Republican MN-04 candidate Ed Matthews commits petty theft at RNC
Submitted by The Big E on September 8, 2008 - 10:07pm.
Sometimes the jokes just write themselves. A reader sent this to me. It's ****ing High-larious. Jerry Grubler is my hero. So are the people who shot the video. The funniest thing is Ed Matthews is the endorsed Republican opponent of Rep. Betty McCollumn (DFL-MN04). He must've been really drunk on the free Anheuser-Bush beer inside the convention or something, because he probably didn't want this on tape. I mean ... what serious candidate would mug a guy for his McCain mask then get the cops to arrest him when the guy tries to get his mask back.
Ed Matthews, the Republican candidate for Minnesota’s 4th Congressional district, mugged me for my McCain mask while I was performing stree theater at the Republican National Convention. At about 5:30pm on Thursday, September 5th, my friend and I were at Rice Park in St. Paul performing skits and songs entitled “Insane in the McCain-Brain” and “Bomb Iran” while wearing Bush and McCain masks. Ed Matthews, along with a tall man with a potbelly (also a delegate), came at me from behind and started pushing and grabbing for my mask. Matthews was yelling, “That’s my sign,” and I yelled back, “This is my mask,” and “Don’t touch me.” Ed Matthews was finally able to wrench the mask out of my hands and I responded by pulling his RNC credentials off his neck. Ed Matthews then screamed, “Give me my credentials,” and I yelled, “Give me my mask.” At that point the big guy with the potbelly and another man (who did not identify himself as Capital Police) grabbed me and began yelling, “He stole a delegate’s credentials.” I struggled with the two men until I was thrown to the ground by a uniformed officer who cuffed me while keeping his knee on the back of my neck. A crowd made up mostly of Republican delegates began yelling at the police (on my behalf), “He did nothing wrong,” and “It was the other guy who started it.” Yet I was taken into custody and Ed Matthews was whisked into the Xcel Center with my mask.
(indybay.org)
Submitted by sideshowjeff on September 15, 2008 - 5:53pm.
Ed Matthews is a liar. He told a reporter from the Rake that I (Jeff Grubler) gave him my mask and then I took a swing at him. He told another reporter from the Pioneer Press that he approached me and calmly asked where I got the sign from and then I began to yell and grabbed his credentials.
If I had taken a swing at Matthews or if I just grabbed his credentials (without him first grabbing my mask) then why did the police just let me go? Maybe it had something to do with the number of witness who viewed the incident. Many of them were Republican delegates. On my website there is a video with two Republican delegates talking about what they saw http://www.InsaneReagan.com
Fortunately for Ed Matthews I was upstaged by Jon Voight and everyone whom I thought was filming us turned their cameras on to Voight (who I heard stopped to talk to the cameras). So the actual theft of the mask was not caught on video.
Ed Matthews is now claiming that I stole his sign. The sign that I made my mask out of had been donated to us after my friend sent out emails saying that we needed materials to make our props out of. Once those signs are handed out or posted on the streets they are no longer his property. In fact I had no idea that the guy who grabbed my mask was even the candidate on the sign until later that night.
Not only is Mattews a liar he is also a coward and a loser. He is too scared to even state that he is a Republican on his sign or website. Like McCain and just about every other Republican running for office they are trying to distance themselves from their own party which is responsible for a disastrous war sold to the American people based on lies, the worst housing crash since the Great Depression and sky rocketing gas prices (both thanks to Republican deregulation and the following speculation of the housing and energy markets).
Submitted by Observer on September 10, 2008 - 11:22am.
I'm sure most of your loyal readers are too polite to point out that the video shows that a stolen Ed Mathhews for Congress sign was used for the back of the McCain mask. Pause the video on Ed Matthews holding the sign and you'll see it. Kinda changes the notion of who committed the first offense. Not too smart to grab some elses's credentials which are used for security. What were law enforcement personnel supposed to think?
Submitted by Grace Kelly on September 10, 2008 - 11:48am.
