk, confident, determined manner.
• If contact is unavoidable, use distraction and evasive maneuvers. If confronted by a journalist, tell him his makeup is splotchy. For politicians, yell "hey, look over there! A rich campaign contributor!"

These simple steps may buy you the critical seconds you need to avoid a lifetime of physical and psychological disability. But you can also do your part to help and inform your fellow at-risk citizens. Do you know of any journalist or politician-related crimes that have somehow slipped through our monitoring dragnet? Share them in the comment section of this post, along with appropriate links. To avoid server overload, please confine these to actual or potential instances of bodily harm, rather than garden variety immorality (graft, plagiarism, infidelity etc.).

Finally, you can help by contributing to the Media Violence Project and the Center for the Study of Politician Sociopathy. Your generous donation will support the research and entertainment expenses of  dedicated staffers like Divad Egrub, Dr. Ivadd Ugber, Vadid Grube, and new intern Ddavi Grbeu.

Stay safe, and remember: forewarned is forearmed! Metaphorically.

Comments

[Tfdue]

Dear Leader’s Face

When dear leader says
This is all about race,
We Hope Pffft! , Hope Pfft!,
Right in the dear leader’s face
Not to love dear leader
Is a great disgrace,
So we Hope Pffft! , Hope Pfft!,
Right in the dear leader’s face.

When Herr Gibbels says
We own the world and space,
We Hope Pffft! , Hope Pfft!,
Right in Herr Gibbels’ face
When Herr Biden says
They’ll never bomb this place,
We Hope Pffft! , Hope Pfft!,
Right in Herr Biden ’s face.

Are we not the supermen,
Ayersian-pure supermen.
Ja we is der supermen,
Superduper supermen.
Ist es not ze land so gut,
Would you leave it if you could?
Ja ist not the land is good,
We would leave it if we could.

We bring the world new order,
Hopechange new order.
Everyone of foreign race,
Will love the dear leader’s face,
When we bring to the world dis-order.

When dear leader says:
This is all about race,
We Hope Pffft! , Hope Pfft!,
Right in the dear leader face
Not to love dear leader
Is a great disgrace
So we Hope Pffft! , Hope Pfft!,
Right in the dear leader face.

[mojo]

Lark Evor Approved™

[Friend of USA]

David R Graham,

Thanks for sharing your story,

I was a very interesting read.

I can relate although mine is less »spectacular»

As a new employee I had been asked by my manager to do some research, and I worked hard for many weeks and discovered a way to increase our profit margin.

I simply told my manager and gave him all my weeks of paper work without thinking for an instant of what would follow.

My manager sat on this for a couple weeks, then at a meeting annouced HE had done some research and HE had discovered a way to increase our profits.

I got no recognition for my work, none, and definitely not a raise either.

I was speechless...

I had no proof, no witness, nothing.

My manager is lucky I am not a violent man.

I resigned a couple months later but this incident made me very depressed.

Evil people are everywhere, and they live off the work of good people.

I'm now a borderline poor man, with a disability/health problem while the sleezy cheaters I have met in my life are rolling in cash, cheating on their wives and still stealing from innocent good people like you and I.

Just thought I'd share even if no one cares.

[Mazzuchelli]

Hahahaha. Having "heh'd" that, I will admit some sympathy for the Canadian newswoman, however. Menopause without one's pills is serious business.

[L.Kugel]

Glad you sacked that other intern, Berg Davos....what a bum!
L.Kugel

[SeniorD]

Seems your detailed, 15 minute review neglected the entire political family known as "Kennedy". Of course that would be an entire report itself.

[Daneil]

Have we mentioned Cynthia McKinney, or that guy that who killed Chandra Levey? And just to be bipartisan, what about Dick Cheney "accidentally" shooting his friend in the face with a shotgun?

Oh, and let's not forget the trail of bodies that leads from Little Rock to D.C.

These people really are dangerous!

[arnonerik]

Thank you for your timely warning. Who knew the threats we are exposed to by contact with these fiends. Please contact Homeland Security at once as these perpetrators are far, far more dangerous than those unstable returning war veterans. But wait! Before you contact that agency maybe you should do some investigative reporting on bureaucrats tendancies to violent crime also. We cannot be too careful.

[LuckyPierre]

Even though Jimmy DeLeo cracked plenty of heads back in the day, "Fast Eddie" Vrdolyak would be the perfect face for the melding of criminal politicians and media personalities. Maybe someone associated with MVP can keep an eyeball on former alderwoman and current jailbird Andrea Troutman, the lady with the gang banger, drug slinging boyfriend, who was convicted of tax and mail fraud. One of my personal favorites is ex WMAQ-TV tart, Amy Jacobson, the slut who was dismissed for prancing around the home of Crag Stebic, husband of still missing Lisa Stebic, in hot pursuit of the truth. Is there any other city in the U.S. that toddles like Chicago? The "suicides" in Daley Town are getting out of hand lately, just like the general murder rate. Thanks, Mr. Hawk, and I hope MVP is a great success.

