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174 Comments
- jonathangodfrey, on 10/12/2007, -40/+92Allen's campaign resorts to thuggery. Just shameful.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -14/+46"This stuff happens."
This stuff? Violence because the man asked "Why did you spit on your first wife?" As if I needed yet another reason not to vote for you Senator Allen. And I thought goons existed only in hockey and crime novels. Geez.
This is pretty weird, too, because the Omni's right down the street from where I'm at now. - iceperson, on 10/12/2007, -29/+60"Allen's campaign resorts to thuggery. Just shameful."
I thought the staffer was just attempting to turn the man upside down so that he could put the man's penis in his mouth... - SecondGuesser, on 10/12/2007, -55/+84I have to be honest with yall here. There are a few reasons why think that this guy probably deserved what he got.
1. He was shouting and interrupting (AP story). He wasn't called on to ask his question. He just blurted it out - most likely repeatedly. Being interruptive in that forum is not called for.
2. It was a personal question. If we are led to believe that Bill Clinton's sexual acts with an intern INSIDE the Oval Office is a privacy issue, then whatever happened between George Allen and his wife is also a privacy issue. Or the opposite. But this must be applied consistently.
3. He has been chasing Allen around the campaign trail with the intention of embarassing him (as this event demonstrates). He's not asking him about the issues, his voting record, etc. He's simply trying to be a nuissance. Before yall go and get huffy - I know that BOTH sides are engaging in the politics of personal destruction and I don't like either - from either party. But if neither side is willing to act like civil people, then we can never expect it to change.
4. I'm guessing that George Allen did not order the tackle in a pre-meditated fashion. Lapse in the security detail's judgment? Perhaps. Not totally unexpected when you jump up and start shouting at a senator during a conference or town hall event or whatever. In fact, I'd wonder how it is that he hasn't been tackled yet considering how he's acting and around whom.
Just my opinion. Feel free to digg me down now, yall. (I expect that when posting here. See how that works?) - ij00mini, on 10/12/2007, -1/+31Sorry to abuse the comment system, but here is a long version of the video, good quality, with audio.
http://www.click2houston.com/video/10202525/index.html - heysuburbia, on 10/12/2007, -19/+46What happens to a dog when you back it in a corner?
GOP is getting so desperate... it's pathetic. - EntropyMan, on 10/12/2007, -9/+35Unless the guy was a physical threat, tackling him is uncalled for. That should be obvious to anyone with a sense of public integrity.
- FreakTrap, on 10/12/2007, -11/+30^-- spoilers
- mastershake1, on 10/12/2007, -6/+26So you think the best way to respond to somebody insulting your wife is to have your pencil necked STAFFERS assault the guy? Give me a break. If you want to roll that way, Allen is too much of a pansy to take care of the guy himself.
- mobfunk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+20Inappropriate question or not (Actually Stark asked if Allen ever spit in his wife's face as per the divorce documents Allen REFUSES to release) physically assaulting someone has no place in politics....all they had to do was say no comment...end of story
Allen and his campaign staff have botched what was once a safe Republican seat and have no one to blame but themselves..
personally it couldn't happen to a "nicer" guy.....
you reap what you sow - Gemini25RB, on 10/12/2007, -4/+20I'm not sure that assaulting the man for any "inappropriate questions about Senator Allen's wife" would be justified. Ignoring him, asking to him to leave, and peacefully escorting (unless he struggled) would be much better options. I think this shows badly on the Senator, even though his staffers may have acted independently. (Death for pride...sounds oddly familiar...)
- dereau, on 10/12/2007, -24/+39Stark is a former Marine. Why does Allen hate our troops?
Stark is a law student - he has been credentialed as press. The Allen goons go for assault and battery rather than make Allen answer a question from a citizen journalist! What's Allen going to do next - punch Katie Couric? Spit on her? - timla, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14Ok,
This may or may not have been calculated on the part of the questioner (I am betting on some level it was), but the reaction of the staffers is just plain junior grade.
At this point in an election, as tight as it is, this is not going help at all. Regardless of the circumstances, the last thing a candidate wants to see is his campaign works plastered all over the media smashing some guy, who looks like an Innocent Joe blow, into a glass window.
Then the candidate's remarks "Sometime this stuff happens" not real good either. A firm admonishment of the campaign workers with no admission of wrong doing would have been more appropriate.
As far as inaccurate, not hardly. The title is accurate, the story is factual as far as it goes. Highly prejudicial just before the election, yes, but inaccurate, No. - DonMacDonald, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13Ask, and ye shall receive:
http://alternet.org/blogs/peek/43723
CNN does not edit out the audio, and shows the approach. Judge for yourself. - nixonrichard, on 10/12/2007, -16/+26Okay, this type of thing happens all the time . . . someone throws something or runs towards somebody ranting about something or starts yelling uncontrollably or starts stripping down naked . . . they get tackled to the ground. The "tackling to the ground" is never what makes the news, it's usually what the person said/did to deserve it. It looks like this guy did deserve it and there is no way he was injured by that "tackle" unless he has an egg shell for a skull, and he will NEVER collect any money in a "multi-million dollar lawsuit" as the article suggests, and that was not a crime. C'mon people, calm down. If you want to be a dick and do ***** like this, that's fine, but you have to expect this type of thing will happen to you.
