Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-N.C.) issued a statement Monday apologizing for a heated on-camera exchange with individuals who identified themselves as students working on a project.
“I deeply and profoundly regret my reaction and I apologize for all involved,” the statement reads. “No matter how intrusive and partisan our politics can become, this does not justify a poor response.”
The video that prompted the response surfaced Monday morning and quickly gained attention on a number of blogs. It opens with the Congressman being asked on a D.C. street if he fully supports President Barack Obama’s agenda. Etheridge is then seen slapping the camera and repeatedly asking “who are you?” before taking the questioner by the wrist and the back of the neck in a seemingly hostile manner.
The questioner, whose face is blurred out, claims in the video that he is “just a student.”
Congressman Apologizes For On-Camera Quarrel
“I deeply and profoundly regret my reaction and I apologize for all involved,” the statement reads. “No matter how intrusive and partisan our politics can become, this does not justify a poor response.”
The video that prompted the response surfaced Monday morning and quickly gained attention on a number of blogs. It opens with the Congressman being asked on a D.C. street if he fully supports President Barack Obama’s agenda. Etheridge is then seen slapping the camera and repeatedly asking “who are you?” before taking the questioner by the wrist and the back of the neck in a seemingly hostile manner.
The questioner, whose face is blurred out, claims in the video that he is “just a student.”