Robert Stacy McCain points to a quote from a article written by the Professor, for HuffPo, in which his hatred for Sarah Palin is apparent:
Palin has done what weak, self-centered people do when the going gets tough — they quit and blame someone else.
Yup…weak, self-centered people. Kinda like someone who preys on his own daughter:
A Columbia University political science professor and past political analyst for CBS was arrested on charges of incest. Investigators say he engaged in three year long consensual relationship with his 24-year-old daughter.
David Epstein, 46 was arrested on Wednesday and was arraigned on Thursday for the illegal sexual nature of his relationship with his daughter between 2006 and 2009. He is being charged with one count of incest in the third degree.
The well-liked educator specializes in American politics and voting rights and in addition to teaching at Columbia has taught at Harvard and Stanford.
Not many details going around but I’m guessing it was the Mother of this girl who sang to the police, rightly so.
If you want to see the sick bastard here’s a video of him making a presentation entitled “How Obama’s Policies Are Saving the Economy.”
Many blogs are posting about this story like Newsbusters, American Power, Moonbattery, and Ace of Spades HQ but what I want to center on is the comments going on at HuffPo. Take a look at this crap!
It is kinda sick, but I think a four year prison sentence is extreme – considering they are both consenting adults.
Kinda sick?
If he is being prosecuted then so should she and anyone who doesn’t agree clearly is not in favor of equal rights for women.
They are two consenting adults. Am I missing something here?
I don’t know why this just didn’t end with a levy and a slap on the wrist … and maybe loss of job.
I don’t understand how it is a crime
Thankfully there some who see this as what it is:
A father has the power in the relationship with his daughter. I have a feeling that he may have thought it was consensual but that he used his power in their relationship to further his sexual agenda.
A liberal gets it…who woulda thunk it.
There is absolutely NO such thing as consensual incest. The father, or mother, is always in the position of power. They are always thought of as the responsible person for their child, the authority figure, and this sick twisted pervert used his position to manipulate her. She may have consented but in no way can she be considered on the same level as her father.
I hate to link to Salon but they have some interesting quotes from a Law Professor on this subject:
I went to law professor J. Dean Carro, who defended a noteworthy case in which a man was convicted of incest for having sex with his 22-year-old stepdaughter, to better understand how our legal system tackles this near-universal taboo.
Generally, in cases like this involving “consensual activity within the home,” it comes down to the question of whether the government has “a compelling state interest” in regulating the activity. “Some courts recognize that the government does have an interest in regulating incestuous conduct because of the risk of pregnancy and the heightened risk of genetic defect,” he says. Other courts will convict even without such a risk: In Ohio, a sexual battery statute states that a stepparent should never have sexual contact with a stepchild (and that is regardless of age). Most courts are concerned about parents preying on their children, he said. “Regardless of the age of the child, there’s still a theory that a parent is always a parent, a child is always a child and, as a result, there truly can’t be a consensual sexual act.” That explains why the daughter isn’t charged in this case. “The idea is the perpetrator is the parent and the victim is the child. We don’t normally prosecute a person falling within the protected class, and you remain a member of the protected class even above age of consent.”
Many commenters at HuffPo are aghast that this Palin hater is being charged at all, and that’s quite telling. Incest isn’t a case of consenting adults, its a case of a predator preying on the weak.
Disgusting all the way around.
See author page
Sick, sick, sick! If you ask me, he got off (no pun intended) lightly. Throw the scum in solitary and throw away the key for a couple decades.
This is one sick dude!! I’m sure liberals will find a way to support this guy, they always find ways to support amoral behavior.
Curt,
“Crap” is right. HuffPo deserves a few shots across its bow. Huffington is a blowhard who’s created a following filled with pandering wankers who seem to have drunk way too much cool-aid.
When it was first formed I dropped in on it in an attempt to understand what it was providing that was new or interesting given the exposure she was getting in the MSM.
Sadly, the search for insight, or even semi-intelligent opinion, came up empty. The comments you have selected are sadly very representative of the general dimwitted absurdity that fills the posts and comments of HuffPo.
We must always remember liberals have the high moral ground.
poor girl. he probably has moleted her all her life, a normal girl of 18 doesn’t want to do her father.
our society is becoming more and more depraved or it is because of our vast media and we just here about it more often than ever before.
what a sick family. probably just a tip of the iceberg of what goes on day to day in the USA.
Sick, discusting, vile!!!!…. he uses his power as a parent over his daughter, abuses her and now it’s in the public, imagine what she has to face….forever.
On the job, it’s arrogance , laws are for the little people, the Columbia, Harvard, Stanford LAW professor is perched way high above the common folk, imho, he doesn’t hold a candle to the Palins and is much worse than those evil rich people I’m guessing he rails against, he’s a slimeball liberal.
From Curt’s link to Robert Stacy McCain:
Epstein’s lawyer sez:
After this? 😯
Let his next stint be prison time, he can teach convicts about American politics and the voting rights they aren’t supposed to have, by then, neither will the professor. Bigger they are, harder they fall, what an example.
Those “weak” ancient liberal excuses, where….have…..we….heard….them….before?
