{"id":6797,"date":"2017-05-24T23:30:58","date_gmt":"2017-05-25T05:30:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/americanbuddhist\/?p=6797"},"modified":"2017-06-09T13:39:53","modified_gmt":"2017-06-09T19:39:53","slug":"gianforte-grabbed-jacobs-neck-hands-slammed-punched","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/americanbuddhist\/2017\/05\/gianforte-grabbed-jacobs-neck-hands-slammed-punched.html","title":{"rendered":"Gianforte Grabbed Jacobs by the Neck With Both Hands and Slammed Him – Then Punched Him…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

It\u2019s not often that I write about local politics lately, but this story is worth reporting. The Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, Greg Gianforte, has tonight been accused of grabbing a reporter by the neck and slamming him to the ground.<\/p>\n

In the wake of this, the state\u2019s largest city newspaper, the Billings Gazette, has withdrawn their endorsement<\/a>. They write tonight that they are at a loss for words, but that the altercation between Gianforte and the reporter, Ben Jacobs, looks and sound clearly like a case of assault. There is no sense in supporting a candidate that returns journalistic questioning with outright violence. As they say, \u201ceyewitness accounts, law enforcement investigations and records are all shocking, disturbing and without precedent.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why The Billings Gazette editorial board is also doing something without precedent: We\u2019re rescinding our editorial endorsement of Greg Gianforte.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watch (or rather listen) and judge for yourself:<\/p>\n