How dare you ask me a question

I don't have a lot of experience being accosted by paparazzi, though I can imagine it's irritating. But for elected officials, in the middle of the work day, on the precincts of the national capital, to be asked a fairly straight political question, by a polite-enough man in a suit, seems to be on the milder end of the spectrum. Some would even say it's part of the job description, and there might even be a moral duty to answer questions.

I suppose if Congressman Bob Etheridge, a Democrat, didn't like it, he could simply have kept on walking. It didn't look like the young interviewer was blocking him. It's fair for Etheridge to ask the identity of his would-be interviewer. But to grab his arm quite forcefully, and then to grab him by the back of the neck and the shoulder, is plainly nuts.

Imagine if it were the other way around -- if the kids had grabbed him that way.

Etheridge should be charged with assault. But in a liberal jurisdiction like Washington, D.C., don't hold your breath for a Democrat like Etheridge to face charges.

P.S. Here's cheeky Andrew Breitbart calling up a video of Etheridge encouraging young people to "get involved".