SHOWDOWN 06: The Washington Monthly

October 31, 2006

So law student, blogger and ex-marine Mike Stark tried to ask George Allen some questions about his sealed divorce records and prior arrests after a campaign event today. What happened? Allen's campaign staffers pushed, shoved, and threw Stark to the ground .

Allen just shrugged it off and walked away. Class act, that guy.

—Christopher Hayes 3:10 PM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (5)

Comments

Um...isn't that assault?

Posted by: Xanthippas on October 31, 2006 at 3:30 PM | PERMALINK

He's an ex-marine? I would have expected him to defend himself better given that. Or was that an explicit choice on his part so as not to support the GOP story?

Posted by: Edo on October 31, 2006 at 4:08 PM | PERMALINK

Agree with Edo. It would have been GREAT to see him smash just one of these goons in the face. A quick blow to the bridge of the nose. Something to draw blood. It would have been PURE self defense, and would serve to make these thugs think twice before manhandling someone else for no reason (as some of them apparently did when someone approached Marilyn Musgrave R-CO).

Posted by: Benchode on October 31, 2006 at 4:57 PM | PERMALINK

Diebold bitches!

Posted by: Karl Rove on October 31, 2006 at 9:26 PM | PERMALINK

Yes, it would have been very satisfying to have Stark draw blood, but it would have allowed the Allen campaign to play the victim. The non-violent approach worked much better.

Not reacting took a lot more guts, and was the right thing to do. I'm not sure I could have been as restrained. I would at least have made sure that the guy at the end, who escorted Stark out the actual door, took his hand off me.

But knowing he was a Marine, and could probably have handled the aggressive Allen doughboy that was originally pushing him around, I applaud his self control.

Posted by: Court Jester on November 1, 2006 at 10:41 AM | PERMALINK