* 4:12 pm - Sen. Kyle McCarter has issued another statement about the ruckus on the Senate floor. It’s a bit weird. First, notice that his statement doesn’t use the word “punch”…
In debate on the Senate floor, Sen. McCarter pointed to other procedural problems which included $70,000 in political donations from Ameren to political funds controlled by some of the Senate leaders, and a lobbyist for Com-Ed who also happens to be the father of the committee chairman. That disclosure led Sen. Jacobs to walk across the aisle to personally confront Sen. McCarter. Jacobs’ speech was laced with profanity ending with him striking Sen. McCarter on the chest and knocking him backward.
* Then Sen. McCarter blames Senate leadership for not stepping in quickly…
“If the leadership of the Senate would have immediately admitted and documented that I was assaulted and then proactively stepped up to invoke a type of censure, filing a report with the Capitol Police would not have been my only option,” said McCarter.
He doesn’t say whether he asked for such documentation and censure, however.
* He also appears to contradict the Sergeant at Arms, who said yesterday that he asked McCarter if he wanted to file a complaint and McCarter refused…
“The Senate’s Sergeant At Arms kindly asked if I was ok or needed an escort to my office but did not provide a legal process for filing a complaint. His concern for my safety was obvious and I thank him.”
Those are awfully lawyerly words, if you ask me.
* And he even suggests an attempted cover-up…
“However, the parliamentarian came to my desk afterwards to suggest this could be dealt with somewhere else when “cooler heads prevail,” not admitting the assault happened or that Sen. Jacob did anything out of order. Sen. Jacob’s party was making an attempt for this to just go away quietly. As legislators we need to set an example for ethical and appropriate behavior. Trying to sweep the incident under the rug sends a very poor message to the public and especially to young people who are skeptical of government anyway.”
Oy.
- karate chop - Friday, Jun 3, 11 @ 4:20 pm:
“Strike,” to me at least, sounds even worse than punch. Sounds like martial arts or something. We will have to wait for the initial report from the Capitol Police.
- Dirt Digger - Friday, Jun 3, 11 @ 4:22 pm:
I fail to see how McCarter himself is doing anything to improve general and/or specific skepticism of government.
- Opinionator - Friday, Jun 3, 11 @ 4:23 pm:
Jacobs could stop his political slow bleed by calling McCarter and apologizing. Oh wait, that would take some level of humility…what am I thinking??? Jacobs’ days may be numbered.
- Seriously??? - Friday, Jun 3, 11 @ 4:24 pm:
If Sen. Jacobs did hit him, then yes, there should be some sort of reprucussions. However, Sen. McCarter’s story seems to fluctuate and contradict other’s version of what happened. What is he going to do next? Sue Senator Jacobs or the Senate?
- Justice - Friday, Jun 3, 11 @ 4:30 pm:
And these guys want legislators to have conceal carry?
How about “permanent banishment”?
- Served - Friday, Jun 3, 11 @ 4:33 pm:
Well, at least neither of them have tweeted pictures of their junk. Yet.
- Montrose - Friday, Jun 3, 11 @ 4:36 pm:
Justice wrote:
“And these guys want legislators to have conceal carry?”
Amen to that.
On to the Oy. – Does McCarter think this is the thing that will make him the darling of the Tea Party? That he is going to get a call from Hannity or Fox & Friends to come on and talk about he did not stand down in the face of the tax and spend liberals? That the money will flow to the man that held Sen. Mike Tyson-Jacobs to account?
Jacobs needs some serious anger management classes and a bunch of lessons in maturity, but there was a time when taking the high road was the statesman-like thing to do. Those were the days.
- Ruh, Roh... - Friday, Jun 3, 11 @ 4:47 pm:
Jacobs foolishly drew even more attention to his poor judgement (sponsoring a rate hike bill for the utilities being pushed by his dad) when he made contact with McCarter. He put a laser light focus on both his ethical judgement (or lack thereof) and his violent actions. I don’t think this will end well for Jacobs since McCarter’s two seat mates are attesting to the veracity of his version of events. Ruh, roh…
- Obamarama - Friday, Jun 3, 11 @ 4:52 pm:
To those commenting on the impending demise of Senator Jacobs, I would recommend a dose of electoral reality. I don’t see anyone being silly enough to challenge him in a primary and no GOP has a chance against him. Wake up, knuckleheads.
- ChicagoR - Friday, Jun 3, 11 @ 4:53 pm:
Jacobs sounds like a hothead, but the more McCarter talks, the less I like him, too.
- hisgirlfriday - Friday, Jun 3, 11 @ 4:58 pm:
Is McCarter making such a big fuss about this because he’s freaking out about redistricting and somehow thinks this helps him politically in looking like the victim of Democratic thuggishness or did he and Luechtefeld and Jones sort that out already?