Benjamin Dutton has been on Wolf's staff as a "part time employee" since 2001. Pretty nice gig, though - he has made $180,833 since 2001 as a part-timer. I think the part where he beats people with a cane falls into the "other duties as assigned" category. Ha.

Lowell,
Why don't you tell us how much you've been paid by Judy Feder since, say, 2004?

I wasn't involved in Virginia politics until January 2005.  My first paying political involvement started in July 2006 for Jim Webb.  I was paid by no other political candidate in 2006.  I started as a paid consultant to Judy Feder in August 2007.  

Now, what does this have to do with anything?  Let's get back to the subject at hand, which is that Wolf is blaming the victims for being assaulted.

Lowell,
This has nothing to do with who hit whom or who was rude or who apologized for what.  It's all about why this story has legs on RK.

You have created a really great blog here at RK and I hope that you are earning a ton of money with your advertisements, book deal, etc.  However, you seriously limit your credibility when you are on the payroll of someone running for office against politicians that you are attacking.

Alec MacGillis and Lisa Rein, among others, at the Washington Post have run articles exposing Gerry Connally's and the Fairfax BOD's close financial ties to developers.  What would RK have to say about that if those reporters were also paid "consultants" to the RPVA?  A whole lot, I would guess.

We've been over this time and again.  Lowell is completely open about his employment relationship with the Feder campaign (and the Bowerbank campaign, and the Webb campaign, and any other you wish to ask about) and we leave it up to you and readers of RK to use that knowledge combined with your own judgment to determine your own reaction to his writing about the candidates he's paid by.  It's a transparent process that allows each reader to decided for himself or herself the validity of any given post.  This might not be the most perfect system ever invented, but given the openness it's pretty good.

As for this particular post, I seriously doubt RK's coverage would be any different if Lowell wasn't working for Judy.  See our coverage of Goode's obstruction of video (http://www.raisingkaine.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=16901) if you'd like an similar example of coverage related to a campaign (Perriello) that's not paying Lowell.  This Wolf video is exactly the sort of thing we'd be discussing on the frontpage at RK no matter who is being paid by whom.

I'd like to know how much the 84 year old staffer is paid, and just what it is he does around Wolf's to earn whatever it is the taxpayers are paying him.  Then i'd like to know why he hasn't been fired for physically assaulting one of Wolf's constituents.

What has your comment to do with my response to Eric?  Also, please explain how my response to Eric was a troll comment.  Wasn't it ideologically pure enough for you?

Be careful with those troll ratings, JC.  What goes around comes around.

I thought that as long as we were on the subject of what people were paid for doin' and what it was that they did for that pay, I thought I'd just ask what is was that an 83-year old staffer did to earn his paycheck from taxpayers.

Is this guy Wolf's bodyguard?  If so, well done.

Are you saying that Hannity and friends at Fox aren't on the Republican payroll?  :-)

Is it ok for an MSM commentator to be on someone's payroll?  Not if that commentator is presenting themselves as completely unbiased or non-partisan and only in search of the "truth" - although that is a very loaded term indeed.  If they were, however, on someone's payroll and they fully disclosed it I would say it's reasonable.  Not because that's what we do here, but for the same reason I believe our policy is reasonable.  Simply that if I know personality X is being paid by candidate Y I must filter everything they say knowing the higher likelihood of bias.

A more important question about the MSM is if they should put disclaimers when they are biased but not being paid.  The Fox folks are the most obvious but certainly most others lean right or left to varying degrees.  Perhaps they should all disclose exactly where they are coming from.

As for RK, if it's not obvious, we are a partisan blog and I don't believe anyone here as ever made a claim of being a totally non-partisan news service.  If we had made such a claim, you'd have a point.

But any way we look at this, it all comes back to disclosure.  Lowell (and myself and Josh) have all been open about who pays or has paid us and every reader should judge our efforts regarding posts that relate to our employers with that in mind.  

If you could prove that Hannity or any one else in the MSM is on anyone's payroll, then you would have the scoop of the century.  I look forward to your diary exposing this jounalistic corruption.  :)

My point is this:  yes, blogs are inherently partisan and everyone (except maybe JC) knows that.  The problem comes about when money changes hands.  Then the question arises as to whether the editorial priorities are based on political philosophy or income considerations.  And, people begin to wonder if progressive politicians can get better treatment on RK if they 'pay to play.'  Why put that question out there and jeopordize the entire enterprise?  

Let's troll rate each other to oblivion!  I bet we can set some kind of record.

And a lot easier than actually volunteering for McCain or Wolf, wouldn't you agree?

Yes, let's all go to work for McCain.  What else you got?

Stevens and McCain's 83 year-old bodyguard can share the same cell in "Club Fed's" geriatric wing.

Window shopping?

So how was your last trip to the Dominican Republic with Rush Limbaugh?

The World Series is in rain delay and MNF is over, so I'm going away now.

BTW, why do you consider any interest in child prostitution "healthy?"

Why don't you tell us how much you've been paid by Judy Feder since, say, 2004?

What does that have to do with anything, HisRoc? Are you saying that this would somehow blot out the criminal assault and battery that was committed by Wolf's people? Just because the person reporting it is connected to Wolf's opponent?

I hope the answer is no, because only a disgusting person would think that it makes a difference. But if the answer *is* no, then why bring it up at all?

I really hope Kent and Goodman get beyond the stage of "considering whether to file a complaint with the police" and actually do so ASAP. The chilling effect of staffers getting away with assaulting opponents and/or constituents should be obvious to most political observers.

Watching the video, I'm reminded that if you poke a stick at a dog long enough, sooner or later you're going to get bit.
You wouldn't want me sitting on the jury trying to convict on assault and battery charges on this case.

