Remember the father and daughter who had their pro-Bush sign torn up while picketing a Edwards rally? Here's an update, courtesy of the Weekly Standard:
Our back-page PARODY last week featured that now-famous photograph of teary-faced toddler Sophia Parlock atop her father's shoulders at a John Edwards rally in Huntington, West Virginia--holding what remained of a Bush-Cheney placard that had moments before been ripped from her hands and destroyed by a man wearing an International Union of Painters and Allied Trades T-shirt. The president of that union quickly apologized to the Parlock family "for the distress one of our overzealous members caused."Posted by Kevin Murphy at October 1, 2004 12:08 PM | TrackBack
But suspicious bloggers almost immediately questioned whether the apology wasn't premature. Phil Parlock, they pointed out, had a history of provocative, Republican-sign-holding appearances at Democratic rallies. He'd gotten roughed up for it--and made news--in 1996 and 2000, as well. So was the whole thing a set-up? Maybe the man in the union T-shirt wasn't actually a union member at all?
Nope. Columnist Michelle Malkin called the IUPAT a few days later and asked about it. They told her that they'd "identified the union member who grabbed the Bush/Cheney sign from Phil Parlock's daughter and threw the pieces at the family as they left the event. 'We are taking steps to deal with the individual,'" the union said.
Meantime the president, in fine Bush 41 fashion, has written a note: "Dear Sophia, Thank you for supporting my campaign. I understand someone tore up your sign. So I am sending you a new sign and a signed picture. Please give my best to your family. Sincerely, George W. Bush."