[David R. Graham]

In late 1969 and early 1970, as ghost writer for the now-deceased British economist Robert Theobald, I conducted research on the global extent of pollution events using microfiche (all there was then) of NYT articles at a public library. Bob and I were under contract to Prentice-Hall to produce a book detailing environmental problems and potential solutions.

This particular research aspect of producing the volume took a few months. I had just graduated from Union Theological Seminary, New York City.

I used extents of butcher paper to record the pollution events by date, location and NYT publication info. In this way I traced also relations between events that I noticed as well as those noticed by the NYT. As I recall, six or so feet of butcher paper (that's what we called it then, later something similar was called "flip board pages") was needed for the recording, and it could have gone on and on and on.

And that was all from the NYT, covering through the 1960s and a bit into the 1950s, as I recall.

I had to call a halt because I got so depressed with the number, frequency, distribution and seriousness of the events, and also because I recognized being compulsive about recording and tracking them. I also realized I had more than enough to make the point, that heart-breaking subversion of life and its bases was occurring.

Bad news in very large doses is unattractive. The mind and heart tend to reject the news itself for its very unthinkability.

Finally, I tried to write the whole chart up sequentially as a research report and did what I felt was a creditable job, though it was difficult to convey the sense of inter-connectedness shown on the butcher paper with its dates, types and NYT publication references.

I showed the research report and the butcher paper, rolled up of course, to Theobald. He perused them then threw the butcher paper against the wall and the research report into the waste can, saying to me, "This is impossible, no one will believe it." Shortly after, he literally tore up solution-related chapters I drafted.

I left the project and Theobald -- probably what he was trying to get me to do -- and kept the modest advance because I discharged my duty. Prentice-Hall did not request a return of the advance. The volume was published over Bob's name as "Habit and Habitat," a title his then-wife created. My work is not in it except as unreferenced, blunted background to the solutions sections.

Now, I mention this for one reason, which is that the enormity of this itemization of journalist and politician degradation of human values -- and it shows only the top layer, as Dave and commenters know -- reminds me of that research long ago on degradation of the bases of life -- and not merely by "evil corporations" but by government bureaucrats through their policies and procedures, ordinary citizens through their cherished ignorances and sloth, and children through their unchallenged selfishness. (Augustine said that the innocence of children is in their limbs, not in their wills.)

There is a theological insight which states that were the full enormity of evil and Sin (as existential estrangement, not bad deeds, peccadilloes) to be cognized, the one cognizing would die instantly from the cognition, just as they would die instantly from direct experience of the Glory of God. The physical frame cannot contain either of those experiences for the same reason it cannot contain a thermonuclear explosion.

The usual advice in response to this insight is, as Augustine put it, "Every man should die a penitent."

Reynolds says he sleeps better at night knowing Iowahawk is on the job. So do I. But damn, the daytime is depressing, isn't it!

The difference here, a fortunate and ultimately salutary one, is that whereas I was greeted with "Unbelievable," Dave is greeted with "Oh Yeah!" That is something devoutly to be wished and just as sincerely happening. I am happy.

[The Reticulator]

As your next project, could you produce a field guide that shows us how to distinguish a journalist from a politician? It would be a valuable public service.

[Laura]

I think some ordinary citizen of the Tea Party should charge one of these politicians with slander or libel (whatever the correct legal term is) for calling them racist, violent criminals. The left has vilified Bush for so long that they think they can say the same things about any conservative and get away with it. Even the MSM is starting to tell the left to STFU about the Tea Party, that it is seen as mostly positive.

[Mumia]

Killing journalists only creates more journalists.

[snork]

So they're violent. So what? The only thing that matters is are they racist?

[Mr. D]

Now that's News You Can Use.

[Fact Checker]

For the record, Jesse Jackson espressed an urge not to cut Obama's nuts off, but to cut them out, a distinction with a minor difference.

[Tardo Domingo]

Yeah, but she is HOT, baby! Whoo!!

[PR]

you know who scares me? Campbell Brown. She's a journalist and the daughter of a politician who went to jail.

[Allan Blackwell]

I fondly recall a 1993 incident in Boston, when then- radio talk show host and "edgy" guy Tom Leykis was said to have mistaken his wife for a Yule log and tried to throw her into their fireplace. As Howie Carr might say, a poisoned ice cube in his drink(s) must have been to blame.

[Havelock]

I'm going to save this link and every time I come across one of those data-free frothing-at-the-mouth reports of Tea Partier transgressions, I'm going to put the link in the comments with some type of enticing text... heck, maybe I'll just cut and paste the whole article....

[Skwiself]

This piece of investigative journalism, while excellent, fails to properly warn of the dangers regular people who come into sustained contact with these poor deranged souls. This illness is in fact contagious, somewhat similar to the "mob mentality." Those hard-working SEIU stormtroopers would NEVER have managed to whip themselves into enough of a rage to beat Kenneth Gladney into the hospital if they hadn't been suffering from massive, long-term exposure to this mental disease thanks to their regular contact with journalists and politicians. People must be warned!

