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You are here: Home / Open Threads / The SunBund Crew

The SunBund Crew

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Earlier this week, Marco Rubio huffed on Twitter about an attack on a Republican canvasser* (in a deeply red neighborhood, for what it’s worth), and it turns out there’s more to the story:

The Rubio-DeSantis supporter is Christopher Monzon, who marched in Charlottesville carrying a Confederate flag and chanting “Jews will not replace us” — on camera! He’s locally infamous to Miami anti-hate groups, who outed him as the so-called “Cuban Confederate” when Rubio made the story a thing.

Monzon acknowledges he marched in Charlottesville but claims he left the white supremacist gang he was previously affiliated with. Also, further investigation revealed that the FL GOP paid the allegedly recovering neo-Nazi $10K over the summer, so Monzon is not a random canvasser — he’s a paid FL GOP operative who is/was also a neo-Confederate antisemite. What are the odds?

According to a story in the Miami Herald, the perp who administered the beat-down isn’t registered to vote, and his Republican mother claims Monzon’s story about being attacked for being a Republican is bullshit. She says her son is apolitical and the fight must have been about something else.

The police report contains no indication the attack was politically motivated. At first they said there was only one attacker, who is currently in jail, then another person was arrested, but there’s still no indication the assault was motivated by politics. The cops say the matter is still being investigated.

After Rubio posted the tweet above, Monzon agreed to tell the story about the attack being a political hit-job. But after being outed as a neo-Nazi, he changed his mind. When a reporter whom Monzon had invited showed up at the hospital to interview him, the reporter was turned back by members of the Dade County Proud Boys. So maybe the victim is not such an ex-fascist after all.

Rubio is an ass, but the important nugget from the story is that the FL GOP has a fascist on the payroll. However, that is a dog-bites-man story, so it’s not getting a ton of play, at least not so far.

In other “free state” news, as Sister Golden Bear shared yesterday, a drag queen story time event in Orlando had to be cancelled because of threats.  Democratic FL House Rep. Rep. Anna Eskamani was quoted in the story, which she tweeted:

“These threats of violence targeting both the LGBTQ+ community and Jewish community have become all too common in the United States and in Florida. We must stand together — across party lines — to oppose this hatred and bigotry.”

The Republican loon who is running against Eskamani (and will hopefully get crushed because it’s a pretty blue district) piped up with “drag for children is disgusting” in response. She’s entitled to her opinion, but whatever happened to mind your own fucking business?

Rhetorical question, but really, it’s not about protecting children. It’s about signaling solidarity with violent fascists and pedophilia-obsessed Qanon kooks. That’s the Florida Republican Party today, from Rubio to the fringe nut opposing Eskamani.

Open thread.

*Attacking canvassers is bad, but punching Nazis is good, so we may have a genuine paradox here.

Reader Interactions

80Comments

  1. 1.

    Mimi haha

    I’m fine with disparaging anyone who would work for wee Marco. Of course fascists should be punched.

  2. 2.

    Spanky

    Hang on here.

    When a reporter whom Monzon had invited showed up at the hospital to interview him, the reporter was turned back by members of the Dade County Proud Boys.

    WTF? Are the proud Boys this guy’s family? Is the hospital OK with this? What does “turned back” mean here?

    I have questions. I’d like to see more details on how this seems to be OK with the reporter.

  4. 4.

    Suzanne

    I will note that my cousin is a State Rep in Connecticut, and she got bitten by a dog last month while canvassing for her re-election, and she isn’t being such a piece of shit about it.

    She’s y’all’s kind of people, and she’d love some money for her campaign. And your vote, of course.

    Aimee4Ridgefield

  5. 5.

    Elizabelle

    SunBund.  LOL.  Betty Cracker, don’t ever change.

    I hope that description develops legs.

  6. 6.

    Elizabelle

    I also have a real issue with Mr. Rubio’s tweet describing humans as “four animals.”

    That is precisely the dehumanizing kind of language intending autocrats use, and which we need to call out.

    Besides which, there have been several cases of postal carriers and delivery persons attacked and even killed by dogs in recent months.  It’s possible an Amazon driver was killed by animals.

  8. 8.

    Mousebumples

    Do we really believe he was canvassing when this happened? I’m going to just view this as a Nazi getting punched and figure that they lied about the door knocking part too.

