“Marc listen, you can go fuck yourself…You’re a real disgusting piece of shit. You have no idea why I moved to Florida…Hey, shut the fuck up! Go fuck yourself, you piece of shit. You don’t know why I moved to Florida, you motherfucker fucking coward!…Fuck you, fuck yourself! Wait til I shred your fucking ass on the radio. Shut the fuck up.”
—-Dan Bongino, Florida Republican running in a Congressional primary, in a phone interview with Politico reporter Marc Caputo. Yes, he knew it was being recorded.
Stay classy, Republicans.
If you care about the context for this asinine performance, be my guest: read about it here. I don’t care if someone said that his mother slept with alpacas. His string of obscenities demonstrates a lack of respect for the public, miserable judgment, poor self-control, and the powers of expression of an under-educated pimp. Just what we need more of in Congress.
What kind of semi-civilized fool would vote for someone like this? I know, I know…the same kind of fool who would vote for Donald Trump.
Ethics Alarms 
OUCH! But unfortunately so terribly accurate…
I see that Florida Man is now running for office.
https://mobile.twitter.com/_FloridaMan?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
This state sometimes…
Not just Trump, is it? This is now Fashionable in the GOP. The mask has slipped, this was always what was there. This hasn’t been created, merely revealed.
The DNC still has the masks on, mostly, for now.
Another example:
http://www.vice.com/read/angela-aulani-kaaihue-racist-hawaii-japanese-vgtrn
Did he know he was being recorded? Did the reporter start the conversation with that information? I read somewhere that the reporter tweeted out to him that the conversation would be recorded but Bongino had previously blocked the reporter so that tweet was not seen. Doesn’t Florida require two-party consent?
Not to be cliched, but ethics is what you do when nobody’s looking, or listening, or YOU THINK nobody’s looking or listening. It’s OK to abuse an interviewer like that because he doesn’t think he’s being recorded? Baloney. If he knew he was being recorded the major added revelation is that he’s an idiot.
Given the evidence of the tweet, the burden of proof is on the candidate. Wait: why would anyone block a journalist and then have an interview with him? He IS an idiot.
(shrug) The GOP’s own Dan Savage. I thought Matt Walsh was headed for that title, but he doesn’t use nearly enough foul language.
I’d like to hear the entire dialogue. Bongino’s behavior is inexcusable but I think it would be fair to see what was said to bait him. He ( Bongino) would have been well advised simply to end the interview when it became apparent that the reporter to elicit such a confrontation.
I dunno what’s worse, a profane rant like this or threats like Michael Grimm made.
Well of course. You end the interview. I can pretty much guarantee that the reporter used no obscenities from his end.
If you click on the link, you can listen to the entire 17 minute conversation.
I have used similar, usually a little more refined, strings of obscenities many times, but I am a Marine not a politician.
I am curious on your opinion on when if ever is it ethical to swear to or at someone?
In the military using unacceptable, taboo or crass words serves as attention gainer, it focuses the recipients attention on what is being directed, they additionally can have the benefit of highlighting an important piece of information. They can have a psychological effect as well that can be used to instill or refine emotions. They can be a great tool if utilized correctly.
All true Steve, the effective use of a string of obscenities is something of an art. It is also not only an effective way of expressing yourself in no uncertain terms but also a far better way to express anger than fisticuffs. Obscenities like this don’t particularly hurt anyone’s feeling and many insults without profanities do. HOWEVER, when a politician does what this guy did it makes me wonder about his judgment and ability to control the filter between his impulses and his mouth. There’s also the fact that to use you as an example, I bet that you would talk one way with your buddies than you would with, or in front of, your children.
Also consider, that the more a person uses obscenities the less effective they become. This guy used the f-word nine times in one paragraph.
Good summary. One addition, Hal: these are what SCOTUS has called “fighting words.” They may be a substitute for fisticuffs, but also invite them. Of course, it’s tougher over the phone…
Except that the “fighting words” doctrine has been all but gutted in the decades since Chaplinsky was decided.
Sure. Obscenity has utility in communication. Watch any Samuel Jackson movie. Obscenity has legitimate use in humor. There are great true anecdotes where “Go fuck yourself” was the perfect rejoinder.
(from the Netflix series Jessica Jones, where Kilgrave has the power of suggestion qua mind control)
Kilgrave: “I once told a man to go screw himself, can you imagine?”