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Journalist Abuse – Selective Memory Syndrome!

The poor victim of this horrible ailment – Columnist Michael Crowley.

Today, at a Michelle Bachmann rally, responding to recent news that she suffers from migraines, this happened:

Bachmann said 30 million Americans suffer from migraines and that “nearly 1 in 4 American households” have a migraine sufferer. “While I appreciate the concern for myself and for my health,” she added, looking to climb back down to safer ground, “the greater concern should be the debate that is occurring today in Washington, D.C., over whether or not we will increase our debt spending and taxes.” Bachmann reiterated that she would not vote to raise the debt ceiling. And with that, she departed without taking questions.

That’s when things got interesting. Ross dashed after Bachmann, repeatedly asking whether she had ever missed a House vote due to a migraine. She ignored him. Ross pursued her into a parking area behind the stage. Her aides grew alarmed. When Ross made a beeline for the white SUV waiting to carry Bachmann away, two Bachmann men pounced on him, grabbing and pushing him multiple times with what looked to me like unusual force. In fact, I have never seen a reporter treated so roughly at a campaign event, especially not a presidential one. Ross was finally able to break away and lob his question at Bachmann one more time, but she continued to ignore him.

After the dust up with Michelle Backmann Security guards, Mr Crowley reports this:

Afterward, I asked Ross — a hard-nosed pro who nevertheless seemed slightly shaken — whether he had ever been treated so roughly. “A few times,” he told me. “Mostly by Mafia people.”

He adds:

To zoom out for a minute, what’s most interesting here isn’t Bachmann’s headaches. She’s still a long way from the nuclear football, and unless the story takes some darker turn, I don’t see why a seemingly manageable battle with migraines would be a game changer for her candidacy.

OK, then why go after her as if she has just been outed as being a pedophile (I should probably change that, as I don’t want to start a rumor the press would love to believe).

Thing is, Ross crossed a line over something so trivial as a candidate with migraines. And, for journalists, this rough treatment isn’t exactly uncharted territory. They unjustly get roughed up sometimes. Same thing happened during Joe Miller’s run for Congress.

But, you say, he’s another Rethuglican and that wasn’t Presidential.

OK. I guess Crowley and Ross probably forgot this incident, where Ross’s producer was arrested:

This was at the 2008 DEMOCRATIC Convention… Which WAS Democratic! Did Crowley write as breathlessly about this incident?

PS. A liberal friend wondered why I hate Brian Ross. I don’t have anything against Brian Ross. He’s very good at what he does. We need more people like him to hound candidates and office holders alike. But this was a mistake on his part. If it was revealed that she was a secret pedophile (I should give anyone any ideas), that would be one thing. But, if it were revealed that President Obama suffered from epileptic seizures, he responded thusly:

“Since serving as the President, I have maintained a full schedule between my duties as President and traveling across the nation to meet with voters … I have prescribed medication that I take on occasion whenever symptoms arise and they keep my seizures under control. But I’d like to be abundantly clear: My ability to function effectively will not affect my ability to serve as commander in chief.”

Then, lets say Andrew Breitbart went running after him, continuing to hound him on this matter, would you honestly be upset over Breitbart being manhandled???