Last Friday morning Congressman Cline was one of the speakers at a so-called “town hall” in Staunton sponsored by the rightwing City Elders VA and the Family Foundation. This is the only sort of “town hall” Cline is willing to participate in these days.
The event was not publicized outside of Republican circles, but word got out and some non-supporters attended. One of them got the opportunity to ask Cline a question:
Representative Cline, what are you doing to keep Virginia safe from federal agents who are coming into neighborhoods, shooting people, shooting tear gas and stealing children? We’re seeing this in Minneapolis.
Here is Cline’s response:
In where? Minnesota. Minnesota. Okay, thank you. We were, anytime there is a death, we all are saddened by that and we want to avoid that kind of situation. What I have said throughout this process is as we seek to detain and repatriate those who are not here legally, we have to respect the law enforcement that is trying to perform that action, respect the rule of law, and as I would say exercise your First Amendment right to protest, but don’t interfere with law enforcement and the lawful performance of its duty. And there is action going on in Minnesota that is attempting to interfere with law enforcement as it seeks to perform that duty.
They are violent actions, they are organized, and in many cases, paid to interfere with law enforcement. And my request, my plea to my constituents, and anyone who is seeking to exercise their First Amendment right, please do so peacefully. And please do so in a way that is respectful of law enforcement and does not interfere with them. That’d be my request.
No acknowledgement of the violent actions of the federal agents who murdered two American citizens and brutalized countless others.
But when you claim that protesters are “paid to interfere with law enforcement,” you’d better have solid evidence to back it up.
While we wait for Cline to provide the evidence, let me note that the congressman himself is paid $174,000 a year, and he spends much of each year spouting nonsense like this.
Cline Watch 