Former (Republican) Hillsborough County (Fla) Commissioner Brian Blair accused of punching his sons

[Ian David]

Source: St. Petersburg Times

Former Republican Family Values Hillsborough County, Fla Commissioner Brian Blair arrested for punching his sons on Father's Day

Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Brian Blair accused of punching his sons
By Richard Danielson, Elisabeth Parker and Kim Wilmath, Times Staff Writers
In Print: Monday, June 22, 2009


TAMPA — Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Brian Blair spent Father's Day in jail after his arrest early Sunday on charges that he punched his two sons.

Blair, 52, was arrested shortly after 5 a.m. after an altercation at his family's home in the Forest Hills area of Tampa, sheriff's Deputy Larry McKinnon said. Blair and his wife, Toni, have two sons, Brett and Bradley, according to his campaign Web site. Blair, a former professional wrestler who is 6 feet tall and weighs 235 pounds, pushed his older son Brett, 17, in the chest about 4 a.m., according to an arrest report.

The teen tried to walk away, but Blair grabbed him and punched him in the face with a closed fist, leaving a red mark and swelling, the arrest report said. Blair then put the 17-year-old in a choke hold, causing him to have trouble breathing, according to the report.

Deputies said Blair then let go of his older son and grabbed his younger son by the throat. He punched the boy, leaving a bump on his head, the arrest report said. In the report, a deputy gave the younger son's age as 12, though Blair's campaign Web site said he is 13.




Read more: http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/article1012183.ece

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Hat-tip to:

Former FL local GOP "family values" champion arrested on Father's Day for beating son. http://bit.ly/y0AH0
http://twitter.com/ProgressFlorida/status/2270670910

[WillParkinson]

1. This is ridiculous! The father had every right to hit his sons...

How else will they learn to be Republicans?

:sarcasm:

[xchrom]

2. republick party Family Values in action! nt

[bighart]

3. This is sad as all cases of child abuse.

Reality is child abuse, like spousal abuse, know no socioeconomic, racial or political boundaries. Sad fact of human nature.

[ensho]

6. child abuse is not a "sad fact of human nature"

so you think men by nature abuse children?

egads

[gratuitous]

10. No, I think what was being said

Is that child abuse isn't just confined to folks on welfare, drug abusers, or any of the other favorite targets of Mr. Blair's party of choice. It touches all economic and social strata. At least, that's how I read the post.

As to the original story, the details seem a bit sparse. But as several teachers reminded me in my formative years, nothing good is going to happen to you after midnight. 4 a.m. seems an even less likely time for something good to be happening. I wonder if drugs or alcohol were involved?

[bighart]

17. you are correct in your reading.

Additionally it is not only men who do these kinds of things, women abuse as well.

[Soylent Brice]

4. i love hypocrisy.

[JayMusgrove]

5. So this guy also assaulted a woman in 1984 and was never

charged? I guess he won't get away with it this time.

[Judi Lynn]

11. According to the article, he went for broke!

It's fairly uncommon to hear of anyone trying to rip someone's hair out! From the article:

On Sept. 25, 1984, a woman he had dated told a Hillsborough sheriff's deputy that Blair beat her during an argument inside her apartment, according to the deputy's report.

She told the deputy Blair had been drinking, threw her over a sofa, punched her 10 to 12 times in the head and pulled out a clump of her hair, and hair was retrieved as evidence. The woman said Blair also took more than $2,000 worth of gifts he had given her during their relationship.

The report indicates Blair was slated to be charged with battery and grand theft after a deposition at the State Attorney's Office. The report notes that no attempt was made to pick him up because he was out of the country.

http://i479.photobucket.com.nyud.net:8090/albums/rr160/fishbulb-suplex/Wrestlers/Tag%20Teams/Killer%20Bees/Killer_Bees_03.jpg

http://www.brianblair.com.nyud.net:8090/images/top-image.jpg

More patriotic, god-fearing Republican values in action.

[shanti]

14. the two boys

don't look particularly happy in that picture. what an asshole of a "father".

[JayMusgrove]

15. Yeah, that pictures is very telling, n/T

[Kajsa]

7. Was the guy drunk

or out of his mind?

Abuse is horrible.

"Family values" my foot!

:(

[northofdenali]

8. Ahhhhhhh

Good old godly family values.

[Ian David]

9. Spare the choke-hold, spoil the child. n/t

[jdadd]

12. I'll bet he read Dobsons book....

wonder if he's got a dog?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

13. Wow! What a tough guy!

:puke:

[Mrs. Ted Nancy]

16. Shady Pines, pa!

Reminds me of the Golden Girls show where Dorothy would threaten Sophia to send her back to Shady Pines.

He better be a decent husband and father to his family or there is going to be an ill-equipped nursing home in his future.


p.s. May Bea Arthur and Estelle Getty rest in peace.

[bitchkitty]

19. LOVED Sophia! n/t

[Ganja Ninja]

18. This guy has a long history of drunken altercations.

People say he's your typical self righteous GOP asshole. Think of an upper middle class George W Bush on steroids. He's a ticking time bomb and he'll probably kill someone someday driving DUI.

[KansDem]

20. "Mano a mano" time?

Maybe Brian was simply aping the father/son relationship of the Bushes...

[John Kerry VonErich]

21. Check this out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K-wEUCCvE0

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cUvtOef3KQ

[Mopar151]

22. Is this another head injury thing?

Like the pro wrestler (Benoit?) - everybody was all over the "roid rage" angle, but when repeated head injuries/brain damage were shown to be the likely cause, the story sunk like a rock. The NFL has some casualties out there, too....