From “The Rachel Maddow Show,” June 2, 2009.
Marcus Epstein, an aid to former Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo, has been charged with a hate crime for hitting a woman in the head and calling her a nigger. Yes, that Tom Tancredo – the one who has accused Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor a being a racist, and who remains a leader of the nativist movement in this country.And Bay Buchanan believes this is “old news”! Mind you, Gainesville Supervisor John Stirrup subscribes to the same idealogy as Pat & Bay Buchanan with their anti-immigrant, “post-American” beliefs. Frightening.
Tancredo’s had a rough run of it lately. Some brave students stood up against a speech at UNC, then with the nomination of Sotomayor(sp?) he had the nerve to compare NCLR to the KKK, and now this comes out.
Can someone finally put this man out to pasture?
Why is my comment in moderation?
Maybe Epstein has matured. It doesn’t sound like UVA wants him.
A local politician had an aid that broke bad and did some embarrassing things. To his credit, the local politician no longer has that aid working for him.
Here’s the difference, because I know it’s hard for certain folks to understand. Conservatives get on Sotomayor for her own actions and words. Liberals like Rick Maddow here get on Tancredo for somebody else’s words and actions. Conservatives understand the concept of individual responsibility. Libs know no such concept.
Hey, Obama appoints a tax cheat to head the IRS! Guilty by association? That is what this post is stating. Why does that never hold for the left, yet if a levy breaks in New Orleans it’s the presidents fault! Besides, I can’t stand to listen to Rachel Maddow. I’ve seen her once or twice, and each time her childish and sarcastic attitude turned my stomach. BTW, the hate crime charge was dropped.
So now if I ever get in an altercation with someone who is a minority I’m automatically guilty of a hate crime? I thought minorities were given way too much slack in the past, now I can’t even defend myself against one, or I risk having my life ruined to the point where I can’t even enroll in a university? Give me a break!
I heard about this. I thought it was just a web rumor spread by somebody with an axe to grind. Who goes around karate chopping women on the street? I haven’t karate chopped anyone since the second grade, and that was just for play. I haven’t heard the phrase “karate chop” since the third grade. So this really happened? This guy really did this. Was he drunk? Did he do it after a cinco de mayo celebration?
And the “N” word. My family is deep redneck (I’m sure a lot of people in the Manassas area have hick family members). One of my uncles showed up for Christmas dinner wearing overalls and a NASCAR baseball cap a couple of years ago. But in my entire life I’ve only heard the “N” word on only one occassion. Even my family knows how inappropriate that word is.
I also read a rumor that he’s been “un-invited” to UVA law school. I’m all for second and third chances. When criminals get out of jail after having served their time, I would like for them to be able to get on with their lives.
Slowpoke Rodriguez makes a good point. Of course Bill Ayers and Jeremiah Wright might dare to disagree with him. Ok – actually Slowpoke makes a pretty ignorant comment.
“The prosecutor alleged that he encountered an African American woman on the street, struck her on the head, and uttered the word “nigger” before fleeing.[2] [3] Allegedly, Epstein had been drinking.[4] When the incicdnet came to light in 2009, Epstein was still performing staffing duties for Tancredo and he remained as executive director of Team America PAC, though he was scheduled to resign later in 2009.[3] The head of Team America, Bay Buchanan, described the incident as “out of character” for Epstein and said he had received treatment”
I support Tancredo but this sounds disgraceful.
Here’s another account :
On July 7, 2007, Marcus Epstein had too much to drink and stumbled onto Georgetown’s scenic, shop-lined M Street, walking in no particular direction. At 7:15 p.m., he bumped into a black woman, called her a “nigger,” and struck her in the head with an open hand. An off-duty Secret Service agent was watching. Epstein “jogged away,” according to the agent’s affidavit, and when Epstein was finally chased down, he “continued to flail his arms while being taken into custody.”
