Townsend's comments (which have since been removed) were posted Thursday on a local Facebook discussion forum for New York's 19 th congressional district. Townsend was responding to comments made by a commenter named "Tom" during an online debate over gas prices. Townsend wrote:
"Listen to Tom. What a little bee he has in his bonnet. Buzz Buzz. My question today … when is Tommy boy going to weigh in on all the Lilly Ledbetter hypocrites who claim to be fighting the War on Women? Let's hurl some acid at those female democratic Senators who won't abide the mandates they want to impose on the private sector."
Hayworth's office has not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter.
Townsend is described on his own personal website an "adept wordsmith," and is far from a political newcomer. In 2010, he was the Republican nominee in the U.S. Senate race against Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer. Townsend eventually lost that race by 18 points. He has worked on more than 300 campaigns in 25 different states, according to his website.
The campaign for Rich Becker, who is running to unseat Hayworth, posted a statement online Thursday calling for Townsend to be fired.
"I'd be fired - immediately and with cause - if I said stuff like this. Which begs the question: why is Jay Townsend still Nan Hayworth's spokesman," wrote Becker campaign spokesman Barry Caro. "Does she agree that 'bin Laden is dead in spite of Obama?' Does she agree that we should 'hurl some acid' at politicians her campaign disagrees with? These comments are simply unprofessional and should never cross the lips of a Congressional spokesman."
If you don't trust Abc News, you can take the words straight from the horse's mouth. I'm sure the GOP will do everything they can to defend it as a metaphor and a figure of speech and quote a bunch of Democrats saying things they don't like.
"It's you Americans. There's something about nipples you hate. If this were Germany, we'd be romping around naked on the stage here."
That threat isn't ambigous. He should be instantly fired for that. Circling wagons means they condone that behavior.
"If the facts are on your side, pound on the facts. If the law is on your side, pound on the law. If neither is on your side, pound on the table."
"The captain claimed our people violated a 4,000 year old treaty forbidding us to develop hyperspace technology. Extermination of our planet was the consequence. The subject did not survive interrogation."
Alyeska wrote:That threat isn't ambigous. He should be instantly fired for that. Circling wagons means they condone that behavior.
Never mind just sacking him, isn't soliciting murder a felony in the US?
There are hardly any excesses of the most crazed psychopath that cannot easily be duplicated by a normal kindly family man who just comes in to work every day and has a job to do.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)
Replace "ginger" with "n*gger," and suddenly it become a lot less funny, doesn't it?
-- fgalkin
Zaune wrote:
Never mind just sacking him, isn't soliciting murder a felony in the US?
You don't throw acid on women to kill them. You do it to make a deliberate long term example of them by horribly scarring their face. He's not saying they should be killed rather that for daring to disagree with his political positions.
Never mind the complete lack of Irony of accusing them of promoting a false War on Women by saying they should get face full of acid for arguing with him.
"A cult is a religion with no political power." -Tom Wolfe Pardon me for sounding like a dick, but I'm playing the tiniest violin in the world right now-Dalton
Zaune wrote:
Never mind just sacking him, isn't soliciting murder a felony in the US?
You don't throw acid on women to kill them. You do it to make a deliberate long term example of them by horribly scarring their face. He's not saying they should be killed rather that for daring to disagree with his political positions.
Never mind the complete lack of Irony of accusing them of promoting a false War on Women by saying they should get face full of acid for arguing with him.
He should still be getting a nice lengthy chat with the secret service for this kind of remark, since this basically qualifies as encouraging a terrorist act.
"It's you Americans. There's something about nipples you hate. If this were Germany, we'd be romping around naked on the stage here."
I think it depends on the jurisdiction, or the type of acid for that matter; there are certainly ways throwing acid in someone's face could kill, but whether you'd get charged with attempted murder or "merely" assault and grevious bodily harm would be down to precedent.
Either way, it's pretty much as Zod says; Townsend's sure as hell walking on thin ice with regards to anti-terrorism law.
There are hardly any excesses of the most crazed psychopath that cannot easily be duplicated by a normal kindly family man who just comes in to work every day and has a job to do.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)
Replace "ginger" with "n*gger," and suddenly it become a lot less funny, doesn't it?
-- fgalkin
Mr Bean wrote:Never mind the complete lack of Irony of accusing them of promoting a false War on Women by saying they should get face full of acid for arguing with him.
It's not a war, it's a police action. Just like 'Nam!
SDNet: Unbelievable levels of pedantry that you can't find anywhere else on the Internet!
Oh, my god, guys, don't you think you're over thinking this a bit much? I sincerely doubt he means physically assault women, when it's kinda clear he means insults. They're crazy fuckers, but not that crazy.
"To make an apple pie from scratch you must first invent the universe."