Both parties are wrong.  Your 'reporters' were far too aggressive and confrontational, and Wolf's staffers reacted unprofessionally.  I'd call it a draw.

this smells like only a last minute attempt to bump the direction of public opinion.  Two young guys pestering an old congressmen to a point his old staffers responded, then saying they are "assaulted" and pinned to the wall.  Appears to me it was all planned.  Look they just had a debate - there's no need to force a question which should have been left at the debate.  Might "make the news" on lefty blogs, but overall, hope this doesn't backfire for you Lowell.  Sheesh.

I am sure these kids planned to have one of Wolf's Congressional employees hit them with a cane...They also must have planned for the Congressman to not react as his staffer not once, not twice, but three times swiped at the kid....yep, makes sense to me...

And I bet Feder's Campaign would have been happy to leave the issue at the debate if Wolf's camp would simply own up to his responses during the debate...how many more times do we have to catch these thugs lying on tape before they begin to curb their behavior?

So perhaps we should just let Ted Stevens off the hook because he's old...makes a lot of sense to me!  (oh yeah, by the way "grandpa", is just 10 years older than the congressman).....

To answer your other question, I dont know if these kids have insurance, perhaps that is why they were so concerned with the Congressman wanting to tax their health benefits?????

I thought this was all planned?

...if you consider a 75 year-old grandpa's arthritic index fingering pointing to the child's chest, as "pinning".  It must have been painful.  I'm never going to look at old people the same again - they are all potential thugs.  Where's that website to donate?

you have referred to the Feder staffers as children....Frank Wolf...he may stand by and watch as two children or boys (your words, not mine), are struck by his congressional staff, but he still has my vote for all of the awesome commissions he has created (who cares if he voted against their recommendations).

plot by the Feder campaign.  "All planned," riiiiight. :)

Derisive comments about "lefty blogs"? Denying a chain of events we can all see plain as day on video? Sounds like the kind of logic that leads to pulling Republican levers on November 4th.

"Reacting unprofessionally" would have been cursing or verbally sparring with the cameraman. Punching, striking with canes (somewhere Charles Sumner is rolling over in his grave), and forcefully detaining them is reacting criminally. If this is the kind of dog you're willing to lay down with, don't whine to me or anybody else about the fleas.

Roland,
I don't recognize slowinfastout, but floodguy has been a regular here for at least a year or more, so don't imply that they are Wolf trolls.

As for me, I have been on here since the spring of 2007 and I am a Quick Hit poster.  And I agree with these posters.

BTW, I don't recall seeing you here before, but that doesn't mean that you're not a regular RKer.

If I wanted to accuse someone, I'd accuse them. I just said there's is a strange argument or perspective on a progressive blog, and seems to be giving too much leeway to Congressman Wolf. When an elected official refuses to give a straight answer, his constituents are, in my mind, entitled to pursue that answer within the bounds of reason. Saying "it was outside the debate, they should've just let it go" gives the benefit of the doubt to someone who absolutely does not deserve it. And responding to a question with a punch isn't just absurd, it's grotesque and, thankfully, criminal.

try reading the other blogs referred to in at the top - Kos, Huffington, etc.  I don't see any replies to commenters who are disposing this matter, as likely candidates to "pull Republican levers" on Nov 4th.  How about just keeping an open mind from time to time.  If you can't smell the crap when its underneath your nose, don't complain when someone can.    

You are nmot privileged to hit someone with a wooden stick because we are close to an election, because you are having a grumpy day, or because they piss you off.  Crime.  

Hey, slowinfastout, in case this hasn't filtered through for you, this is still the USA. People have the right of free speech, and Congresscritters do *not* have the right to hide from tough questions. If Frank Wolf and his people really are nothing but dogs who are so easily "provoked" into violence, then they don't belong even in polite society, let alone Congress.

Those reporters were *not* too "confrontational". They had every right to demand answers to their questions. And you are (probably deliberately) downplaying Wolf's staffers' reaction. That wasn't merely unprofessional, that was felony assault and battery. And that's the truth, no matter how you try to dishonestly spin it

No, I wouldn't want you on a jury for this, because you obviously think assault is justified merely in the face of being peppered with "aggressive" questions. And no real human being, no real American, would ever believe such stupidity.

From the Feder campaign:

Feder Campaign Calls for Wolf Staffer to be Fired After Assault

McLean, VA-After an incident on Friday, October 24, 2008 in Winchester, VA during which a congressional staffer of Congressman Wolf assaulted a Feder staffer, the campaign is calling for Congressional staffer Benjamin Dutton to be fired immediately.

The Feder campaign is also calling for the Wolf campaign to reveal the identity of the second man in the video who is caught on tape holding a Feder campaign staffer against the wall in a threatening manner.

The Feder campaign believes the following list of questions needs to be answered by Congressman Wolf-and not his campaign staff-publicly:

   * Were you aware that the young man had been struck with a cane? Did you see the young man get struck by your staffer a second time?
   * What is the identity of the second man in the video who appears to be pinning one of the Feder staffers against the wall?
   * Why didn't you say something when you realized there was a young man being held against his will by one of your supporters/volunteers/staffers?

"This whole incident is unfortunate, and we certainly never expected that questions about Congressman Wolf's support of the McCain health care tax would lead to a violent response from the Congressman's staff," said Feder campaign manager Luke McFarland. "The staffer who is responsible for the assault should be fired immediately. And Congressman Wolf himself should give a full account of what happened, not send staffers out to explain this away for him."

...over 25% this month and this race has devolved into who shoved who on the schoolyard during recess.  Yikes!

And what does he do to earn it?

I don't think this geezer does a damn thing to earn his paycheck.  I think he sees the source of his political patronage drying up and he lashed out violently, that's what I think.