By Barry Secrest

Should the new Democratic logo be a straight jacket? The President's rambling nonsensical message to the Nation left many of both Liberal and Conservative bent chuckling in exasperation after his address regarding the Gulf Spill. The hysterical nature of the Democrats has, however, never been more telling than the actions of a sitting long-time Democratic member of Congress who went into a fit of bipolar madness when engaged on the streets of his "artificial" hometown.

It would appear that one particular Democrat has now teetered over the edge of whatever sanity remained in his leering sarcophagus-like skull. Congressman Bob Etheridge (DNC), apparently "possessed" of some violent and vengeful demon, whose origins are only available to conjecture, went decidedly postal on a couple of young college students practicing their budding media skills in Washington for their terrible and unseemly transgression. What was their unholy act? They asked the Congressman if he supported Obama's agenda. Many North Carolinians, such as this one, and probably a number of outraged Citizens all over the Country, had a strange urge to journey up to Washington and perform the same video skit--but with woefully differing results for the bullying--if not thuggish--Congressman from NC.

In fact, we had been wishing to put to the test the effectiveness of the latest Congressional health care plan anyway. Regardless, the Congressman was ultimately defended by many members of the "Axis Press" who view all violence as abominable unless perpetrated by one of their own--then it becomes mystifyingly justifiable in their bizarre methodology of reasoning. Hapless Mark Washburn of the Charlotte Observer, in a blissfully ignorant diatribe that skewed the facts to the point of unrecognition, stated Etheridge "was pounced on by punks and pounced back." A later Charlotte Observer editorial also used the word "punks" to describe these young, engaged students.

The interesting fact in all of this is simply that these students were actively engaged in performing, no doubt, what they considered to be their civic duty in conjunction with a school project. We must then ask the question of the Charlotte Observer--that being--"what constitutes the difference between a reporter and a punk"? Is it, perhaps, being on the payroll of a news organization? Is it a press pass? How many times have we seen Reporters shove microphones and cameras in the faces of politicians in far more aggressively than in this instance and yet come away unscathed with questions answered? Why does the media automatically surmise that the students were being nasty in asking this particular question?

It would also appear that Etheridge was performing his own brand of profiling by demanding to know who these students were--even while they were answering his question that they were students working on a project. Etheridge never answered the students' very simple question and later apologized, but, indeed, never explained to us why a member of Congress--on the public's dole who is considered to be a member of the public domain and is expected to engage citizens at any moment--elected to assault these students rather than to simply answer their questions.

On the other hand, Mark Washburn's efforts at logical thought could only mirror those of Freddy Krueger in his vindictiveness towards these students. The question from the students was, once again, " excuse me Congressman, do you support Obama's agenda"? Washburn actually twisted these words around in his article to the following: "when two polite young men pop up and shove video cameras in your puss and ask you sweetly to admit that you are a pawn of every evil plot hatched by the White House, and you have the nerve – the nerve! – to respond, “Who are you?”

Well... at least now we know, it would appear, how the Liberals in the media really feel about their President. When "do you support the Obama agenda" becomes "you are a pawn in every evil plot hatched in the White House" we should all now understand that something's up with the media. So once again we must ask of the varied and clueless majority in the Liberal Media--but especially in this case: "Can we have fries with that article, Mr. Washburn?"

The Liberals will often play "spin the bottle" in their selection of whom to protect by clumsy, gradiented reporting. The Raleigh News and Observer released the story also and the spin became quite evident at close reading. All through the article, the News and Observer seemed to be carefully laying the groundwork that it was an innocent altercation fomented by the students. In one instance, the story read that the students held a camera inches from the Congressman's face--which was not readily apparent on the video. Quotes from WH Press Secretary Bob Gibbs stating "how honorable" Etheridge was, along with quotes from other media "experts," were laid out as if to say that Etheridge's burst of violence against a fledgling member of the media was no big deal.

The final coffin nail, in this case, was the referencing of videos being used as political weapons since August of 2006 when Republican George Allen called a media member "macaca" (which is, apparently, an ethnic slur of dubious origins that most have no idea about). However, one must remember that THIS video became a weapon only when the Congressman chose to become a weapon himself. He could have simply said, "Yes. I do support Obama's agenda--look at my voting record." Or he could have walked on by, ignoring the students' queries as is a commonly accepted practice among politicians at all levels.

Underneath it all, however, the daunting truth is emerging for the Media's "Golden Child." When it becomes an insult to ask a Congressman if he supports Obama's agenda, we can all now read the tea leaves and see what most of the Democrats running for re-election will face come November.

We asked if Mr. Washburn could supply fries with his "fast food article." To Congressman Etheridge we can only state that the egg on his face goes really well with the fact that he is now "toast"--now where is that lithium-butter spread?