McCain/Palin Supporter Gets Physical With Reporter At Campaign Rally

[malik flavors]

October 17, 2008
Categories: John McCain

Beat the press

The McCain campaign, today unhappy about the attention Joe the plumber is getting, has been running against the press off and on for a while, and the hostility from some supporters to the press does seem to be getting more intense.

As usual, anecdotes are just that. But this one, from a reporter working on a piece for the Greensboro News-Record, stands out. He writes that he wandered to the back of a Palin event to talk to some protesters:

I sidled up to one of the Obama supporters and asked why they were there, what they were trying to accomplish.

As he was telling me a large, bearded man in full McCain-Palin campaign regalia got in his face to yell at him.

“Hey, hey,” I said. “I’m trying to interview him. Just a minute, okay?”

The man began to say something about how of course I was interviewing the Obama people when suddenly, from behind us, the sound of a pro-Obama rap song came blaring out of the windows of a dorm building. We all turned our heads to see Obama signs in the windows.

This was met with curses, screams and chants of “U.S.A” by McCain-Palin folks who crowded under the windows trying to drown it out and yell at the person playing the stereo.

It was a moment of levity in an otherwise very tense situation and so I let out a gentle chuckle and shook my head.

“Oh, you think that’s funny?!” the large bearded man said. His face was turning red. “Yeah, that’s real funny…” he said.

And then he kicked the back of my leg, buckling my right knee and sending me sprawling onto the ground.

By Ben Smith 10:13 AM

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/Beat_the_press.html?showall

[yourout]

1. That would be assault and his ass should be hauled off to jail.

[Purveyor]

2. These people are starting to scare me and I'm afraid it is only going to get worse from here. eom

[iceman66]

6. Imagine what they will be like if Obama wins.

[AllentownJake]

9. I got a trident

Just in case. For some reason the scene from Anchorman comes into my head.

[stolivodka]

3. As their man Bush said: "Bring it on!"

Bloody confrontation with these animals is coming.

[renie408]

4. Are you deranged? NO, no 'bring it on". Grow up, you nit. n/t

[stolivodka]

10. Coward.

People like you who refuse to stand up for what is right make me sick.

[renie408]

11. A willingness to get violent does not equal bravery. It equals stupidity.

I stand up for what I believe in quite well, thank you. I don't happen to believe that physical war between conservatives and liberals is good for anybody or anything. I happen to believe that ANYBODY that says 'bring it on' in the case of violent behavior is an idiot.

[stolivodka]

12. Your superior morality has been noted.

You'd better inform King George that you'll be sending him 232 years of back taxes. Also, tell your boss that you renounce the struggles and bloodshed of generations of unionmen, and you actually really wouldn't mind working for 30 cents a day.

"Liberals" like you are the reason that Repukes generally run things - because they know when they start getting physical, our own little internal morality brigade will start advising us to surrender.

[renie408]

18. Should I also send back my car and my computer? Cause a lot of things have changed

over the past 232 years. And not all changes were due to violence, nor was violence absolutely necessary for the change where violence occurred.

I think you are too broad in your statements. You are representing yourself as feeling that violence is the only/best/necessary solution to a political difference problem. You also seem to feel that a desire to avoid violence if at all possible equals a completely pacifist viewpoint. I am perfectly capable of physically defending myself and have had to. Just because I don't think shouting "BRING IT ON" at angry rednecks is the smart way to go, doesn't mean I would be unwilling to defend myself or my beliefs if necessary.

And can I ask why somebody on a LIBERAL message board is using the word like an epithet? And do you think that what is wrong with the Democratic party is really that we aren't enough like Republicans?

[stolivodka]

19. I put "liberal" in quotations..

..because you are the type of "liberal" that Repukes like to lampoon - a wannabe flower child who hides her cowardice behind a veil of moral smugness.

Not that long ago, liberals in America weren't seen as simpering weenies. The term became an epithet because of people like you who believe that ideas are just a fun intellectual parlor game and that no real lives are on the line. Well, let me tell you: We aren't dealing with a bunch of cub scouts, here. Today's GOP are mean, violent and consider you less than sub-human. First, they spread sick lies about our candidates, our ideas, and the parts of the country in which we live. Next, they tamper with our elections and intimidate the people who count the votes. Finally, they take their fists and their guns and try to FORCE us to accept their authority. If you wanna scamper away from confrontation and make believe that you're Gandhi or the Dali Lama, that's your business, but don't shoot the liberals who are actually on the front lines of this very real ideological war in the back. There's too much at stake.

Please read this article and see if you don't recognize yourself:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Ride

[opihimoimoi]

5. Shoulda shot the fucker in the balls with a 357...that makes it funnier

[City Lights]

7. The reporter should press charges against that GOP fascist thug.

The fascist thug is complaining that, "of course," the reporter is interviewing the Obama supporter, conveniently ignoring the fact that it's the McPalin people who refuse to allow their brainless flock to be interviewed by reporters. :eyes:

Haul his red-faced ass off to jail.

[kiranon]

13. Absolutely agree and his name and face should be made public.

Chances are he will not feel so good if this is made public. Shame is useful. Hope someone has a video of this so the person can be identified and prosecuted.

[City Lights]

15. Yup. As McCain would say, MAKE HIM FAMOUS!

[Miss Chybil]

8. The Grand Old Party has become a Grand Old Pile of Shit. nt

[Supersedeas]

17. when that anger is turned to utter dispair...they will have no one to blame but themselves and their

campaign of hate

[Miss Chybil]

20. You give them too much credit. They don't have the powers of self-assessment

and regret. They will blame Obama.

[eshfemme]

14. OMFG, these are classic signs of escalation.

These people are testing the boundaries and each incident is going to be trumped by another even more violent incident until it reaches the point where it is undeniable and a tragedy for EVERYONE.

Please, someone needs to fucking nip this in the bud. It's just scary.

[ladjf]

16. With video taped evidence of the incident , the perpetrator would

have served time in jail. Those thugs have been getting away with too much lawlessness.

[symbolman]

21. I would have buttered his necktie for him..

my vengeance has always been swift and assured. Sometimes you gotta fight fire with fire. I'm a liberal and want peace but that Doesnt include letting some asshole assault me.. Consider my body a soveriegn nation, never to be broached..

Kick his ignorant ass my friend, send him back to the farm like a scalded dog..

[CADEMOCRAT7]

22. The GOP is in a fast down hill spiral of self-destruction.

They continue by the day, to become more and more angry, making themselves look worse and worse and driving away support.