Shirley Sherrod, the "former Agriculture Department employee who was shown in an edited video making what appeared to be racist remarks," when she instead was talking about racial reconciliation, "has sued the conservative blogger who posted the video that led to her dismissal," the Associated Press writes.
And that blogger, BigGovernment.com founder Andrew Breitbart, has issued a statement saying "bring it on."
In her complaint filed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Sherrod accuses Breitbart of:
"Defamation, [portraying her in a] false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress." His actions, the complaint states, forced her to resign her job and "ignited a media firestorm by publishing false and defamatory statements that Mrs. Sherrod 'discriminates' against people due to their race in performing her offcial federal duties."
The uproar happened last summer. Sherrod was later offered another job with the Agriculture Department, but declined the offer.
Breitbart, who in recent months has been posting about alleged problems with a multi-billion settlement for black farmers who had been discriminated against, tells Slate's David Weigel that he thinks Sherrod's suit is an attempt to divert attention away from that reporting. He's been trying to link her to the alleged problems.
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