By Scott Tibbs, September 30, 2009
Congressman Baron Hill, representing the Ninth District of Indiana, continues his meltdown. After two Indiana University students attempted to film and take photographs at his town hall meeting in Bloomington for a school project, Hill refused to allow them to film, explaining a naked political motivation for doing so: "Now the reason why I don't allow filming is because usually the films that are done end up on YouTube in a compromising position."
Baron Hill released his own video on YouTube "explaining" his suppression of free speech and academic freedom:
| One of those concerns, filming at my public meetings, has been taken to another level on this very forum. A young woman, clearly upset with this policy which I've had in place for three years because it's very distracting to other participants stated she was a journalism student and didn't like the policy. |
Because it's very distracting to other participants, Baron? If the reason for not allowing filming is because it is "distracting" then why did you say at the town hall meeting that the reason you do not allow filming is "because the films that are done end up on YouTube in a compromising position?" The reason is obvious: Now that you have been caught on tape suppressing free speech and academic freedom for nakedly political reasons, you are shamelessly lying about the reason you refused to allow a student to film for her school project. Can we ever trust Baron Hill again?
Hill took his meltdown to another level in the Evansville Courier, when he described two IU students who wanted to film and photograph the meeting as "my political enemies." Hill told the Courier "It became evident that they weren't there to get legitimate answers to a question. They were there to disrupt."
This is just shameful. Is Baron Hill collecting an "enemies list" like disgraced ex-President Richard Nixon? He's actually classifying two university students who were there to film for a school project as "political enemies." The students got a lot more than they bargained for when Baron Hill wound up on YouTube in a compromising position anyway and the YouTube video went viral and got over 170,000 views. They actually became part of a national news story featured in a that could (and should) result in Baron Hill getting fired from his job next November.
Hopefully, the students will get extra credit for this assignment.