[davidt]

This report seems to be the work of an actual investigative journalist. We may need to keep an eye on "David Burge".

[sherlock]

I am reminded of Glenn "Instapundit" Reynolds' cautionary comment of a few years back, that after a particularly ugly string of journo-crimes, we should not assume that journalists are either thieves, or rapists, or murderers; when in fact many of them are actually several of these at once!

Gawd, I love the smell of frying journalists in the morning!! So much so in fact that I sin regularly, to avoid any possibility I might go to heaven after I die, and never smell it again! Yum!!

[Sugarmaniv]

Beware the politician who refers to our men in uniform as "Corpse Men." The Freudian slip of the tongue betrays the sociopath politician's secret plot.

[zmdavid]

Posted by: D. T. | April 03, 2010 at 09:55 AM

Bloomberg is a politician and a media mogul, so you know he's trouble!

[John Richardson]

You forgot the journalist "burning bed" syndrome!

http://www.mountainx.com/news/2000/0517motive.php

A local anchorwoman was arrested for setting her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend's bed on fire because she thought he was seeing another woman.

[D. T.]

Another organization tracking parallel scandals is Gun Owners Against Illegal Mayors.

http://www.stopillegalmayors.com/

It urges use of RICO statutes to prosecute and shut down the Bloomberg Gang of organized criminals. Perhaps the same remedy could be used to stop the criminous media.

[Timmie Joe]

How can any self respecting person continue to associate themselves with an organization that has such a history of depravity? The panels they set up to punish and prevent have not only allowed these heinous crimes to go unpunished, they have sought to hide them from the public. Clearly there is a conspiratorial nature to this. We, the self appointed guardians of virtue, must paint all members and all priests, no strike that, all journos with as broad of a brush as possible. They are a threat to the social fabric.

[arlo]

Mr. Burge,
I see you've struggled to scrape together a few random and isolated events of regrettable behavior. You fail to recognize these events as a normal outlet from all the daily pressures of maintaining sea levels and preventing islands from capsizing.

[Rev. Al Sharpton Presidential Contender]

What am I, white rice. How about Freddy' Fashion Mall???

[sTevo]

Ted's dead so forgetaboutit.

[Rob De Witt]

As another midwesterner (Mark Twain,in this case) cogently put it,

"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native criminal class except Congress."

[Ratbiken VonApehangers]

Holy crap, that was an amazing way to rebut the infuriating insinuations (also known as "the evening news") that people protesting against gov`t spending are terrorists, racists, etc. Thanks.

[Joe Redfield]

I assume you were not referring to the violence perpetrated against English grammar and syntax by politicians and reporters every time they open their mouths, but this is often a precursor for physical violence. Thus, if you're near one of these people when they start talking like a second grade dropout caution dictates you slowly back away and notify the authorities.

[marc in calgary]

Mr. Iowahawk, why do you ignore Canada? we're not going to go away you know!

Rene Levesque, one of the first journalists to witness the Drachau concentration camp at wars end, later, sadly, a politician.

*the drunken driving story comes from Rene leaving the scene of the accident, going home and drinking to console himself, then remembering to report this to the police. Somehow I don't think that this occurred on the street that was later named for him in Montréal.

from Wiki...
On February 06, 1977, Lévesque's car fatally struck Edgar Trottier, a homeless man who had been lying on the road. It was alleged that Lévesque had been driving while intoxicated. The incident gained extra notoriety when it was revealed that the female companion in the vehicle was not his wife, but a secretary named Corinne Côté. Lévesque’s marriage ended in divorce soon thereafter (the couple had already been estranged for some time), and in April 1979, he married Côté.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/René_Lévesque

[Dan Collins]

Vadid Grube is one of the few bloggers who performs real investigative journalism. Please convey to him my admiration and regard.

[revereridesagain]

Excellent as always! And yet it doesn't even scratch the surface when it comes to cultie weirdness and child sex abusers on both sides of the aisle.

[David Hester]

In the spirit of bipartisanship, I feel the need to warn citizens about Steve Nunn (R) of Kentucky, who gunned down his ex- fiancee in the parking lot of her apartment complex in Lexington, KY last year.

Steve Nunn's Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Nunn
ABC News story: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/steve-nunn-republican-lawmaker-arrested-fatal-shooting/story?id=8550780

Mr. Nunn's dastardly crime led some of his fellow political sociopaths to try to create a smoke screen for themselves by conjuring up a comprehensive domestic violence bill named after Mr. Nunn's dead fiancee. This effort at misdirection was led by Speaker of the House Greg Stumbo (D).

Fun facts about Mr. Stumbo:
http://floydcountyvoterfraud.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=103:greg-stumbo-dui-floyd-county-kentucky&catid=47:floyd-county-kentucky-voter-fraud&Itemid=62

http://kpac2.blogspot.com/2007/01/welcome-to-big-leagues-greg-stumbo.html

[vermindust]

I have heard rumors that a certain POTUS has stolen several banks and a car company or two.