Independence Institute President Jon Caldara today blasted the glitter bomber who tried to attack Mitt Romney at a campaign event in Denver on Tuesday, saying that if the tables had been turned and the protester was attacking a gay rights politician "it would be called a hate-crime, not a playful, harmful stunt."
In an email to the Peak, Caldara gave kudos to the Senate Dems for firing "glitter bomber" Peter Smith, but said that Smith should be prosecuted.
Some Democrats have tried to play the attack off as a harmless prank, even suggesting he should be patted on the back, ignoring the seriousness of the fact that Secret Service had no idea what was being thrown at their protectee.
"I use the reversal test on things like this," said Caldara.
"If an anti-gay protester did the same type of assault to an active gay-rights politician, say Jared Polis or Barney Frank, it would be called a hate-crime, not a playful, harmless stunt.
Denunciations would be rightfully falling down from all directions, and charges would be filed. If they weren’t filed, heads would roll."
Well said, Jon Caldara. We agree.
(Caldara Photo Credit: Independence Institute)
You link to your own story where you identify one Democrat, Nancy Cronk, who is hardly a spokeswoman for anyone besides herself.
Note to writers at CPP: one doesn’t equal some. One equals one.
I’ve seen nearly unanimous consent on liberal blogs calling for Smith to be prosecuted. By no means are sane people making light of what he did.
As a Democrat, I hope he gets the book tossed at him. This was not a “harmless stunt.” This was a stupid, juvenile, off the reservation act, not a playful stunt. Color me unamused.
Maybe Caldara needs to read the news more–according to Reuters, Smith has been charged with a misdemeanor, faces up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Sounds to me like charges have definitely been filed.
this diary from the Daily Kos not only approves of the attack but gives budding protesters ideas how to do worse things as well. That Markos Moulitsas let this stay up says a lot about where he’s coming from.
But I am glad that there are sane Dems out there as shown in the responses to that diary and over at Pols. The nuts are well in the minority, but they aren’t without influence.
and one of the reasons I appreciate those blogs, including this one, is that they do not delete diaries that aren’t necessarily reflective of the owners’ opinions.
I mean, come on. There are “pootie lover” diaries on that blog, for Christ sake. Does that mean Markos is a cat lover? Does that mean he hates dogs? There are cooking diaries, a gun rights advocate series, a reading club series–you name it, it’s on there. That doesn’t mean Kos is pro-gun rights, a lover of great literature or a fan of French cooking. You can pretty much post whatever you want there and as long as it doesn’t violate copyright infringement law, it will stay up until it scrolls off into oblivion or is blasted to pieces in the comments section.
The thing I found most comforting about the diary you linked to is Trix’s comment directly below the author’s (where he vehemently disagrees with the entire premise of the diary) and the fact that he received more rec’s than the diarist did.
You are right–the nuts may be in the minority in political parties but the squeaky wheel always gets the oil/has the influence, unfortunately.
Nice to hear from you, by the way.
Caldara is 100% on the money! Just imagine: a GOP operative throws a glitter bomb at Congressman Jared Polis! The guy/gal would be in jail, Colorado Pols (and their operatives i.e. Aristotle) would be all-a-tissy, The Denver Compost would come unglued, it would be all over the hardly seen networks of CNN and MSLSD. Absolutely a clear and obvious double standard. Hey Aristotle, Dan Savage is a HUGE gay rights supporter! That is like when the head coach gets Gatorade dumped on him by his own players.
Can’t let anyone think you might be gay, amirite?
Hey, Jon? A prominent gay rights leader WAS glitterbombed, and the glitter bomber wasn’t charged with anything, let alone a hate crime.
Come on, Peak. Retract this diary.
Dan Savage was attacked for being anti-transgender, not because he was pro gay rights. Not the same thing at all as what Caldera is talking about. (You did read your own link right?)
that if the protester was anti-gay (which would make him more likely to be using a gun instead of glitter, BTW), he would be behind bars then?
Why do you guys need to play the victim all the time? (Not rhetorical – you DO play victim and I want you to answer for it.)
Caldara said
You link to a report of a pro-transgender, not anti-gay, protester making an attack as proof that an anti-gay would not be arrested for the same attack. You then make the slur, without any evidence, that if he was anti-gay he would have just shot him. You are really trying to change the narrative of the Romney glitter attack, and do it in the lowest and most disgusting way possible.
Caldara’s point, to the Libertad type of thinker that you have apparently turned into, is that the Left’s reaction to a similar attack on a gay rights activist by a right winger would have been a repeat of the crap that went on because of the shootings of Gabrielle Gifford and the other victims of January 8th 2011.
It’s not playing victim if the attack is unjust. You just think that any attack on a conservative is justified.
when the technicalities benefit you, don’t you?
Here are a few technicalities to consider. If R-money wants to press assault charges, all he has to do is do it. He probably ISN’T doing it because he knows that having lapdogs like Caldera howling about imaginary inequities gets guys like you out of your seat, and that’s much more valuable than looking like a whiner on the news because someone mussed his hair and made him sparkly.
Which leads us to the next technicality – throwing glitter at someone is NOT an attack. Cracking someone over the head with a bat would be an attack. Punching him in the face would be an attack. This? Not an attack.
And since you went there… Another technicality is that Dem politicians and liberal commentators aren’t going around saying anything menacing and creating an atmosphere that encourages these glitter bombings. GOP politicians and conservative commentators, OTOH, were full of “second amendment remedies” and protesters were packing at rallies. If any good came of Gifford’s shooting, it’s that that crap has disappeared… for the time being. Loughner may have been a true lone nut, but I remember well how this kind of dialogue preceded Oklahoma City. It wouldn’t have been long before a sane but twisted individual tried to kill someone.
Now then, getting back to the matter at hand. Savage is not anti-transgender, no matter what SOME transgender people think. (Ever notice how you bristle at being lumped in with the bad apples on your side, but you never fail to lump members of other groups all together yourself? It’s one of the reasons I never go easy on you. You have a good heart – why don’t you know better than not to do this?)
Per MOTR below, that kid IS being charged with assault after all.
So… is this diary a complete lie NOW?
Let me ask you a few question Ari. In all of those events with the “scary” people carrying firearms, how many people were shot?
How many Tea Party events resulted in people needing medical attention because of the violence of the participants?
How many people were arrested for violent acts?
How much property damage resulted from Tea Party protests?
Now apply those same questions to the Occupy movement and then tell me who are the violent ones.
Now as to the whole Savage thing, I merely repeated what was in the article you linked to in your misleading initial post. If you don’t agree with that you should have said so when you posted the link. But then you would have had to acknowledge that the attacker was from the left, not the right and made the whole point of your post, well, pointless.
And if glitter isn’t an attack, how can they press charges for assault?