Bob Etheridge Apologizes For His Behavior: ‘No Excuse For My Response’

 

Late last week some unidentified students approached Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-NC) to ask him if he supported the “Obama Agenda.” Etheridge responded in a remarkably unpleasant manner, a video of which went viral this morning. Etheridge issued an apology, and later answered a few questions from the press (a video clip of which is below.) So why did Etheridge freak out to the unidentified students? He mostly blamed it on having a bad day. Something tells me that today is much worse.

Writing for CBS News Political Hotsheet, Brian Montopoli reports:

Etheridge held a press conference today to once again apologize, calling his actions “unacceptable.”
“No matter how partisan and no matter how difficult things get sometimes, that’s no excuse for my response,” he said. “I came today to say I’m sorry.”

Etheridge said the confrontation happened after he came out of a meeting in Washington, D.C.

“The truth is, I had a long day, it was the end of the day — but that’s not the issue,” he said. “I’ve been through a lot of tough situations… I’ve been spat at, pushed on and threatened before, and that’s no excuse for… not walking on by.”

Etheridge said he still did not the identity of the students in the video. Asked whether he thought Republicans set up the confrontation, he responded, “I’ll let you find that out. Maybe somebody will, I’m not going there.”

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Colby Hall is the Founding Editor of Mediaite.com. He is also a Peabody Award-winning television producer of non-fiction narrative programming as well as a terrific dancer and preparer of grilled meats.