Pol's cat killed; "Liberal" scrawled on body

(CBS News) 

An Arkansas political campaign manager was shocked to discover his family pet with one side of its head bashed in -- and the word "liberal" scribbled across the corpse in paint.

Jacob Burris has served as Ken Aden's campaign manager since October 2011. Aden, a Democrat, is currently running for Arkansas' 3rd Congressional District.

"To kill a child's pet is just unconscionable," Aden said in an official statement. "As a former combat soldier, I've seen the best of humanity and the worst of humanity. Whoever did this is definitely part of the worst of humanity."

Burris told the Blue Arkansas Blog that one of his younger children found the pet, an adult, mixed-breed Siamese cat, on their front porch. He said the children are doing fine, but he is not taking the threat lightly.

"I've got a gun and I know how to use it," Burris told Blue Arkansas. "If I have to protect my kids, I'll do it without hesitation."

The Associate Press confirmed with the Russellville Police Department that the campaign manager had filed a report, but they did not have any suspects at this time.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is working with the Russellville Police Department and offering an up to $5,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.

"Animal abusers are cowards," says PETA Director Martin Mersereau. "They take their issues out on the most defenseless beings available to them."

Although the campaign between Aden and incumbent Steve Womack has been tense, Aden's group stated they do not think anyone in the opposing campaign to be responsible.

"We suspect this is the action of a rogue individual or group of individuals who are the type of folks that stoop to the lowest common denominator instead of engaging in civil political discourse," Aden said in a statement. "It is unfortunate this has occurred, and we will await the results of the police and federal investigations."

[AmericanCitizen56]

This is a victory of the talking head haters who make their living on TV telling viewers what political party to hate and why. It's how they make their living. If they didn't have hate to sell they'd be looking for work. Its up to viewers to see their message for what it is and NOT buy into it....it's up to us.

[mariadorseyc]

okay so PETA only gives a **** when it's on the news? otherwise they just don't give a **** about cats OR dogs. you suck PETA. this poor kitty =(

[mjmouser]

This year, a neighbor baited a trap with tuna fish and five cats from my neighborhood disappeared. Two re-appeared (we thought he wasn't killing them, but dumping them in the country) 8 and 9 weeks later---what joy!!! I know some people don't like cats, but some love them tremendously. PLEASE DON'T TAKE ANGER OUT ON A HELPLESS ANIMAL. Surely, we are better than that. Long ago, a Unitarian minister said, "We don't have to think alike to love alike." Oh, if it could be.....

[talamaskaa]

The Nazis are making a come back in the United States. These people are capeable of unspeakable acts to intimidate and silence anyone who does not subscribe to their doctrine. This time we do not wait. We are going to have to 'fight fire with fire'.
If this guy is found, he will be alive, badly beaten, and with a swastica carved on his stomach.

[louiville12]

by h_lance January 24, 2012 10:44 AM EST
louiville12, you are depraved and amoral.

This is a horrific act by a sick individual or individuals. It obviously does not reflect on all conservatives, but it DOES raise questions about the hateful, hysterical nature of some extreme right groups and media in this country. Those questions are highly valid. At least one sick individual committed this sadistic crime because the cat's owner was a Democrat. That did not come from a vacuum.

Your bizarre, paranoid insinuation that this was a "hoax" inappropriately projects your own dishonesty onto others.

Your callous, obnoxious use of "LOL" is profoundly offensive.
------------------------------------------------------------


LOL another true American who thinks because it happened to a Democrat the perpetrator is a "conservative", "some extreme right groups" of some sort.

Over the years I have learned unless we know for sure anyone could have killed the cat, including the owner.

Oh and the LOL was taken out of context, a typical trout tactic. (i.e. I wasn't laughing at the death of the cat I was laughing at the typical democrat broad brush guilty until innocent comments. Who ever killed the cat needs help bigtime)

[bobjonjr]

So if it wasn't a conservative what happened? I mean perhaps the FAMILY pet decided he had had enough and scrawled "LIBERAL" on his side then preceded to poke his eyes out and bash his head against the wall. Or could it be the dad who knew how much his kids loved the cat and killed it anyway to prove some kind of "conservatives kill pets of kids" meme? My God, why do you haters of all that is good in the world go around thinking you're in the majority!!! GROW UP!!!