- gwolf, on 10/12/2007, -4/+14It still wouldn't be justified. Were these staffers wearing brown shirts by any chance. Maybe we should call them brown shirts.
- EntropyMan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9The reporter didn't block anything. Allen was going the other way. The reporter tried to get close is all. The guy with the white hair totally lost his cool with the headlock and window slam.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -5/+14Oh yeah, after watching long video that's almost certainly worth an assault charge.
- deesnutz, on 10/12/2007, -15/+24From the Allen camp ...
Now listen up macacas! You are not to walk up to Senator (Klan Grand Wizard) George Allen and ask him any questions. In doing so, you will get a beat down. This is how we do its in grand ol' Virgina. Welcome to the new America, macacas!
Gee, if Allen where to ever become president, would his staff do the same to reporters? Now that would be very interesting! - jerseyg, on 10/12/2007, -22/+31I agree.... completely shameful.
- rationalist, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12Coward's words.
- nalf38, on 10/12/2007, -9/+16If Allen can smear Webb over some imaginary love scene in a book, then Allen should be able to handle questions of personal integrity that actually matter.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8I love Oct/Nov in even number years. It's non stop asshatitude by everyone invovled in politics.
- bigturns, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Statement or question: both are forms of free speech shared by all Americans. The grounds for assault were clearly demonstrated by Allen's staffers. I'm certain this man will press charges and ultimately win.
Don't be fooled. This isn't about Republican vs. Democrat any longer. My father is a Republican and in no way shares any similarities with the opinions of the Republicans who've expressed their views within this forum nor does he share commonalities with the Neo Conservatives who've subverted the Republican party. Thus my father is casting his vote for the Democrats in order to send a message to his party.
Come November the 7th, the issue will be intolerance vs. tolerance. Before you respond with a flame ask yourself one question. Which of the two does the party of family values, the party of conservative Christian values and the party of compassionate conservatives represent? - successrealm, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10And we'll hear you whine about the "libruls" being the cause of everything right p0s3r?
- PhillipL, on 10/12/2007, -5/+13So would it have been cool to do the same thing to Ken Starr?
- kmthurman, on 10/12/2007, -30/+37He broke the first headlock, but the guy with the glasses finally got him. Jeez, such great responses by the party supposedly running our country.
Allen needs to lose. - deadprez, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Seems to be a lot of misinformation on this thread by people who haven't seen the video or heard the audio. The guy was met and "assaulted" before he said anything about Senator Allen's first wife (he asked as he was being wrestled around if Allen spit on her). Clearly the aides recognized he was there to make trouble, but he didn't actually say anything wrong or touch anyone until they touched him
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7The headlock was uncalled for.
Clearly the man did not deserve a political goon going after him and doing that. I think I would have fought back a hell of a lot more if I had someone going for a headlock in a public place.
I am surprised this man was so restrained. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -7/+14@ SecondGuesser if someones being disruptive (like blurting out questions) you ask them to leave and if they refuse you call the police. Maybe if he was being violent or otherwise threatening the safety of others they might be able to justify this, but for just interpreting it's doubtful. There is such a thing as excessive force. As the blog points out this could possibly result in assualt charges against those staffers. I know I would file charges.
- successrealm, on 10/12/2007, -6/+13So says P0s3r, the "Heckler" of digg himself,,,
Yawn - tpodr, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10Mike Stark, the gentleman is question, writes a letter.
"...I spent four years in the Marine Corps. I'll be damned if I'll let my country be taken from me by thugs that are afraid of taking responsibility for themselves..."
http://www.nbc29.com/global/story.asp?s=5615240&ClientType=Printable
give a digg
http://www.digg.com/politics/Mike_Stark_assaulted_by_Sen_Allen_s_staff_writes_a_letter - Thuktun, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Did you watch the long version linked above? He bumped into one of the staffers, seemingly accidentally, which is when they got physical.
When someone starts getting physical with me, my first reaction is to resist. How about you? - kg4gyt, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10I don't think Allen ordered them to attack him from the looks of the video, seems like the only people to blame are the staffers, which were most likely volunteers from the Charlottesville area.
- medievalkarl, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12Hey folks. Stop calling the person Stark was asking about Allen's wife. It's his ex-wife. Point it, Allen has a history of violence, as is well-documented, among other places, in his sister's memoir (Allen, for instance, once threw his own brother through a plate-glass window). Given that history, he probably does have something nasty hidden in his divorce files. Republicans do tend to run people with nasty family histories, whether it's Newt Gingrich leaving his wife while she was in the hospital for cancer or that NY congressperson/freak Randy Kuhl, who pulled TWO shotguns on his (ex)wife at a dinner party.