  9. 9.

    bbleh

    [shakes head sadly]  Just more Republican-on-Republican violence, in one of those Republican neighborhoods in the big city.  It’s a shame, but that’s just how they are, and there’s not much we can do about it.  [whispers to colleague] Hell let ’em kill each other off, make the world a better place right?

  10. 10.

    hells littlest angel

    Monzon acknowledges he marched in Charlottesville but claims he left the white supremacist gang he was previously affiliated with.

     

    You know, he’s redeemed.

  11. 11.

    matt

    This Proud Boy told a story and the media went ahead and reported it like it’s true is my take away.

  16. 16.

    Elizabelle

    “The Cuban Confederate.”  You cannot make this shit up.

    And the second of his assailants, Mr. Casanova, sicced him with two German Shepherds that were conveniently ensconced in Casanova’s Mercedes SUV.  (Your New Times link.)

  18. 18.

    UncleEbeneezer

    These attacks on drag events are so scary and infuriating.  I am at a loss for how to protect the participants and ensure they can continue safely.

  20. 20.

    WaterGirl

    Trying to read the story at the link, being barraged by an autoplay video and then another advertising video about that.

    I had flashbacks to the awful autoplay video we had here for awhile, and I am seriously grateful once again that john allowed us to be ad-free.  Auto-play videos cheapen a site, one more reason I am so glad that crap is behind us.

  21. 21.

    Delk

    Just about everyday some ‘christian’ is arrested for child molestation and the first question should be, “What’s his drag name?”

  23. 23.

    Alison Rose

    Rubio is really digging in his heels. He’s followed up with a tweet showing a mug shot of a man of color calling him a “thug” and another insisting that a second arrest and video proves his guy is a total innocent sweet angel. He also pinned this fucking garbage:

    When a republican volunteer is savagely beaten the traditional media treats the victim as the criminal and the criminal as a nice young man who likes fishing & just made a mistake https://t.co/n9rVlYVmgl— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) October 25, 2022

  25. 25.

    dm

    @Elizabelle:

    “The Cuban Confederate.”  You cannot make this shit up.

    I seem to recall various pre-Civil-War attempts to spread liberty slavery to various bits of Latin America (it worked in Texas, after all).  Maybe part of that?

  27. 27.

    Alison Rose

    @Alison Rose: Christ, even the article Rubio linked to talks about the guy being a fucking white supremacist. I guess when TFG called him Lil Marco, he was referring to his IQ. (Not that TFG’s was any better. Birds of a feather and all that…)

  28. 28.

    Mike in NC

    Proud Boys. Oathkeepers. Three Percenters. Funny how these clowns either didn’t exist or nobody ever heard of them (and other fascist groups) until someone told them to “stand down and stand by”, and then they turned up in the hundreds on 1-6-2021. But the media dosen’t want to talk about that, just the price of gas.

  29. 29.

    syphonblue

    “*Attacking canvassers is bad, but punching Nazis is good, so we may have a genuine paradox here.”

     

    Not really. A canvasser who is a Nazi is first and foremost a Nazi, not a canvasser

  30. 30.

    Yutsano

    @UncleEbeneezer: ​ What really scares me and also pisses me off is that the vast majority of drag performers aren’t trans. Most are cis gay men* who choose to express their flamboyance with amazing dresses and hair for days. Drag performances are stellar events, all about having a good time in a safe space. But if they get all offended by drag performers fine. We’ll send in the furries in full suits. They should have zero objections to that right?

    *shout out to all the wonderful drag kings!

  33. 33.

    Elizabelle

    So, I guess the two human assailants (Lopez and Casanova) and Casanova’s two German shepherds comprise the “four animals” that attacked this fine young “Cuban Confederate?? ”

    From New Times link, which only mentions two human arrests:

    Lopez’s arrest report does not mention a political dispute, nor does it indicate that Lopez targeted Monzon because Monzon is a Republican.

    In a second arrest report, police state that another assailant, Jonathan Alexander Casanova, kicked Monzon in the head after Lopez took him to the ground. As the melee played out, Casanova retrieved two German shepherds from his Mercedes SUV and allegedly tried to sic them on Monzon, according to the second report. He fled the scene in his vehicle before police arrived, the report states.

