PrintApril 3, 2010
Cleaver changes his 'I was spit on' story
It's too late to affect the narrative about the tea party protest a couple of weeks ago, but indicative of the rank dishonesty involved in the smear.
Weasel Zipper links to the story:
The video is not clear as to whether or not the man spit in Cleaver's face intentionally, or if it was a matter of "say it, don't spray it." Rep. Cleaver never commented on the incident, but it didn't take long before many people claimed that he was spit upon.
In an interview on Tuesday with FOX 4 News, Rep. Cleaver would not directly answer the question of whether or not he was intentionally spit upon.
"I haven't talked about this incident on TV or anywhere, and I've been approached to talk about it on every national TV show," said Rep. Cleaver in an interview with FOX 4 News. "I never, I never reported anything, never a single thing in Washington, not one thing. People assume I went somewhere, never done press conference, never done an interview on it and I'm not going to do it."
Never reported anything? WZ has his statement on the incident:
This afternoon, the Congressman was walking into the Capitol to vote, when one protester spat on him. The Congressman would like to thank the US Capitol Police officer who quickly escorted the others Members and him into the Capitol, and defused the tense situation with professionalism and care. After all the Members were safe, a full report was taken and the matter was handled by the US Capitol Police. The man who spat on the Congressman was arrested, but the Congressman has chosen not to press charges. He has left the matter with the Capitol Police.
We know now that no one was arrested, that the Capitol Police were unaware of any such incident, and that Cleaver is a liar.
It won't change anything, of course, A year from now liberals will still be throwing up the "spitting" incident as a sign of the racist tea partiers. And Cleaver's weasel words about denying it ever happened will be forgotten.