Apart from Allen's big mouth, Stark's in large part responsible for calling the tradmedia's attention to Allen's history of racism. I say: bully for him. That's democracy and freedom of the press, and that's why I still live in this country. - fintheman, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9There is a civil way to handle these types of things.
- geronimo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Yep, dems shouldn't stoop to GOP tactics like that. Obviously the GOP can dish it out but they can't take it. Just stay focused on the issues, that is a longer term strategy. When you start getting into personal issues and morality then your own deamons come out, people will turn on you as the GOP found out with Foley.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8So? You're justifying tackling someone because they asked a question?
Hahaha.. wow you are ignorant. I assume you're a neocon from your blatant misuse of the word "liberals."
I'm beginning to think you people take pride in acting rather uneducated and ***** where you eat. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I agree P0s3r is a bit of a blowhard. At least he'll have one good day on Digg with the Kerry story breaking. A little bit of sunshine before the Nov. 7th storm, LOL.
- MrFur1ous, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9The CNN video was longer and contains more context. Available here: http://alternet.org/blogs/peek/43723
- sl4x0r, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9Keep in mind that this is the same senator that called a person of Indian descent a monkey ("Macaca") at one of his rallies.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/14/AR2006081400589_pf.html - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9"Was it a private function/event? Was the man trespassing? What type of comments were made?"
I doubt either of those are going to matter. Unless they have some video of the guy asking questions making a threat or exhibiting threatening behavior, those campaign workers are all likely to face charges. You can ask someone to leave if it's a private function but the cops have to remove them. Having the whole thing on tape and on the news isn't going to help. If the hotel has security cameras there's going to be a scramble for the tapes.
Criminal liability aside it was an absolutely fiasco from a PR standpoint and Allen's response was on par with the Macaca comment. In a close race it's something like this that can tip the decision in the minds of many voters. Dumb and dumber. If Allen had two neurons left to rub together to make a spark he would have said something like, "I don't want to comment until we have more facts about what happened. Our immediate concern is that everyone is safe and unharmed." The next thing you do is suspend the staffers pending the outcome of the investigation.
If he's not smart enough to think up a line like that on his own, then how the hell are people going to trust him the Senate for crying out loud? - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -9/+15It doesn't really matter what he was yelling. Words should be dealt with by using other words, once the argument escallates to violence, the attacking party is automatically in the wrong. This is kindergarten ***** that everyone knows. You don't hit people, sticks and stones, etc.
The next time someone insults you, punch him in the face and videotape it. Tell what happens when the cops/lawyers show up to your door with an arrest warrant/subpoena. There are plenty of dumbasses in jail because they had to resort to violence when insulted.
P.S. Remind me to go ask questions about a senator's wife next time they throw a campaign "dinner" in my city. I wouldn't mind a couple million. - JackSpratts, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6for those insisting the guy "had it coming" because he asked allen a rude and personal question (as if it's ok for lawmakers to beat up difficult constituents anyway) sorry, but you're plainly wrong. stark was clearly manhandled BEFORE he asked allen the question about his wife (which was appropriate in any event as it speaks to his general, temperment and respect for other people and the law).
allen should immediately apologize to stark and the voters, reassign those responsible for the assault, or explain why he thinks throwing a man to the floor is acceptable behavior, and if so is it acceptable for a constituent to throw him to the ground when he's being a bonehead? then while he's at it he can take the opportunity to make his case about the ex-wife beating rumors.
- js. - freff, on 10/12/2007, -6/+12Inaccurate? Propaganda? There is video. You can SEE the tackle. No one has said this man threatened Allen, just that his questions where "rude". How is this story inaccurate? Amazing.
- mad1stl, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8Yea, things like this happen. If someone asks me an embaressing questions I push them around, tell them to get the hell out and have him forcibly removed from a public place. btw it looked like Allen did push him first. Nice way to deal with free speech. I know its not free or without strings attached but a public official should know to say "No comment" All he did was reinforce the idea that he did spit on his wife and is very sensitive about it, and that if you want to know something he dont want to tell you he will make "things like this happen" stupid old racist bastard.
- Maaarrrk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Allen is an embarressment to the entire USA government. I hope the war hero Webb wins.
- JamesK, on 10/12/2007, -6/+12Allen later said "this stuff happens... in totalitarian regimes."
- williamdyer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5George Allen apparently is enough of a dick to spit on a woman.
People who think "them's fighting words" need to evaluate if Allen is enough of a man to even have such a standard apply to his actions. The cowardice and thuggery in the video is a confirmation that Allen would sink as low as to spit on a woman. - williamdyer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6My first reaction would be to remove one of my assailants eyeballs. That distracts them enough that I can step on their throat. Lack of air ends an assault quickly.
One of these goons is going at assault someone with just a small amount of training one day, and end up in a bad way. -
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