— Carl Sagan
Erik von Nein wrote:Oh, my god, guys, don't you think you're over thinking this a bit much? I sincerely doubt he means physically assault women, when it's kinda clear he means insults. They're crazy fuckers, but not that crazy.
It's a very specific reference, he may not mean physically assault, but it's a very very stupid choice of words that certainly could be seen as a call for violence, since this is something that's been happening in Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia with women who don't "know their place."
Erik von Nein wrote:Oh, my god, guys, don't you think you're over thinking this a bit much? I sincerely doubt he means physically assault women, when it's kinda clear he means insults. They're crazy fuckers, but not that crazy.
Uh, no? Throwing acid in someone's face isn't something to use as an insult lightly. Even if it's "just" an insult you have to be a pretty massive piece of shit to use it when you're a public official. He might as well have said that they ought to be raped.
"It's you Americans. There's something about nipples you hate. If this were Germany, we'd be romping around naked on the stage here."
Erik von Nein wrote:Oh, my god, guys, don't you think you're over thinking this a bit much? I sincerely doubt he means physically assault women, when it's kinda clear he means insults. They're crazy fuckers, but not that crazy.
I'd say the point is that this sort of rhetoric has become so common amongst them that its disquieting. And even if most people take it as just talk, there is bound to be someone who will take it literally. I mean wasn't there an upsurge in gun-oriented rhetoric before Giffords got shot? even if it wasn't directly involved, this sort of violent and militant attitude amongst the right tends to create a dangerous atmosphere in the United States.
Erik von Nein wrote:Oh, my god, guys, don't you think you're over thinking this a bit much? I sincerely doubt he means physically assault women, when it's kinda clear he means insults. They're crazy fuckers, but not that crazy.
Yes, because referencing a violent assault primarily targeted against women is exactly the sort of tactful, intelligent response needed to advance intelligent conversation and certainly doesn't make them look like violent hatfuckers. Sure, the motherfucker might not actually be telling people to literally throw acid on people, but, you know what? Fuck him, he should have thought a little more carefully about what the fuck he said and, at the very least, he should go to trial over this shit. He certainly doesn't deserve his current job, and he should probably be mandated to take anger management classes, in addition to some sort of class on gender studies or the like.
SDNet: Unbelievable levels of pedantry that you can't find anywhere else on the Internet!
Erik von Nein wrote:Oh, my god, guys, don't you think you're over thinking this a bit much? I sincerely doubt he means physically assault women, when it's kinda clear he means insults. They're crazy fuckers, but not that crazy.
Uh, no? Throwing acid in someone's face isn't something to use as an insult lightly. Even if it's "just" an insult you have to be a pretty massive piece of shit to use it when you're a public official. He might as well have said that they ought to be raped.
Well, duh, I'm not suggesting that. I'm suggesting all the people freaking out over him calling for people to start literally throwing acid in people's faces are probably taking it too far.
Seriously, it's not like this's new. It's like when members of the GOP started using their target thing for politicians they wanted to vote out of office. They probably think it's funny, not that they literally want to go out and shoot someone. Yeah, that's a pretty awful reflection on them, fo' sho'.
Akhlut wrote:Yes, because http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_throwingreferencing a violent assault primarily targeted against women[/url] is exactly the sort of tactful, intelligent response needed to advance intelligent conversation and certainly doesn't make them look like violent hatfuckers. Sure, the motherfucker might not actually be telling people to literally throw acid on people, but, you know what? Fuck him, he should have thought a little more carefully about what the fuck he said and, at the very least, he should go to trial over this shit. He certainly doesn't deserve his current job, and he should probably be mandated to take anger management classes, in addition to some sort of class on gender studies or the like.
I know the reference. C'mon, do you honestly expect me to be that stupid? It's not even as if I'm defending the guy, and there's no way "He's a crazy fucker" could be taken to mean that.
Guess all I'm saying is that to have a decent discussion on how to do something about it going nutso over this dude's motives probably isn't the healthiest of ideas.
"To make an apple pie from scratch you must first invent the universe."
— Carl Sagan
Erik von Nein wrote:
Well, duh, I'm not suggesting that. I'm suggesting all the people freaking out over him calling for people to start literally throwing acid in people's faces are probably taking it too far.
Seriously, it's not like this's new. It's like when members of the GOP started using their target thing for politicians they wanted to vote out of office. They probably think it's funny, not that they literally want to go out and shoot someone. Yeah, that's a pretty awful reflection on them, fo' sho'.
You realize American history has tons of examples of actual violence being used to silence political opponents right? Why should anyone do anything but condemn this piece of shit and demand a thorough investigation? Frankly I don't see how anyone can interpret this as anything but an attempt at using threats of violence to chill political opposition.
