Jonah, Al Sharpton’s making light of his role in the Tawana Brawley hoax again in his Washingtonpost.com chat:
New York: If you were to be named the party’s nominee, how would you stand up to criticism from the GOP regarding the Tawana Brawley affair? Thank you.
Al Sharpton: Very easily. I stood up for a 15 year-old girl who said to me and others that she had been violated. I joined a wide array of people from Bill Cosby to elected officials who came to her defense. A jury didn’t believe her, many of us did and do. I stood up about the same time — about a year or two later — for several young men who were accused of raping a woman in Central Park in New York. A jury found them guilty and sent them to jail — some of them for 8 years. 13 years later a completely different person came forward and admitted to the crime and their convictions were overturned. Sometimes you have to stand up for what is right and you will be vindicated.
I would say to the GOP that it is very strange if they were to attack me for standing up to a young woman who said she is violated. I suppose if I were accused of fondling her and her friends the GOP might have considered me for governor of California.
The Post thought the Arnold-bash was so cute, it reproduced it in the Style section of the newspaper yesterday. No apologies to Steven Pagones needed for ruining his life with false accusations. It was all in good fun.