So the rest of us have to report an instance of signs disappearing or being abused to the police, but Ed Mathews can simply mete out "Instant" justice. Didn't know the laws were written that way! The rest of us would have to prove that sign was NOT simply recycled from someone's trash.
Like always, Republicans can break the law without any fear of being held accountable!
Submitted by Observer on September 11, 2008 - 9:04am.
I'm only pointing out that when people parse these kinds of stories to support their position they lose credibility. I followed a link to this post because I'm not a fan of Ed Matthews and wanted to see what the jerk did. After getting all the facts, I'm kinda simpathetic to the simp now. Same with the Amy Gordon tempest in a teapot. If you choose cross a police line and disregard orders from law enforcement personnel, there are consequences. I personally don't disregard laws I don't agree with and I expect responsible fellow citizens to do the same. The debate in blogs like this has sunk pretty low. I see more more reasoned, mature discourse among my kids and the oldest one is 11!
Submitted by Grace Kelly on September 11, 2008 - 10:15pm.
Fact: No ownership of the sign is established, even if it was a political sign. It could have been recycled!
Fact2: No other person gets to reclaim supposed stolen property without going through the police. So why does this guy get a free pass?
Fact3: The video clearly shows who was in possession of the sign first.
Fact4: A set of credentials is taken away from the person being arrested and given back.
Fact5: Observers are clearly heard chanting "He did nothing wrong".
Fact6: The sign is still in the grabbers possession at the end of the encounter.
Fact7: The eye witness testimony supports the story of the victim, the mask owner.
I write under my real name. I think you are simply a Republican paid political public relations expert who simply writes to discredit. The children ploy is the common theme being used in ads and in comments, by Republican paid writers.
So what we have here is a great example of great Republican "public relations", "spin control", etc. You "spin" very well indeed.
Submitted by Observer on September 12, 2008 - 8:28am.
Fact: The sign was paid for by Ed Matthews campaign committee and are given to supporters of the candidate. Why would these parties "recyle" a sign like this during the peak time for capaigning unless by "recycle" you mean stealing the opposition candidates lawn signs.
Fact 2: Police have the discretion to settle disputes for minor incidents like this. Your arguemtn woudl only apply if chrges were filed, an arrest was made and the sign was booked into evidence.
Fact 3: I missed the part of the video from Matthews campaign headquaters where Matthews took possession of the sign or the segment where a supporter of Matthews took possession of the sign to put on their log.
Fact 4: So if a crime can be undone, there's no harm, no foul? Seems like the jack booted thugs are being pretty lenient.
Fact 5: If the crowd was chanting "Kill him," should he have been shot?
Fact 6: You'll have to explain how this is relevant.
Fact 7: I suspect that there's eyeness testimony that supports the story of the other victim, too.
Tell me more about these paid political public relations jobs. Is that what you do? I'm new to this and abhor both major parties but could certainly declare allegence to one or the other if it would help me become employed again.
Submitted by el presidente on September 11, 2008 - 12:12am.
I do not think that Ed Matthews endorsement by the Fraternal Order of Police should mean that a performer [street theater] should be treated in such a manner, and have his rights taken from him.
Stumble It!
Your only mistake was taking the thief's credentials
I would have strangled the bastard with them!
Ed Matthews is a liar and a loser
Ed Matthews is a liar. He told a reporter from the Rake that I (Jeff Grubler) gave him my mask and then I took a swing at him. He told another reporter from the Pioneer Press that he approached me and calmly asked where I got the sign from and then I began to yell and grabbed his credentials.
If I had taken a swing at Matthews or if I just grabbed his credentials (without him first grabbing my mask) then why did the police just let me go? Maybe it had something to do with the number of witness who viewed the incident. Many of them were Republican delegates. On my website there is a video with two Republican delegates talking about what they saw http://www.InsaneReagan.com
Fortunately for Ed Matthews I was upstaged by Jon Voight and everyone whom I thought was filming us turned their cameras on to Voight (who I heard stopped to talk to the cameras). So the actual theft of the mask was not caught on video.