After this, say Epstein’s friends, the then-24-year-old conservative activist radically changed his life. He swore off drinking and started attending meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. He started treating the bipolar depression that had gone undiagnosed until that run-in with the law. In January 2008 Epstein plea bargained to a charge of simple assault, as part of a settlement that included a letter of apology to his victim and a $1,000 donation to the United Negro College Fund. He will be in court again July 8, but because he met the terms of his settlement, Epstein’s employers expect the ordeal to end then and there. Epstein could not be reached for comment on Monday.
I’m not a supporter of hate crime laws, but this guy deserves what he gets.
On July 7, 2007, at approximately 7:15 p.m. at Jefferson and M Street, Northwest, in Washington, D.C., defendant was walking down the street making offensive remarks when he encountered the complainant, Ms. [REDACTED], who is African-American. The defendant uttered, “Nigger,” as he delivered a karate chop to Ms. [REDACTED]’s head.
“Bay Buchanan has come to Epstein’s defense, saying he “has shown tremendous courage in addressing some serious personal problems and he has turned his life around.” ”
Yeah yeah yeah. Everybody’s a victim. Tancredo and Buchanan needed to cut this guy loose, and they didn’t. They have set their political caucus back, deservedly. This is messed up. The guy is pretty obviously a hatr-core bigot and they retain him in a central position.
Bigots are everywhere in this country. Most tend to group together in organizations that support only one race. The only organizations that discriminate based on race are these, and yet they are supported by those that claim discrimination by all others who aren’t allowed to organize by law. Sort of ironic, or the pot calling the kettle black. Everyone assumes that Tancredo and Buchanan were aware of this guy’s private life style, but then that is an assumption, ………… I assume. Does this also mean that what you do on your own time should have a bearing on your career? I like to keep my job and my life separate. What about that ex-KKK member democratic congressman? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm
hello,
It was late last night and your links to dickapedia are uncalled for. That’s why I put you in moderation.
It’s about environment and role modeling. If people work for and support serious bigots, then what else can you expect?
“Dickapedia” is a new one on me. Are men offended by this? Just curious.
Naturally, I am now curious…. 😉
It’s a take-off of wikipedia with nasty stuff about people.
Rick,
You are a strange case in my book. Knowing your position on homosexuals, can you tell me where you would stand on immigration rights for gay couples?
I am in favor of states legalizing gay marriage, and believe the Federal Government (rather obviously) has no role in it. So I guess that means that I’m in favor of opening up immigration rights for gay couples, to some extent. However, I believe that we need to be more rigorous in checking that marriages are “real”, there are many fake marriages going around. And this “mail order bride” stuff shouldn’t qualify anyone for a green card.
I’m sure there are many good people gaining citizenship that way – and lots of pretty asian and Russian young women in particular. However, it’s not fair and it amounts to prostitution. It’s not that i want the doors to America closed, it’s that I want the inflow coming in to be better dispersed to include more people who aren’t wealthy, or marrying for a green card, or walking across our southern border in violation of our laws.
If i seem like a strange case, it’s because I used to be a pretty liberal guy, but my natural as-you-get-older turn towards more conservatism has been drastically accelerated by what i lived though in my neighborhood.
At base it’s like this : I have a MASSIVE bone against illegal immigration. But not because of matters of ethnicity. It’s because I see it as part and parcel of the rich exploiting the poor, and in this case it’s being done by :
A. Elitists deliberately choosing not to uphold laws that they are sworn to uphold
B. Both political parties exploiting people’s sense of “Christian charity” and subverting it against them
Growing up during the Reagan/Bush years, I have seen the world since then as a carny act in which the rich bamboozle the poor and middle class, and fool them into voting against their own interests.
but now I’m hopping mad because even if they can’t fool us into voting for Amnesty, they just collude not to enforce the laws, not to even attempt what they’ve been sworn to do. It’s a big middle finger in the eye as far as I’m concerned.
Rick,
Haven’t we always been a nation that primarily the persecuted and poor have migrated to? The Italians, the Irish, etc… the Statue of Liberty says give me your tired and poor, why are they being exploited now but not in generations past when they typically took the same types of low paying jobs like building roadways and bridges.
