Phil Parlock is the unluckiest political supporter...ever. He has been accosted at three different political rallies over a 12 year period and children have been involved each time. He has also been shot at. You would think Mr. Parlock would maybe curtail his political activities because of his bad experiences, unless the purpose of his appearances and subsequent victimization is to cast bad publicity on the political party and candidates he opposes.
The picture currently flying around the internet showing a crying little girl on top of her daddy's shoulders is creating a furor among republicans, conservatives and free republic aficionados. The story, taken at face value, is pretty damaging to the democrats and indirectly to the candidates they support. Mr. Parlock claims that he just went to the rally to show two of his ten children the wonders of the American political system. Of course, it was a rally for John Edwards, the democratic vice presidential nominee and Mr. Parlock is a republican, a die hard republican who has worked for republican candidates for decades. Mr. Parlock thought it would be okay to get right in the middle of a motivated crowd of democratic supporters and union members and have his daughter wave a Bush/Cheny sign. Of course, he also thought it would be okay to hold up a sign that said, "Remember Vince Foster," at a Clinton rally in 1996.
The funny thing is that Mr. Parlock stood idly by while a man unknown to him allegedly snatched his Bush/Cheney sign out of his cute little 3 year old daughter's hands and made her cry. The problem is that Mr. Parlock has refused to pursue charges against the man who allegedly accosted him and his daughter. He also made no effort to defend his daughter against this man's alleged aggression. He stood idly by while a man allegedly snatched a sign out of his baby daughters hand and tore it to pieces and then posed forlornly while a photographer (from the same paper who has reported his "incidents" each time) took the now famous picture. The other funny thing is how much the young man in the backwards ball cap and union t-shirt looks shockingly similar to one of Parlock's sons.
Phil Parlock is an unlucky guy alright. But, somehow, he is able to turn the sow's ear of his bad luck into a political silk purse time and time again.
Excellent Background on Unlucky Phil here:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/091804X.shtml