FOLLOWUP: Michelle Malkin is following the story of Phil Parlock who was photographed with his 3-year-old daughter crying after a protestor ripped up a Bush/Cheney sign she was carrying.

There is some dispute about whether it was staged. There is a very handsome online apology from the International Union of Painters and Allied trades that Captain's Quarters thinks is unncessary. He has doubts about the family. As do some other conservative bloggers. Michelle will be following.

If it was a stunt, it deserves to be exposed and thankfully, bloggers on both sides are trying to get to the bottom of it. At the minimum, though, I agree with Captain Ed. The man had no business taking a three-year-old to a political rally as an opposition protester.