In a typically vulgar and hate-filled message thread in the left wing fever swamp (Democratic Underground sector), the claim is made that this AP photograph of a three-year old girl being assaulted by Kerry supporters was “staged” by a “serial disrupter,” and that the thug in the union shirt is actually his son: IMPORTANT!!! The Rethug w/ Little Girl — PULLED SAME SH*T IN 2000!!! (Multiple exclamation points add such gravitas to an announcement, don’t you think?)

Please note: interviewed on the Glenn Beck radio show, Phil Parlock categorically denied that the person in the photos holding a piece of a torn sign is his son. And the attempts to “prove” it at Democratic Underground are laughable. If some real evidence shows up to support this claim, I’ll be sure to take note of it.

But the prevailing belief in the fever swamps seems to be that if you show up at a Democratic rally with a “Rethuglican” sign, you deserve anything that happens to you. Or to your children.

UPDATE at 9/17/04 9:43:19 am:

In a second AP photo of the incident, you can see the thug’s union buddies pushing him away from the cameras, as others rush in with signs to block the view of the crying little girl (hat tip: freedomsound):