Rand Paul Supporters Drag MoveOn Supporter To Ground And Stomp on Her Head

By Ian Millhiser

Supporters of Kentucky GOP Senate candidate Rand Paul dragged a woman, MoveOn.org member Lauren Valle, to the ground and stomped on her head outside of today’s debate between Paul and his Democratic opponent Jack Conway:

Outside the Conway-Paul debate, a Rand Paul supporter pulled the woman’s blonde wig off and stomped on her head. She was representing the liberal organization MoveOn.org and claimed to be presenting Paul with an award from RepubliCorp. That’s a group created by MoveOn.org that focuses on what it calls the merger between corporate America and the Republican Party.

Watch it:

Valle was taken to a hospital, complaining of “injury to the temple area.” Police are describing her injuries as “minor.” A spokesman for the Lexington Police Department told the Huffington Post have not yet identified the man who assaulted Valle. The police department is reviewing news footage of the incident and “hoping someone can identify who the person is.” Until then, the spokesman said, it is a “pending investigation.”

MoveOn Executive Director Justin Ruben released this statement earlier today:

We’re appalled at the violent incident that occurred at the Kentucky Senate debate last night. Numerous news reports clearly show that the young woman–a MoveOn supporter–was assaulted and pushed to the ground by Rand Paul supporters, where one man held her down while another stomped on her head. This kind of violence has no place in American society, much less at a peaceful political rally.

Our first concern is obviously Lauren’s health and well being. She is recovering, and we will release more details as we have them. We are concerned that no arrests have yet been made, and we hope those responsible will be brought to justice quickly, and that Rand Paul will join us in condemning this horrible act.

This incident marks the second time in less than two weeks that supporters of a Tea Party candidate physically restrained a person to prevent them from confronting their preferred candidate — although Joe Miller’s (R-AK) private security force did not engage in such a brutal display of violence in order to prevent their candidate from being asked an embarrassing question.

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/10/18/miller-private-police/

Update "Everyone is hoping she is okay and I don't think anybody believes this sort of behavior is tolerable," said Mark Riddle, an adviser to the Conway campaign. "We can disagree on issues and be passionate about them but I don't think there is any room for someone throwing a young lady to the ground and stomping her on the head no matter how much they disagree with her."

Update A spokesman for Rand Paul said, "Violence of any kind has no place in our civil discourse and we urge supporters on all sides to be civil to one another as tensions rise heading toward this very important election." M.C.L Comment: These guys wouldn't have the balls to do that to a male MoveOn member, this is what the corporate elite has created a movement made up of old, white, hateful and violent people that's willingly to attack a 23 year old woman because she wasn't there to worship at the alter of Rand Paul and whatever that thing is on his head. This is why those who sitting on the fence about rather they should vote or not get the hell out of the house on next Tuesday or if you got early voting do it as soon as possible because this is the kind of crap that will be governing us for the next 2 to 6 years.