    Police arrested Casanova in Miami Beach on October 25. The newly released arrest report details Monzon’s account of the incident, in which he claims Casanova singled him out and confronted him because he is a Republican.

  34. 34.

    Josie

    Just spitballing here, but the assailants’ two attack dogs and the Mercedes SUV don’t lead me to believe that these are political actors. I’m guessing they are in anther line of work and thought the victim might be moving in on their territory.

  38. 38.

    Barbara

    @Josie: I did read that one of the attackers said something to the effect that no one moves in on their territory without permission.

  39. 39.

    StringOnAStick

    @Immanentize: I saw a dog owner roll up to a dog park with a Border Collie in the back, and the guy picked up the ball flinger stick, while the BC was absolutely trembling with excitement and beside itself knowing the tennis ball was about to get flung, far and hard.  Then the guy got a call and answered it; I thought the poor BC showed amazing self control by not exploding on the spot; the look of “wait, NOOOOOOO!” on its face will always stick with me.

  41. 41.

    Salty Sam

    @Delk: Just about everyday some ‘christian’ is arrested for child molestation and the first question should be, “What’s his drag name?”

    No- what’s his “groomer” name…

  49. 49.

    Old School

    @Barbara:

    According to the police report:

    DEFENDANT CONFRONTED THE VIC AND STATED THAT HE COULD NOT PASS THROUGH THE SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF HIS RESIDENCE. VIC PROCEEDED TO WALK TOWARDS THE STREET TO AVOID THE DEFENDANT AT WHICH POINT THE DEFENDANT STATED TO THE VIC ” YOU CAN’T PASS BY HERE THIS IS MY NEIGHBORHOOD” VIC THEN STATED TO THE DEFENDANT ” THIS IS PUBLIC PROPERTY AND I CAN BE HERE IF I WANT TO. THE DEFENDANT AND THE VIC THEN BEGAN TO HAVE A VERBAL DISPUTE

  50. 50.

    jonas

    @Spanky: Can you imagine if some reporter had been surrounded by a bunch of Black Panther toughs and told he couldn’t talk to their hospitalized colleague? The amount of shit hitting the fan would be incalculable.

    And yes, BC is right, wtf is Rubio doing claiming this thug is one of his “canvassers”? Canvas my ass!

  51. 51.

    Gin & Tonic

    On the other end of the political spectrum, the butthurt whining from the Quincy Institute, Eli Clifton, Ro Khanna et al about getting their ass handed to them yesterday is mighty powerful. If converted to electricity, it would power a small city.

  52. 52.

    M31

    @Josie: thought the victim might be moving in on their territory.

    “listen, bub, I got the Cuban Confederate grift in this hood”

  53. 53.

    Josie

    @Immanentize: ​
     I moved to San Antonio a few years before the pandemic hit. I loved it there – much like the Valley only better. Unfortunately, I had to move to Houston for family reasons. It’s okay but not nearly as pleasant as San Antonio.

  54. 54.

    Elizabelle

    From the Miami Herald article:

    Diana Lopez [a registered Republicans who says she just votes in presidential elections] said she refuses to bail her son out of jail, and wants him to take responsibility for what he did wrong, which to her was getting involved in a needless fight between two hot-headed young men. Then Rubio called the incident a politically motivated attack, turning her son’s actions into a national headline — the latest alleged instance of politics turning violent — and putting her family in the middle of a maelstrom two weeks before Election Day.

    After Rubio’s tweet, Democrats and Republicans both rushed to condemn political violence. “He deserves whatever he deserves for getting in a fight,” Diana Lopez said. But she was clear: “This has nothing to do with politics.”

    ….

    While Rubio said “four animals” beat Monzon, Hialeah police say there were actually two assailants. Diana Lopez said she didn’t know the name of the other person, but identified him as a friend of her son. She said she didn’t see the other person throw any punches. Rubio, who is running against U.S. Rep. Val Demings, also said in his tweet that Monzon was one of “our canvassers.” But Lizzie Gregory, a spokeswoman for Rubio’s campaign, said Tuesday that Monzon was working for the Republican Party of Florida.

    She did not answer when asked who told Rubio that the attack was politically motivated or whether the campaign was aware of his white supremacist ties. The Republican Party of Florida — which has paid Monzon more than $10,000, according to the Huffington Post — did not respond to requests for comment. Monzon has a long history of advocating for white supremacy.

    Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article267844042.html#storylink=cpy

  55. 55.

    Elizabelle

    And here’s the Miami Herald part that I really like:  Rubio trying to walk back his account, in his high heeled Cuban boots:

    Rubio, in line to become chairman of the influential Senate Intelligence Committee if he wins reelection and Republicans take control of the chamber, modified his description of the beating later Monday, although he still maintained there were four attackers. “Sadly, we get the news and we’re still waiting for details,” he said at a rally at the John F. Kennedy Library in Hialeah. “It’s always important to have details. We’re not like these other people that always jump to conclusions, but we know this: Someone wearing a Rubio T-Shirt and a DeSantis hat was walking in a neighborhood not far from here yesterday when four individuals assaulted him, broke his nose, broke his jaw, and gave him internal bleeding.” Lopez appeared in court Tuesday and was ordered held with no bond on a probation violation.

    Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article267844042.html#storylink=cpy

  56. 56.

    sab

    I just hope nothing those three human morons ( Monzon, Lopez, Cazanova) did endangered the two German Shepherds involved.

  57. 57.

    EarthWindFire

    After the backward B McCain operative, the numerous reports of wingnuts vandalizing BLM protests, all the false flag Biden spray paint, not to mention 1/6 and Charlottesville, why does anyone still take a Republican elected official seriously about any of this? It’s almost like our media approve of violent behavior coming from Republicans.

  58. 58.

    Immanentize

    @Josie: I lived in King William. Such a great town. My son is in Houston at Rice. Some great things about it, I suppose, but give me S.A. or the Hill Country any day.

  59. 59.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Josie: See, you can’t say “the Valley” without specifying which one. It’s not like saying “the City” which everyone understands is New York.

  61. 61.

    divF

    @Gin & Tonic: *cough* San Francisco *cough*.

    @Immanentize: Silicon. San Fernando.

    ETA: Re: San Francisco as “The City” – John Steinbeck talks about this usage in “Travels With Charley”, comparing it with various other cities.

    When I was a child growing up in Salinas we called San Francisco “the City”. Of course it was the only city we knew, but I still think of it as the City, and so does everyone else who has ever associated with it. A strange and exclusive word is “city”. Besides San Francisco, only small sections of London and Rome stay in the mind as the City. New Yorkers say they are going to town. Paris has no title but Paris. Mexico City is the Capital.

  63. 63.

    Jerry

    @Immanentize:  What other Valley is there but the Rio Grande one?

    Uh, Pleasant? You know, there in status symbol land where all the houses are the same and the charcoal is always burning on Sundays.

  67. 67.

    Immanentize

    @Jerry: true story — one of my first music revelation memories is driving around my upstate NY suburbany neighborhood on my bike (a gold one-speed with banana seat and ‘spider’ bars from Wards) with my transistor radio taped to the handlebars — that song comes on and I’m la-la-laing along and then I realized —

    That is where I lived.

  70. 70.

    divF

    @Gin & Tonic: This was written in 1961, so that might have been true at the time. Steinbeck lived on Long Island when he started his trip, so he would have been in a position to know.

  71. 71.

    James E Powell

    @Gin & Tonic:

    See, you can’t say “the Valley” without specifying which one. It’s not like saying “the City” which everyone understands is New York.

    Unless you’re anywhere near San Francisco.

    ETA – I see others got there right away. I rarely should probably scroll before commenting.

  75. 75.

    kalakal

    @Elizabelle:

    . “It’s always important to have details. We’re not like these other people that always jump to conclusions, 

    The projection is strong in this one.

    I’ve always considered Rubio to be a spineless idiot but this is pathetic

    He’s got more teeth than brain cells

  76. 76.

    Elizabelle

    @kalakal:  I know.  What a tell.

    I join others in wishing only good for the German shepherds involved.

    And hoping that the mom, Mrs. Lopez, registered Republican, gets herself and others out to vote for Val Demings.  Use spite for good, for once.   How dare Rubio misuse her family like that?

  79. 79.

    Another Scott

    @Suzanne: Thanks for giving her visibility.  Unfortunately, I don’t see any link or pointer to donate to her campaign on that page.  :-(

    Good luck to her!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

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