There are no crimes among liberals. Only accusing conservatives. I suppose we will now have to deal with the left wing trying to decriminalize incest. 😐
Jay,
I beg to differ. In the eyes of the liberal, there are many crimes and high treason, among them:
1. You cannot not give money to those who don’t earn any.
2. You cannot change social social security. I heard complaints about adding two years to the retirement age… in 50 years.
3. You cannot hold people to their own standards..i.e, limousine liberals.
4. You cannot be fiscally conservative.
5. You cannot be a successful conservative woman.
6. You cannot expect that someone should take care of themselves.
7. You cannot argue with the government, unless it is a Republican government.
Do any of you happen to know what part of America has the HIGHEST rates of incest? I will give you two hints….
1. It isn’t “Liberal”.
2. It has a “buckle”.
3. Mrs. Neutron is an “idiot.”
You attempt to use misdirection to disappear the fact that a high-profile, holier-than-thou Palin hater turns out to be a depraved scumbag, and also the more alarming fact that many ‘progressives’ want to give him a free pass on the grounds that he’s simply living an ‘alternative lifestyle.’ You fail.
Actually, you appear to be one of his apologists.
WmT. I won’t even try to match the brilliance or the eloquence of your post. Secretly, I suspect you are really Wm Shakespeare. Who else but the immortal Bard could weave such phrases?
The man in question is a criminal. His actions are condemnable in any civilized society. I suspect he has deep psychological difficulties. My heart goes out to his daughter. That being said…
… Who he votes for and what his “feelings” are with regard to Mrs. Palin are about as relevant as what toilet tissue he uses and how often he changes his socks. Why would you waste your time on such unproductive speculation?
Affectionately Yours
Mrs. N
Mrs. Neutron,
What a load of crap you’re peddling here. The topic is this daughter-f-er Liberal. You come here asking which state has the highest incest rate as if that was relevant at all. It’s so blisteringly stupid that I have to be charitable and think you’re here intentionally misdirecting as you’ve been accused of doing.
And it’s hardly speculation on Sherman’s part when the daugher-f-er Liberal has made his opinions public knowledge.
braininahat,
Is that reason for you to call me names? Do you actually believe that no Conservative ever molested his, or anybody else’s daughter? I’m not misdirecting anything or anybody. My point was and is… the political, religious, philosophical or economic beliefs of a psychopath do not define anybody but THAT psychopath.
Your contention that all should be judged by the actions of one embarrasses us all. There was a VERY well known paster of a Mega-Church out west who was Ultra-Conservative. He was caught buying drugs and spending time with gay prostitutes. Using your (lack of) logic we can assume that all Conservatives do that on a regular basis?
Best Wishes
Mrs. N
A story about a loony Palin hater and how leftists at Huffpo are defending him because he’s one of them brings out an “alleged” Conservative who bashes the GOP and supporters. Yeah, that’s a Conservative allright.
🙄
But, but, it wasn’t incest, incest. Just goes to show, many leftists only see the wrong in a crime when it’s committed by a “peasant” or a GOP’er.
We all must recite the left’s mantra ! Liberals have the moral high ground.
@Mrs. Neutron: You said:
So if THAT was your point, then why was your first comment on this thread? –
Seems you intended to dissemble the topic of the OP and try to point out that, “Hey! Look! Those country bumpkin conservatives do it too!”
If you want to try and misdirect like that, at least be honest about it and stop trying to come off all Holier-Than-Thou.
Drawing a conclusion about an entire group of people based upon the conduct of one or a few who are identified with the group is an example of a logical fallacy commonly known as Hasty Generalization.
What about generalizing about a group of people, because of what many of that group have written? You know – the numerous comments at Huffington Post defending this guy, and the familiar, characteristically leftist arguments that they use.
Remember – one of the favorite progressive accusations against conservatives is hypocrisy.
And yet she has the nerve to play victim. Now you see why I call her a phony. She knows what she was doing.
Don’t ask me what happened with the quote.
So Greg, the loony left DON’T tend to act or think a certain way? The comments on that thread don’t show how hypocritical they are? Granted there are a few that didn’t defend the guy, but mostly per the PC dogma they want everyone to live by.
Greg,
I will agree with your statement, however, you can draw conclusions about the people based upon their comments.
Curt did provide a sampling of statements from those who responded to the article.
Simply put, there are some sick people out there that has nothing to do with their political ideology. You can be certain, however, that if the person found having incest with their daughter had been on the right, the comments at HuffPo would have completely denigrated the guy. You can agree with that, right?
From David Epstein:
“…and taking hypocrisy in their personal lives to new levels of self-indulgent weirdness (“It wasn’t just an affair, it was a love story!”). It’s as if they’re trying to get a head start on another 40 years in the wilderness.”
It wasn’t just incest, but a love story?
The most perverse part of this tragedy is the Liberal insistence that he has not committed a crime. Of course, we must remember that Liberals want to break down the moral and social fabric to prepare the citizenry for Socialism. Obviously, incest between consenting adults is only a diversion; the man’s Liberal peers expressed their outrage with the conviction and the penalty, this should indicate their willingness to excuse the perversion.
