Earlier today, I highlighted some comments from a certain individual by the name of Rob, who left those particular comments at SouthernFemaleLawyer’s weblog. For the sake of simplicity, the comments are below:
Comment 1:
You, however, have demonstrated considerable irresponsibility in your arguments and in your personal attacks on this blogger, who also happens to be my wife. Send me your home address and I’ll come to your house and punch your fucking face in. Unless you are a pussy who can’t fight without a gun in his hand.
Ok, a boxing match, then. I’m not immature, I just like hitting conservative assholes.
Screencaptures of the two comments are preserved here and here, in case future Reasoned Discourse breaks out.
Rob’s username link points, in turn, to his particular weblog: The Coolest Generation, where you will find this post:
For those of you who don’t already know, I ran for the US House of Representatives in 2008; I won the Democratic Primary by a pretty wide margin, but got my a$$ handed to me in the general election, earning only 25% of the vote. C’est la vie. I knew the odds were pretty long against me — as reporters loved to repeat over and over again, no Democrat had won this seat since the 19th Century — but I approached the process hopefully and with as much time and dedication as I could muster, considering I had a full-time job, a new baby, a wife who was starting her own law firm, and a 9 year-0ld boy who definitely needed his Dad around. During all of this, we also moved from Kingsport to Johnson City, sold a house and bought a house, and introduced our baby to daycare and our son to a new school. Yikes. Thankfully, a lot of people in my district believed in me, and I was able to raise (and spend) around $10K on the campaign.
A little Google-nosing about brings us to this page:
As promised, 1st District Congressional candidate Rob Russell, a Democrat, agreed to answer a few questions on issues and campaigning in East Tennessee.
Tennessee’s First Congressional District does, indeed, include both Kingsport and Johnson City (locations that are corroborated by my server log recording hits from SouthernFemaleLawyer’s weblog’s admin panel).
Given this internet identity chain, I am forced to conclude that the “Rob” who made the threatening, crude, abusive, intimidating, rude, and malicious comments to Bob S. is the same individual as the Rob Russell who ran for the Representative seat of the First Congressional District of Tennessee.
I wonder if his would-be constituents were/are aware of the abusive bully hiding behind Rob’s public mask?
Furthermore, I wonder if Rob Russell is familiar with Tennessee State Code 39-17-308:
(a) A person commits an offense who intentionally:
(1) Threatens, by telephone, in writing or by electronic communication, including, but not limited to, text messaging, facsimile transmissions, electronic mail or Internet services, to take action known to be unlawful against any person and by this action knowingly annoys or alarms the recipient;
[...]
(c) A violation of subsection (a) is a Class A misdemeanor.
I could be wrong, but I am fairly certain that “punch[ing] your [deleted] face in” is unlawful.
09JAN10 0930 Update: Rob Russell makes his position clear, saying:
In several of my comments, I made derogatory remarks directed at the trolls. I said some nasty stuff. Some colorful language was used. I stand by that language. I also stand by my offer to face them one on one and punch these idiots in their faces. That’s how I roll.
Screencapture of comment preserved here.
Such a model citizen. Such a distinguished man. Such an example for the children. Such a reasonable, conscientous leader. Given how heated disagreements can get within Congress, I think it is safe to say that it is better, for all parties, that this particular abusive, violent, uncontrolled bigot lost his election…
Gun Nuts Media, Les Jones, Roberta X, SayUncle, Hell in a Handbasket, and Weer’d Beard have all picked up the story, and Gay Cynic, FarmGirl, Firehand, Dixie, Neanderpundit, and Bob S. have their perspectives on Rob Russell himself. Email me (“linoge (at) wallsofthecity (dot) net”) if you have your own post dealing with this bigoted bully.
(Thanks to Weer’d Beard for doing most of the legwork on this.)
related posts:
rob russell is a coward | the internet is forever | hung about his neck |
I really can’t believe somebody with aspirations would behave in such a way.
Then again maybe holding the bully back is too much.
Well, it is not like criminal charges, or even criminal histories, have ever kept politicians from being politicians in the past. Now, as for what his wanted voters might think of this recent development… that is another matter entirely.
Also to slip into punditry, Its an uphill battle being the minority party running for office in an entrenched district (GO SCOTT BROWN!!!), completely foolish statements that can be quickly linked back to yourself is NOT going to help.
Especially the partisan crack about how he “likes to hit conservatives assholes”. In a conservative district I’d imagine that would go over like a fart in church…or his wife comparing all or most people who conceal carry with moron.
There are things you should say…and things Rob Russell says.
I’d think his lawyer wife would know better than to let him threaten people on the internet.
Weer’d: Considering that he only got a grand total of five donations from Tennessee residents (and one random one from a Virginia resident), I do not think he ever stood a snowball’s chance in a fusion reactor of actually winning that seat, with or without his fat-assed mouth getting in the way.
However, as you say, given the predominantly conservative nature of his district, this will skewer what non-existant chances he has left, and put them on the grill, and poetically, at that.
SayUncle: He could be the smart one in the family…. [/scary thought]
Really, it’s plain for all to see that Mr. Russell is another good Democrat who upholds bi-partisanship, reaching out, tolerance, sensitivity, humaneness, compassion, and is therefore morally superior. It’s those crazy knuckledragger-types who unfairly portray him as a sociopath – albeit one in a suit and tie – who are the problem.
I actually went and read all of the postings (that were left). Seemed to be typical liberal crap–if they don’t like it then no one should do it (plus ridicule and denigrate those that would don’t agree with your opinion). And for those that dissent, edit them out, AND, as the last resort of little minds, threaten violence since you can’t muster a defense for your own position.
