Bill O'Reilly's camera crew harasses Vermont legislator: "EXTREME VERBAL ABUSE"

[DeepModem Mom]

Rutland Herald: 'Aggressive' camera crew confronts Hinesburg rep
May 13, 2007
By Louis Porter Vermont Press Bureau

MONTPELIER – A confrontation between a TV news camera crew and lawmakers started a long day off to a tense start Saturday.

Rep. William Lippert, D-Hinesburg, was eating oatmeal in the Statehouse cafeteria a little after 8 a.m. when members of a camera crew, who bystanders said were from the Fox News program "The O'Reilly Factor," arrived and began questioning Lippert about why the House had passed a transgender anti-discrimination bill and had not passed a "Jessica's Law" that would require 25-year sentences for some sex offenders.

Lippert, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, described the news crew as "highly aggressive." Lawmakers sitting nearby rallied to his side, and a confrontation with the camera crew ensued for several minutes, Lippert and others recalled later.

"I was frankly stunned," Lippert said. "It was like being ambushed."

To sustained standing applause, Speaker of the House Gaye Symington spoke from the floor of the House about the incident, in which the television crew deliberately misconstrued Vermont's laws around sex offenders, she said.

"The tactics employed by the producers of this television program are unacceptable and have no place in this Statehouse or in Vermont politics," Symington said. "I stand with my colleague from Hinesburg and in defense of Vermont's tradition of civil political discussion and debate."

The irony, Lippert said, is that the preceding day the Legislature had passed a measure that would toughen the state's laws dealing with incarcerated sex offenders. Under the new provision, those "high risk" offenders who will reach their maximum sentences without going through treatment programs will be under strict requirements to register with authorities. If they violate those requirements they could be put in prison for as long as life....

***

Sen. James Condos, D-Chittenden, called the incident "extreme verbal abuse" against Lippert.

"I don't think O'Reilly cares about the truth, I don't think O'Reilly would know the truth if it hit him in the face," Condos said....

http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070513/NEWS04/705130395/1024/NEWS04

[donco6]

1. I would ask, "What's the connection?"

A transgender anti-discrimination bill and a law extending sentences for sex offenders?

What the connection exactly?

[Colobo]

6. There is no connection, and both should have been passed

[MadMaddie]

2. Okay for you legal minds out there...at what point does this

ambushing cross the line?

Will it be when someone is truely in fear of his/her life and decided to defend themselves?

This is bullshit.....

[DeepModem Mom]

7. This is extraordinary! This is an elected legislator. Imagine if "Countdown," for example...

had done this!

[muntrv]

3. Transgenders are sex offenders. O'liely should know, since he is one.

Making obcene phone calls to his producer is not a sex offense. :crazy:

[ComerPerro]

4. The hilarious thing is that BillO tries to claim that people who refuse to talk to him

and actually laugh when they see Faux News are biased and mean spirited and don't want fair journalism, when in reality Faux News should be laughed out of most public spaces, and people should refuse to talk to BillO because he is not credible.

But BillO manages to use his status as a total fucking joke to most Americans as some sort of virtue.

[Colobo]

5. I wish they had passed Jessica's Law as well

[rocktivity]

8. I think I know what this is rooted in

A Vermont man who'd raped a child over a four-year period was originally sentenced to only 60 days. With the help of a little public outrage (including mine, which I disclose in the interest of fairness and balance), the sentence was increased to three to ten years.

The next "victim" of one of O'Reilly's "truth squads" should just LAUGH IN THEIR FACES, especially when they're being as disingenuous as equating the transgendered with child molesters!

:headbang:
rocknation

[lordsummerisle]

9. I guess I'm wondering

why they just didn't have the news crew removed from the premises...? If if was that disruptive and intrusive I would have...

[Green Mountain Dem]

10. The Fox Video Crew...

was escorted out of the Statehouse by security personnel..I posted on this early this AM.

[Oeditpus Rex]

11. 'started a long day off to a tense start'

Copy editor on holiday.