To be clear from the start: Rep. Michael Grimm threatened a reporter last night for doing his job. He behaved like a thug, which is to say that he behaved as a “ruffian, hooligan, vandal, hoodlum, gangster, villain, or criminal” might behave, which is unacceptable for any law-abiding citizen, and outrageous for an elected representative. NY1 political reporter Michael Scotto had the audacity to ask the Congressman a direct question at the State of the Union address relating not to the speech, but to the Congressman’s fundraising, which is the object of an FBI probe. Grimm refused to answer the question, then cornered the reporter (on camera, though he did not know it, and said ominously , in an excellent soto voce imitation of Michael Corleone telling Fredo that he knows he betrayed him…
“Let me be clear to you, you ever do that to me again I’ll throw you off this f***ing balcony.'”
As the shocked reporter tried to sputter out a defense, Michael…that’s Grimm, not Corleone…continued,
“No, no, you’re not man enough, you’re not man enough. I’ll break you in half. Like a boy.” Continue reading