"It's you Americans. There's something about nipples you hate. If this were Germany, we'd be romping around naked on the stage here."
Are you soft in the head? He's using it in the context of 'let's give this the acid test'. Is it tactless? Absolutely and he should apologise, especially given the climate in the US - but the idea that he was calling for actual violence rather than constructing a metaphor along the lines of 'let's turn up the heat' is lunacy.
I love the smell of September in the morning. Once we got off at Richmond, walked up to the 'G, and there was no game on. Not one footballer in sight. But that cut grass smell, spring rain...it smelt like victory.
Dynamic. When [Kuznetsov] decided he was going to make a difference, he did it...Like Ovechkin...then you find out - he's with Washington too? You're kidding. - Ron Wilson
thejester wrote:Are you soft in the head? He's using it in the context of 'let's give this the acid test'. Is it tactless? Absolutely and he should apologise, especially given the climate in the US - but the idea that he was calling for actual violence rather than constructing a metaphor along the lines of 'let's turn up the heat' is lunacy.
Because America really needs more violent rhetoric in politics.
Look, if the Secret Service will investigate some guy that put up an effigy of Obama hanging by a noose, this should at the very least call for a stern talking to.
"It's you Americans. There's something about nipples you hate. If this were Germany, we'd be romping around naked on the stage here."
thejester wrote:Are you soft in the head? He's using it in the context of 'let's give this the acid test'. Is it tactless? Absolutely and he should apologise, especially given the climate in the US - but the idea that he was calling for actual violence rather than constructing a metaphor along the lines of 'let's turn up the heat' is lunacy.
I don't like the freaking out about it, but "Let's hurl some acid" doesn't sound like a direct reference to the acid test to me.
I'm not sure if there's a short phrase for this... things that can be taken as veiled threats or as a very dark sort of humor. The kind of mocking "will I do this or won't I, and you know you can't take this to the police as a threat because you can't prove I'm not joking" stuff. That's the vibe I get out of what he said.
Erik von Nein wrote:Seriously, it's not like this's new. It's like when members of the GOP started using their target thing for politicians they wanted to vote out of office. They probably think it's funny, not that they literally want to go out and shoot someone. Yeah, that's a pretty awful reflection on them, fo' sho'.
And then a US Senator got shot in the face after that campaign.
And, after she was shot, some GOP assholes held a gun raffle in her district with the same model of gun she got shot with.
So, yeah, I think this sort of behavior should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
SDNet: Unbelievable levels of pedantry that you can't find anywhere else on the Internet!
Frankly, regardless of the violence that can be inferred from this kind of rhetoric it fails a fairly simple test of taste. This is not the kind of commentary that a professional politician should be making in any kind of public forum and shows a lack of judgement that is not befitting of an elected official. Consider the shit the Obama got for the "Polish Death Camps" which is far more of an issue with translating different grammatical structures then with deliberate misspeaking. This quote is far worse.
Simply put politicians, like many other professionals (Police Officers, Soldiers, etc.), should be expected to be capable of maintaining a certain level of decorum in their public speech and a failure to do so constitutes a failure of one of their primary responsibilities as a representation of their electorate and of society as a whole. This is the kind of statement that would get a McDonald's GM fired and they have far less professional responsibility than a GOP spokesman.
A teenage girl is just a teenage boy who can get laid.
-GTO
We're not just doing this for money; we're doing this for a shitload of money!
Erik von Nein wrote:Seriously, it's not like this's new. It's like when members of the GOP started using their target thing for politicians they wanted to vote out of office. They probably think it's funny, not that they literally want to go out and shoot someone. Yeah, that's a pretty awful reflection on them, fo' sho'.
And then a US Senator got shot in the face after that campaign.
And, after she was shot, some GOP assholes held a gun raffle in her district with the same model of gun she got shot with.
So, yeah, I think this sort of behavior should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
So, yeah, what would you charge him with?
Also, the hell are you arguing with me about? I already said he was a crazy fucker and that he shouldn't have said it.
"To make an apple pie from scratch you must first invent the universe."
— Carl Sagan
§ 490.20 Making a terroristic threat.
1. A person is guilty of making a terroristic threat when with intent
to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policy of a
unit of government by intimidation or coercion, or affect the conduct of
a unit of government by murder, assassination or kidnapping, he or she
threatens to commit or cause to be committed a specified offense and
thereby causes a reasonable expectation or fear of the imminent
commission of such offense.
2. It shall be no defense to a prosecution pursuant to this section
that the defendant did not have the intent or capability of committing
the specified offense or that the threat was not made to a person who
was a subject thereof.
Making a terroristic threat is a class D felony.
"It's you Americans. There's something about nipples you hate. If this were Germany, we'd be romping around naked on the stage here."
