Web site says liberals beat student GOP leader; police say no--AANews

[Demeter]

http://www.mlive.com/news/aanews/index.ssf?/base/news-19/115959860215660.xml&coll=2




Web site says liberals beat student GOP leader; police say no
Police: Student picked fight with friends at party, got punched

Saturday, September 30, 2006

BY DAVE GERSHMAN

News Staff Reporter

Everybody agrees last Saturday night in Ann Arbor ended badly for Justin Zatkoff when the Republican student activist was hit in the face so hard that he couldn't recall the attack and would need hours of surgery. But with weeks left before the November elections, rumors quickly spread in Republican circles that Zatkoff was viciously beaten for his political views in one of the state's bluest of cities. In the days following the attack, the conservative student Web site Truth Caucus posted photos of his injured face, pronounced the incident a "hate crime,'' and speculated it was the work of "liberal thugs.'' A Republican organizer in Michigan e-mailed campus Republicans, warning them to travel in groups until the election was over. And pretty soon, the matter was fodder for major political Web sites, like Wonkette.

Ann Arbor police said Friday there's no truth to the rumors.

While at a party that began last Saturday night, police said Zatkoff picked a fight with some of his friends, and got punched in the eye. Police interviewed Zatkoff at a hospital the next day and he didn't recall what happened. People who were at the party told police Zatkoff had too much to drink, said Ann Arbor police Lt. Mike Logghe. "We interviewed the guy who punched him,'' said Logghe. "He admitted to punching him. He said he was a friend of his from high school.'' So far, no charges have been filed in the case, Logghe said.

Zatkoff is the executive director of the Michigan Federation of College Republicans. He is a student at Oakland University, and the Oakland University Chapter Chairman of the College Republicans.

Zatkoff was in surgery on Friday, said Jim Runestad, president of the North Oakland Republican Club, which counts Zatkoff as a liaison with the college Republicans. His cheekbone is crushed, his eye socket is shattered, and his nose is broken, Runestad said.

Jamie Ruth, student chairman of the College Democrats at the University of Michigan, said he found claims of politically motivated violence to be "a little political opportunism.'' He said he had no knowledge of the incident. "I think the culture of political discourse on this campus is in pretty good shape considering the sort of disparity in the number of Republicans and Democrats,'' he said. "... I'm friends with plenty of Republicans (and independents) and I've never gotten the impression from people that they've been threatened because of their political identity.''

[CatWoman]

1. ha!!

got his ass kicked by a friend of his, and a high school student to boot!! :rofl:

[Libby2]

2. That must have been one hell of a punch.

[sakabatou]

18. Doesn't really take much to do that

8 lbs of force can break a collar bone, so...

[AX10]

3. This is the new generation of Karl Rove.

The GOP is now trying out their smear tactics on college campus's nationnwide.

[KingFlorez]

4. They always want to blame liberals

[aquart]

10. This is so terribly wrong.

I'm sitting here being sorry we didn't. All my impulses are bad, lately.

Look, maybe we could just torture him for a while? To see if he molested any boys or stole any Democratic registrations in the last big election? Stuff like that? I bet we'd get great info, our Great Leader said so.

WHEN AM I GONNA GET TO TORTURE SOMEONE???????

<SIGH> A lifetime of repressed ugly impulses, finally freed by my government.

[Judi Lynn]

28. It's a whole new world out there! Don't be glum! You don't need an excuse

to grab ANYONE and torture him/her now. All you have to do remember is that you can SAY you believed he/she may have been on the side of the terrorists, or any "evildoers," and the sky's the limit!

Act first, let someone else ask the questions. Time's a waitin'.

If you're in the right state, you might as well go ahead and shoot 'em, too! It's a shortcut. Don't have to waste your time torturing them. Say you feared he/she would harm you personally. Kaboom.

[Minnesota_Lib]

5. This is so typical of Repugs. (nt)

[LeftCoast]

6. So repub is an asshole, gets punched by buddy and blames 'teh Libs'

Looks like they train them early in the 'party of personal responsibility'...

[DBoon]

7. so liberals aren't a bunch of wimpy pacifists after all?

WHo would have known?

[jobycom]

8. "police say no truth to the rumors." Like that's ever mattered to Repubs

They haven't had any truth to anything they've said since Nixon took over. I doubt they even understand anymore that there is an objective reality outside of what their little brains want to be.

[Joanne98]

9. College Republicans put out a warning to "travel in groups" lol

Oh the DRAMA!