[conticreative]

Obviously the cat learned to write, scribbled all over himself and bashed his own head in because he was ashamed his owners were liberal.

I think h_lance is right on the money. The political discourse has gotten to a point, exemplified by your own language, where there is no respect for opposing viewpoints and the other side is considered sub-human.
Sure, it's entirely possible that the owner killed his own child pet and scribbled his own political orientation on the corpse, but it's highly unlikely. The most likely explanation is that some liberal hater, such as yourself, reached a point a bit more extreme than your own and figured that a dead pet would teach the filthy liberal a lesson.

Whoever killed the cat does need help, once appropriate punishment has been doled out, but any apologist for such an act is really not that far removed from the perpetrator.

[countrycuz1]

Hmm... This is all kinda strange. Who took the picture of the dead cat and who released it to the news. Why in a congressional district election where the incumbent is a shoo-in would any political opponent do something like this...especially to a "campaign manager." I mena...how many of you can name the "campaign mananger" of your last elected rep to Congress? I know the authorities in Russellville are very suspicious of this incident and the local paper hasn't covered it yet, which leads me to guess that the owner took the picture himself then released it through whatever channels were necessary to gain national attention. All very sketchy.

[bobjonjr]

Tell me, why, if as you say Mr Aden took the picture, would he do something like release it to the news media instead of having the photo for say, EVIDENCE OF A CRIME? You see it seems to me that conservatives in this country are spinning mad because of any number of reasons. In fact, my belief is that a conservative DID do this to try to INTIMIDATE us libs into behaving and acting their way. Sad really all you want is control of the purse strings and control of behavior. Conservatives' inner fascist is coming out.

[bvbikeguy]

Really? The local paper hadn't covered it yet? Posted an hour before you made this comment: http://www.couriernews.com/view/full_story/17270168/article-Campaign-manager-finds-slaughtered-pet-at-home? and this from yesterday: http://www.couriernews.com/view/full_story/17284954/article-Group-offers-reward-in-local-cat-killing?

[countrycuz1]

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for a conservative to be ID'd as the perp. Something kinda strange going on here. What opponent in a relatively local smalltime election where the incumbent is a shoo-in is going to kill a pet and leave it on a family's doorstep knowing the negative fallout. Then the owner takes a picture of the dead cat and releases it to the national media to have it pasted all over the universe. Meanwhile, the Russellville Courier hasn't even covered this story. Gotta wonder what kind of follow-up we'll see, if any, on this one.

[jcnbma]

Why am I not surprised? Conservatives are a bunch of nasty, anti-social bullies who think that life is their way or the highway. I'd like to bash this guy's head in myself.

[JoeZuckersuck]

I agree, whoever did this is rotten. However, almost every instance of murders and attempted murders of American history in the name of politics have been from Liberals. Why am I not surprised to see more ugliness from one?

[jcnbma]

Why am I not surprised? Conservatives are a bunch of nasty, anti-social bullies who think that life is their way or the highway. I'd like to bash this guy's head in myself.

[PCL1]

It's strange that they didn't mention how the animal was killed and it's hard to know just what the real motivation of the killer was. But this is typical behavior of the riffraff that has invaded the Republican party in recent years. Instead of making thoughtful points about what their opponents are doing that is wrong, they just throw out slurs like some kind of talking doll: "liberal", "Muslim", "socialist", "European", etc. There are certainly Democrats with a similar mentality, but no one listens to them these days; while their Republican counterparts seem to be competing to become the next Glen Beck. And they're getting the presidential candidates they deserve, though only Gingrich is genuine in his flakiness; Romney is just cynically faking it. Santorum and Paul have no chance either way. Pathetic.

[RedDeath50]

Try reading the article next time:
"An Arkansas political campaign manager was shocked to discover his family pet with one side of its head bashed in..."