If he could have been tried in a Liberal Court, the case would have been dismissed and the issue resolved without the embarrassment of prison time.
@ chipset, #21:
I can’t disagree with you.
Some on the left like to call the right out on their holier-than-thou attitudes when they think they’ve found evidence of hypocrisy. It’s often those same people who turn hypocrite themselves when it’s one of their own. If they can’t be consistent in their judgements, they should shut up.
I think the terms ”liberal” and ”conservative” take on new and perverse meanings when incest is involved.
The first time I heard about a so-called ”honor-crimes,” it was from the UK or Italy.
Parents brought in their daughter because they ”thought she had a boyfriend.”
The girl was 9.
She had been raped violently.
She told the doctor her dad had done it.
The doctor felt that her life was in danger if he told both parents she was not a virgin.
So, the doctor repaired the damage and lied to the parents.
Didn’t stop dad from killing her though.
He said he just knew she wasn’t a virgin anymore.
He was convicted of both the rape and the murder.
They were called ”a conservative Muslim immigrant family.”
So, why are we even having this debate?
People of all political stripes can twist up their minds until it is all right to have sex with their own children.
The main thing is, it is wrong….still…..here.
Even in the Saudi kingdom, where 1/3rd of all marriages ar between 1st cousins, a genetic test must be done to make sure they can have viable babies.
If they cannot BUT STILL MARRY, they are 100% liable for medical costs associated with the children.
well just because.
Do any of you happen to know what part of America has the HIGHEST rates of incest? I will give you two hints….
1. It isn’t “Liberal”.
2. It has a “buckle”.
Where are you getting your data from?
Who conducted the research, Who wanted it conducted, and for what reason.
@Greg
Seems you and I have something in common. What’s funny is the hypocrisy is across the entire spectrum. Which is why I typically try not to judge people based upon my values, but theirs.
Well, that is of course, unless we are talking empirical evidence. If someone believes that 2+2 = 5, then they are just wrong. But with all matters politics, there’s rarely a single answer that solves a given problem, as there’s always the law of unintended consequences.
In those areas, I love to debate.
As for Liberals, I have seen a lot of holier than thou attitude from them, as well.
(A little tangent)
There are those of us who try to look at the world, and especially politics, with a true reflection of what it is. One of the reasons I like this site is because it doesn’t always follow lockstep with a Republican view. Republicans are called out, as are Liberals and Democrats.
While some here may prefer to have homogeny, I like a little dissent, so long as it is respectful. To me, I love to defend my positions and ask people about theirs. I know that I may never change your mind but I may get to see more of the picture when I hear your thoughts. Doesn’t mean I will agree with them, but it does add depth to the conversation.
(/A little tangent)
Did you not know, the liberal is NEVER WRONG and NEVER, EVER SORRY. There are different rules for them? They believe are “special”. This, like countless other sins and evils they commit, will be swept under the table.
Remember the destruction of the Duke Lacrosse team? The liberal faculty came to the defense of a “sperm depository” of poor character and threw the accomplished, innocent under the bus. Fortunes were lost, (to liberal lawyers), lives were ruined, all for liberal sport and profit.
I believe someone wants the daughter to write a tell-all book. In doing so she could change countless lives. She should be paid handsomely to do so and it should then be required reading for 6th grade heath class. I doubt it will happen. Her “people” will discourage her. They will say “this kind of thing only happens to those people”. They just keep “moving forward.”
There are no updates on this story as of today. If a conservative professor had committed this crime we would still be hearing about it, at least once a day, maybe twice.
Remember Scooter Libby and the nothing story, and how they prattled on and on and on and all about nothing. Another man’s life destroyed for liberal sport. I hear they made a movie about it. Profit and sport.
Our society will survive this scumbag. Perhaps this will get people talking more about a taboo subject. Incest is not uncommon and occurs much between same-sex relatives. It is indeed “a cancer”(Slate got that right). My question is, will we survive the morons who think this behavior is acceptable under any circumstances? I {{{shudder}}} to think what these liberals will convince the brainwashed, sexed-up, dumbed-down, stoned and drunk out of their minds (which they are responsible for creating through so called “public” education) youth of today to find acceptable next.
Mrs. Neutron, go brush your tooth.
Coldwarrior57 ,if it what I think, the they presently vote liberal as a majority, just because,
he’s one of them, and they built big 13 floors house to teach their religion and get
more naturalyze AMERICANS YOUNGS TO JOIN THEIR PROPAGANDE
BEST TO YOU FOR THE NEW YEAR
GREG ,HI, YES IT SOUND’S RIGHT TO DRAW A CONCLUSION BASED ON A MAJORITY GROUP
WHO BELONG TO A PARTY REPRESENTING A GOVERNMENT WHICH THE YOUNG AMERICANS ARE LED TO BELEIVE THAT THEY ARE TELLING ONLY THE TRUTH, BECAUSE THIS PARTY
PROJECT THE IMAGE OF CORRUPTION BY TAKING SIDES ON THE PERVERSION
FROM ANOTHER OF THEIR OWN,
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU