Bob Etheridge Video: Congressman Gets "Touchy" with Camera Crew, Then Apologizes for How He "Handled" Them

By: Edecio Martinez
Topics: Caught on Tape

Bob Etheridge (YouTube)

RALEIGH, N.C. (CBS/AP) Democratic Rep. Bob Etheridge is sorry he lost his cool when two young men approached him in Washington, D.C. with a video camera, and asked if he supports President Obama's agenda.

The North Carolina congressmen said in a statement he regrets his reaction and apologizes to all involved.

The video, seen here on YouTube, was posted Monday on sites owned by Andrew Breitbart, the Web entrepreneur who also released the damaging video of ACORN workers counseling actors who posed as a pimp and prostitute.

In the Etheridge video, two men, who identify themselves as students, ask the congressman if he supports the Obama agenda. A visibly agitated Etheridge quickly replies, "Who are you?"

He repeats the question and appears to swat the camera with his hand. The two people don't answer the question, saying they were "just here for a project."

"I have a right to know who you are," Etheridge says, holding one man's wrist.

The pair, again, refuse to tell him. Etheridge then grabs the self-described student by the neck and pulls him next to him.

Etheridge eventually lets go of the young man and walks away.

"Bob Etheridge has lost it," National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Jon Thompson said in a statement obtained by CBS News' Blog "Political Hotsheet." "His conduct is unbecoming of a member of Congress. It's bad enough that he's joined Obama's assault on North Carolina jobs, but his physical assault on a college student goes beyond the pale."

The person who posted the video on YouTube goes by the name "DCCameraGuy," but is not identified beyond that. You can see what appear to be the two unedited videos here. The caption below is YouTube's.

8 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment


by Frank804 June 14, 2010 6:19 PM EDT: Not much different from the way that Congressman Jim Moran of Virginia, my state, treated me on Saturday, 20 March 2010 when I visited his office to ask him to vote against the Obamacare bill. He yelled that he was tired of us people trying to tell him how to vote, and then continued his tirade with "Now you get out of my office, get out of here, get out of my office!!" If I was that impolite to my boss I would get fired. Sounds like both Moran and Etheridge should be.; Reply to this comment


by kookyricky June 14, 2010 5:58 PM EDT: Check out the photos of congressman Etheridge taking the student's phone during the attack at kooks.com, the link is http://www.kooks.com/congress/1/Rep-Bob-Etheridge-D-NC-Attacks-Student-and-Takes-Camera-Phone.html; Reply to this comment


by Lanyards June 14, 2010 5:36 PM EDT: he is so busted... This is not nice of him at all. I am glad the camera was there, otherwise its hard or almost impossible to get a apology from the politicians now a days. Thank you for posting. <a href="http://www.customlanyards4all.com/">custom lanyards</a>; Reply to this comment


by lilbear925 June 14, 2010 5:28 PM EDT: This, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, is simple assault as defined by the penal code of North Carolina. The video says all it needs to say. I ask for a verdict of "guilty as charged."; Reply to this comment

by nojoy01 June 14, 2010 4:41 PM EDT

OK. Congressman, you "may" have had a "right" to know who you are speaking to. But when you grabbed the persons' wrist, that was assualt number one. When you grabbed the back of the persons' neck & pulled him to you, that was assualt number two. On the "other hand", if a prosecutor was feeling his/her "oats", grabbing, holding, and refusing to release the young man after being asked repeatedly to "let me go" could be the basis for an unlawful restraint charge. I guess that immunity while congress is in session clause in the constitution is a nice thing to have. If one of your constituents had pulled that stunt on smoebody he/she would've probably wound up in jail. A real class act by the "honorable" Rep. Bob Etheridge.

Reply to this comment


by Fraudkiller61 June 15, 2010 12:51 AM EDT: The Congressman ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT have a "Right" to know who is speaking... What the hell country did I wake up in today????


by GeorgeSteenburgh June 14, 2010 4:40 PM EDT: Is this the best CBS NEWS can do??????; Reply to this comment


by Resjuda June 14, 2010 4:37 PM EDT: Jack booted thugs from the Tea Party?s vicious Youth Video Projects department attacked innocent Congressman NC Rep Bob Etheridge (Dem) as he returned from conducting the people?s Pelosi business. Both thugs were able to escape from the victim after the poor congressman was able to overcome and detain one of the assailees for a short time and squeeze a gurgled epithet from the more brawny of the two skinny thugs. The congressman?s friends from the SEIU benevolence league have offered to protect the congressman from future random attacks by sacrificing other people?s rights to assure he is left unopposed in the business of raising taxes for the peoples own good of course. Keith Olbermann was quick to point out the obvious racial overtones that weren?t heard or seen during the altercation. Rosie O?Donnell also commented during her radio show on the blatant anti-gay rhetoric not being uttered during the attack by the pro life Catholic Church mob down the street during a church service. The congressman coming from a Pelosi fund raiser to repeal Arizona?s AB1070, was heard to yell ?I have a right to know who you are? and ?Vee haf veys ouf making you show zee papers? at the assailants, no admission by the attackers of belonging to any neo-sumpin? group was forth coming. After the congressman?s dust up with the hooligans, Janet Napolitano quickly declared the scene safer than it had ever been before and pledged to be even more vigilant for neo-anti taxpayers like these two youths. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the President will withhold any comments about whose @#$% to kick for at least a month or two. A full investigation of the assault by the top prosecutors in the US AG?s office has been promised by the US Attorney General. Mr. Holder said funds allocated in the next year?s budget for the persecution of the two youths will require billions to assure the American people this type of behavior by youths cannot continue unchecked. Harry Reid has proposed massive tax hikes on the rich to fund the new legislation.; Reply to this comment