Black Dem Rep. Who Was Reportedly Spit on by Tea Party Protester: I Never Claimed to Have Been Spit on Intentionally, Others Are Making the Claim on My Behalf, Refuses to Confirm it Happened..
WeaselZippers
4/2/2010
More proof this claim is 100% bullshit. If Rep. Emanuel Cleaver was spit on he would be milking it for everything it’s worth….
KANSAS CITY, MO– U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver voted in favor of the controversial health care reform bill, but talk isn’t raging about how voted, but whether or not he was purposely spit on as he and other congressmen made their way to the U.S. Capitol building to cast their vote.
In video of the incident, a man is seen with his hands around his mouth and yelling at the Kansas City, Missouri, Democrat as he walked by. The footage shows Rep. Cleaver reacting to the man, and is seen a few seconds later wiping his face.
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.”
UPDATE (thanks momma): What the hell is Cleaver talking about? He absolutely claimed he was spit on. Here’s the statement HIS office released following the incident:
Here’s the statement that Cleavers office released about the incident: Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s office released the following statement: For many of the members of the CBC, like John Lewis and Emanuel Cleaver who worked in the civil rights movement, and for Mr. Frank who has struggled in the cause of equality, this is not the first time they have been spit on during turbulent times.
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.
I interpret this as Cleaver backing away from his initial claim he was spit on. Again, proving it NEVER happened…
