Rand Paul Campaign Coordinator Stomped on Woman's Head Outside Debate

Before a debate between Kentucky Senate candidates Rand Paul (R) and John Conway (D), Paul's Bourbon County campaign coordinator, Tim Profitt, was caught on video stomping on a woman's head.

That's right: He stomps on her head. The 23-year-old woman, Lauren Valle, was there to present a fake "RepubliCorp" award to Paul as part on a MoveOn.org campaign calling attention to the way conservatives have sold people out to corporations. Valle is attacked by Paul supporters, who yank her to the ground, and while she is lying still in the fetal position, held down by multiple large men, Profitt picks up his foot and stomps on her head.

Profitt, who is thankfully now an ex-campaign coordinator, has alleged that the camera angle made the assault look worse than it was, that he was concerned for Paul's safety, that the police weren't doing their jobs, that he had to step on her to restrain her because of a bad back, and that it was her fault. Anyway, he says in an interview, it's not "that big of a deal," and the Curbstomper, as he has been dubbed in the ongoing coverage by the Kentucky blog Barefoot and Progressive, wants Valle to apologize to him. Honestly, how dare she get in the way of his foot-stomping? By the way, Valle was admitted to the hospital after the attack and is recovering from a concussion.

Watching the video clip, as I have multiple times now to make certain I'm not hallucinating its absurdity, I don't think the "camera angle" can be blamed here. Nor can "safety," since no matter what the initial concern over her approach was (and Valle says these Paul volunteers knew her from previous rallies), Valle was extremely well restrained when Profitt's foot descended on her head. Profitt stomping on Valle's head looks like nothing more than the malicious desire to stomp on the woman's head.

Meanwhile, as Curbstomper Profitt requests an apology for the victim he's now facing assault charges over, MoveOn.org and the John Conway campaign have a better idea about who should apologize: Rand Paul, to Lauren Valle.

Thus far, a statement from the Paul campaign on the "incredibly unfortunate" attack offers this platitude: "Violence of any kind has no place in our civil discourse and we urge supporters on all sides to be civil to one another as tensions rise heading toward this very important election." This general admonishment of violence — "on all sides," of course, though I haven't heard of any head-stomping from the Democratic camp — is not an apology, it's a brush-off. Kicking Profitt off the campaign was a necessary step (for Paul's PR face-saving, especially), but is also not the apology Valle deserves.

Violence against women is never acceptable. Tell Rand Paul that the least he can do is apologize to Lauren Valle for the attack by a leader in his campaign.

Photo/Video Credit: Fox41