[aquart]

11. If they didn't feel persecuted, they would feel nothing.

[Joanne98]

13. They feel persecuted because they have guilty consciences

[Judi Lynn]

29. Sounds like a good idea!

[soup]

38. LOL!

Thanks, Judi Lynn. :rofl:

I was thinking maybe 'groups of troops' - but I really like where it took you. :hi:

[LiberalFighter]

36. I hope those groups are large..very large... how bout 1 big group

They would be so easy to spot. They would only be able to perform one task at a time instead of having them split up and do them.

[yorkiemommie1]

12. for someone to be that seriously injured

and still be able to fabricate such a lie is really something, isn't it? goes to show how deep the character flaw is.

[Joanne98]

14. I bet the surgeon felt like cutting his tongue out.

[BrotherBuzz]

15. I think the surgeon just nicked it...

so the ass could speak with a forked tongue. ;)

[Joanne98]

16. lol

[PassingFair]

17. Here's the little liar, if anyone's interested.

What a putz.

"Truth Caucus" MY ASS!



http://www.truthcaucus.com/2006/09/27/hate-crime

[chat_noir]

19. bad boy, bad boy, whatcha gonna do?

http://www.ougrizzlies.com/menssports/Track/TrackBios/Zatkoff.htm


On the campus of Oakland University, here in Oakland County, Michigan, Justin Zatkoff has developed quite a reputation. Last fall the University threatened to disclipline him for videotaping liberal protestors and posting clips of that video, edited to music and images of the destruction of fetuses, to the internet. When Oakland U realized it couldn't legally discipline him for speech, there is no question the offended students and others were not happy.

Recently, Zatkoff earned an appointment to the student legislature due to vacacancies. In Justice-Alito-like hearings, Zatkoff underwent over an hour of questions and statements by others complaining about his abortion video. Nonetheless, he was confirmed. Now an unnamed student (protected by "confidentiality" as an alleged "victim" in the complaint process), has filed a complaint with the legislature against Zatkoff for "verbal assault." Essentially, the student congress could impeach and remove him from office based on these charges.

Although this is not a First Amendment issue since the student congress is separate from the University administration and is a political body operating within its Constitution, this demonstrates the dangerous atmosphere against free speech on campuses today. I anticipate there will be more on this story.

*********


The Oakland Post, February 22, 2006, A-1, A-2
STUDENT CONGRESS
Committee investigates charges against legislator

By JEFF KRANITZ Senior Reporter
The Oakland University Student Congress Disciplinary Committee is currently investigating three separate charges including an accusation of verbal assault - that have been filed against Legislator Justin Zatkoff.

Zatkoff, a recently appointed Student Congress legislator whose controversial documentary film was the subject of an hour-long debate during his confirmation hearing, said that Montrell Porter, Disciplinary Committee chair, informed him Tuesday afternoon that the charges had been filed and were currently pending.

http://chetlyzarko.com/b2evolution/index.php?p=212&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

[leQ]

21. oh hell, comments are closed for that story. oh well.

would have LOVED to have left a comment on their vicious story.

edit: typo

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

25. OWWWWW! I feel pain just LOOKING at that. Ow. Ow. Ow. -nt

[RetroLounge]

27. My email to them

So now that the ann arbor police have proved this another republican lie,
when are you going to pull the article and apologize? And why is this little liar not in Iraq?

RL

[annarbor]

30. Good question Retrolounge

Why isn't this lying bastard in Iraq?
If he's such a defender of the Republican way,
why hasn't he marched down to the nearest recruiter and signed up?

Next time his ass is in my town I'll look for him. I'd be happy to drop him off at the nearest Marine Corps recruiter!

Come to think of it, doesn't look like the little punk could handle hand-to-hand combat well....



Ann Arbor
Marine Corps Veteran
1983-1986

[leesa]

20. So another Rethug punched out his lights...figures.

[truthisfreedom]

22. leave it to a 'thug to get drunk, cause trouble and get punched by another

'thug.

[gratuitous]

24. But it becomes a true GOP event

To blame the "liberals" for his own stupidity.

[alfredo]

23. Can't Repugs tell the truth about anything?

[silverweb]

33. Nope.

Not anything.

[alfredo]

34. It seems so natural to them.

[tanyev]

26. Nobody could have anticipated that a Republican would

try to manipulate a violent attack simply to score political points.

[soup]

39. So true.

Never happened before. Unheard of. Unthinkable.

Top Ten Conservative Idiots #4
http://www.democraticunderground.com/top10/04/171.html

[Demeter]

31. The REALLY Scary Part: As We All Know, to Our Sorrow

this is the kind of boy who can grow up to become *pResident and Decider in Chief!

Happy Halloween, early!

[yorkiemommie1]

32. yeah, a Hastert or DeLay

he's still an the larval stage, but will be a full grown REPUG soon!

[alcibiades_mystery]

35. Oh. My. Fucking. God.

[msongs]

37. he needs enlistment papers to read and sign while in hospital nt