Ed Matthews is now claiming that I stole his sign. The sign that I made my mask out of had been donated to us after my friend sent out emails saying that we needed materials to make our props out of. Once those signs are handed out or posted on the streets they are no longer his property. In fact I had no idea that the guy who grabbed my mask was even the candidate on the sign until later that night.
Not only is Mattews a liar he is also a coward and a loser. He is too scared to even state that he is a Republican on his sign or website. Like McCain and just about every other Republican running for office they are trying to distance themselves from their own party which is responsible for a disastrous war sold to the American people based on lies, the worst housing crash since the Great Depression and sky rocketing gas prices (both thanks to Republican deregulation and the following speculation of the housing and energy markets).
Wow
This is huge, the police protect Republican theft!
This is a great story if you don't look too closely at the video
I'm sure most of your loyal readers are too polite to point out that the video shows that a stolen Ed Mathhews for Congress sign was used for the back of the McCain mask. Pause the video on Ed Matthews holding the sign and you'll see it. Kinda changes the notion of who committed the first offense. Not too smart to grab some elses's credentials which are used for security. What were law enforcement personnel supposed to think?
Instant Justice
So the rest of us have to report an instance of signs disappearing or being abused to the police, but Ed Mathews can simply mete out "Instant" justice. Didn't know the laws were written that way! The rest of us would have to prove that sign was NOT simply recycled from someone's trash.
Like always, Republicans can break the law without any fear of being held accountable!
Just the facts
I'm only pointing out that when people parse these kinds of stories to support their position they lose credibility. I followed a link to this post because I'm not a fan of Ed Matthews and wanted to see what the jerk did. After getting all the facts, I'm kinda simpathetic to the simp now. Same with the Amy Gordon tempest in a teapot. If you choose cross a police line and disregard orders from law enforcement personnel, there are consequences. I personally don't disregard laws I don't agree with and I expect responsible fellow citizens to do the same. The debate in blogs like this has sunk pretty low. I see more more reasoned, mature discourse among my kids and the oldest one is 11!
Facts
Fact: No ownership of the sign is established, even if it was a political sign. It could have been recycled!
Fact2: No other person gets to reclaim supposed stolen property without going through the police. So why does this guy get a free pass?
Fact3: The video clearly shows who was in possession of the sign first.
Fact4: A set of credentials is taken away from the person being arrested and given back.
Fact5: Observers are clearly heard chanting "He did nothing wrong".
Fact6: The sign is still in the grabbers possession at the end of the encounter.
Fact7: The eye witness testimony supports the story of the victim, the mask owner.
I write under my real name. I think you are simply a Republican paid political public relations expert who simply writes to discredit. The children ploy is the common theme being used in ads and in comments, by Republican paid writers.
So what we have here is a great example of great Republican "public relations", "spin control", etc. You "spin" very well indeed.
Where did you find you definiton of "fact"?
Fact: The sign was paid for by Ed Matthews campaign committee and are given to supporters of the candidate. Why would these parties "recyle" a sign like this during the peak time for capaigning unless by "recycle" you mean stealing the opposition candidates lawn signs.
Fact 2: Police have the discretion to settle disputes for minor incidents like this. Your arguemtn woudl only apply if chrges were filed, an arrest was made and the sign was booked into evidence.
Fact 3: I missed the part of the video from Matthews campaign headquaters where Matthews took possession of the sign or the segment where a supporter of Matthews took possession of the sign to put on their log.
Fact 4: So if a crime can be undone, there's no harm, no foul? Seems like the jack booted thugs are being pretty lenient.
Fact 5: If the crowd was chanting "Kill him," should he have been shot?
Fact 6: You'll have to explain how this is relevant.
Fact 7: I suspect that there's eyeness testimony that supports the story of the other victim, too.
Tell me more about these paid political public relations jobs. Is that what you do? I'm new to this and abhor both major parties but could certainly declare allegence to one or the other if it would help me become employed again.
Endorsement - not enforcement
I do not think that Ed Matthews endorsement by the Fraternal Order of Police should mean that a performer [street theater] should be treated in such a manner, and have his rights taken from him.