The clown is a local musician/loser/sponge. Running for an office he had zero chance of winning was merely an attempt to appear like something other than a useless appendage of his lawyer wife without any actual risk of having to, you know, accomplish anything.
Tom Stelene: For certain definitions of those words (namely those employed by “good Democrats”, liberals, progressives, and leftists), you are absolutely correct… and may have just won yourself the quote of the day
.
Midwest Chick: That is a pretty damned poignant recap. SouthernFemaleLawyer put up an emotional post supporting a position she could not rationally defend, and when people asked her to do just that, she and her husband flew right off the deep end. Unfortunately for both of them, the internet never forgets, and this event will be irrevocably tied to them.
ThomasD: He does seem to be riding on the psychological high of “ZOMG, I was the Democratic NOMINEE in 2008″ a bit more than can be considered reasonable, or perhaps mature. But, then again, if the projection theory holds true (and in their case, they pretty much proved that theory), his insecurities are pretty significant these days.
hung about his neck
In regards to the current Rob Russell debacle, Tom Stelene won today’s quote of the day: Really, it’s plain for all to see that Mr. Russell is another good Democrat who upholds bi-partisanship, reaching out, tolerance, sensitivity, humaneness, compassi…
slap it on the stern
Lest you think abusive bigots like Rob Russell are the norm in Eastern Tennessee, I saw this bumper sticker yesterday while we were driving around househunting: Dictators prefer disarmed citizens. These days, it seems to me that you could replace…
http://3bxsofbs.infamousanime.net/?p=1367
Looks like Rob Russell and his wife have Memory Hole’d all posts talking about “Gun Trolls” or punching of faces. Just wiped them off the map.
He stands by his words….but he’ll delete them all and pretend he never said them.
SUPER Classy!
the internet is forever
Not only is Rob Russell an abusive asshole and a crappy musician, he is also a crappy magician to boot: Seems Rob Russell has another career he hasn’t told anyone about – Magician. Yep.. His post thanking the “trolls” who…
Thanks for pointing that out, Weer’d – new post up!
E-mail you if we have any other posts on this bigoted bully? What if we think you and Weer’d and Bob arr the bigoted bullies.
The guy got pissed off at the way you guys were treating his wife, right or wrong, he got upset and said some stupid shit. Then you three dedicate your lives to making a case against him.
This is what you guys do best, personal attacking.
Hmm,
Linoge & Co. –> Spreading true information that is unflattering = personal attack
Rob Russell –> Threatens physical violence and bodily harm = debate
Yep it’s the Linoge and company that are the bad guys here. /sarc
MikeB302000:
I presume that was a question, and, if so, then you are more than welcome to your own opinion, and expressing it, if you so desire. Of course, be aware that simply expressing an opinion does not make it a fact – something that has, undoubtedly, escaped you.
Please, explain to me how I was treating his wife? I still have copies of my two comments, I used significantly more civil and more polite language than SFL was herself, in addition to backing up those comments with facts and statistics – something neither you nor she can actually seem to do on anything even approximating a regular basis. Bob S. perhaps got a little heated in his responses to her original post and comments, but the bar was set by SFL herself, with her deprecating, insulting, insinuating, rude, and stereotyping language. Unfortunately, that bar was lowered even farther when her husband decided to start threatening commentors with violent assault simply because they disagreed with his wife.
It was wrong. Period. Full stop. End of story. It is never right to threaten someone with grievous bodily harm, and possibly even death, simply because you disagree with them over a gorramed verbal debate. Never. A would-be politician should have known better, his lawyer wife should have known better, and a responsible, accountable, mature adult should know better. As such, it does not surprise me, however, that you do not know better.
I hardly consider four posts (out of twelve total, and more by the end of today) in the past five days to be “dedicating my life”… but, then again, you have always had a problem with counting, have you not?
How is it “personal attacking” to repost a man’s own comments – comments he openly admitted to being proud of (right before he deleted them)? How is it “personal attacking” to hold a grown, adult male accountable for his words? How is it “personal attacking” to point out that an individual may have done something illegal? How is it “personal attacking” to assist voters in understanding the violent nature of the man they might be voting for/against in the future?
Time to back up your words, Mikey… but you and I both know that is never going to happen. As usual, you side with the criminals and would-be criminals in any given situation, and will always support those who will do their damnest to silence those of us who stand up for our rights on a daily basis, whether those rights are protected by the First Amendment or the Second – and it is obvious that neither Rob Russell nor his wife (nor you) have any respect, whatsoever, for either of those Amendments. As usual, you prove yourself to be spineless scum, of the lowest order… but, what can I expect from filth who has actively, enthusiastically, and excitedly supported a would-be mass-murderer?
Yu-Ain Gonnano: I am not sure how familiar you are with him and his writings, but reality has never been one of MikeB302000’s strong points.
rob russell is a coward
On 08JAN10, Rob Russell threatened Bob S. with grievous bodily harm, and possibly even death, simply because Bob disagreed with Rob’s wife, SouthernFemaleLawyer. His exact words were, and I quote: You, however, have demonstrated considerable irresponsi…
Not much at all, but sometimes you have to respond not for the other commentor, but for those watching and not saying anything.
Fair enough, and no worries, just wanted to clarify where he is coming from (as if it was not readily apparent).
i said i would
Rob Russell has apologized to Bob S. for his threats: Bob – Please accept my apology. I can’t tell you how sorry I am for making the comments I made and then defending them. I deeply regret this, and I…