You know, I’m sure the guy did not put “racist” on his resume, or list “hate crimes” under hobbies. So, as much as I think Tancredo acts like a lunatic and probably a xenophobe, I’m not sure that this proves anything. Tancredo could not have foreseen this at the time of hiring.
Alcohol just reveals what you really feel but normally stop yourself from saying.
“why are they being exploited now but not in generations past ”
Well, there are more coming over. But I’m not arguing that the individuals are being exploited. I’m arguing all of us collectively are. Their wages go up when they come here, and Americans’ go down. Over time, wages stay low in Mexico because it remains undeveloped land owned by robber barons and no labor pool develops there, instead we have all the labor here and supply and demand ensures that wages stay low.
@Slowpoke Rodriguez
Yeah, right. If conservatives understood individual responsibility, they damn sure don’t accept it
Witness Too,
The problem is that he continued to hire him afterwards!
I was so encouraged when CNN pushed back when Tancredo called La Raza the “KKK.” 2 years ago, CNN would not have said squat about that. All of the sudden, it’s ridiculous and outrageous to slander the largest Hispanic civil rights organization in America. Just like it would be to say that about the NAACP. Why has CNN switched all of the sudden? It think it was because the Hispanic vote became a news story. And then the news story turned out to be more than a story. Since they reported on that story so heavily, in particular during Obama vs. Hillary, they have to start reporting news as if Hispanic Americans deserve the same respect and equality that any other group deserves. It’s about time!
Tom Tancredo, thank you for being a nut.
How on earth do you link John Stirrup with this story? That kind of pettiness and vitriol is the reason nobody takes these blogs seriously. Seems like quite a stretch-but then again I’ve often read on here how Corey Stewart was single handedly to blame for the nationwide housing crisis so I suppose anything is possible…
Tom Andrews,
First off, welcome. It’s a local blog and people reading it should recognize that Gainesville Supervisor John Stirrup idolizes Bay Buchanan and Tom Tancredo. And that he subscribes to their lunacy; that’s all I’m saying.
Obviously, he’s not responsible for acts committed by Tancredo’s staff. But to respect someone who continues to employ someone like this is problematic.
I understand what you’re saying, I was just caught off guard by the shot at a local county supervisor over a national political story about a staffer for a Colorado congressman and wondered what relevance it had. As for idolizing people, I think people can support and agree with others without idolizing them, as well as, conversely, idolizing them and not agreeing with every single position they take on every issue. We begin to set a pretty high standard if we’re all going to be held accountable for everything those we support (and everyone who may work for them or ever has worked them)say or do. I guess my only point is, that if you don’t really believe John supports what this young staffer did (and I’m sure he does not)then there was no reason to take a swing at him on a blog.
TAndrews, perhaps you missed the kudos to a local politician who no longer has an aid working for him. That aid was involved in a similar event. To his credit, the local politician no longer has that aid associated with his office.
See comment #3
In this case, the state delegate did the right thing. Funny how you honed in on the swing and missed the kudo.
I saw the kudo and it is well deserved and I’m glad that we have politicians that do what they should when the situation calls for it. I still however haven’t made the connection between the original story and John Stirrup. I understand the insinuation but intellectually it doesnt square up for me that’s all.
TAndrews,
Let’s just break this down, so I can see where you are coming from. First off, putting aside the issue about Tancredo continuing to employ aide.
Can you acknowledge the wackiness of Tancredo in the immigration debate?
To be forthright, I didnt even watch the clip I only read the text below it. I really don’t care to see anything that comes out of MSNBC regardless of the issue. I’m not 24/7 invested in the illegal immigration debate but I do believe that Tom Tancredo is entitled to his opinion as is every other American citizen. I simply wondered how John Stirrup was injected into that story.
These anti-immigrant wingnuts are being infiltrated by kkk, gay-bashing, hate-mongers and the such, and everybody goes about as if it’s business as usual, with their ‘as long as their not after me’ mentality.
Keep up the good work.