Mike Stark (Calling All Wingnuts) Attacked by Allen Staffers

Forgive the brevity of this entry...but it's important and I hope that we can make something useful come of this unfortunate circumstance.

This is just so nutty I couldn't believe it.  Mike Stark was actually physically assaulted by Allen staffers.  Not secret service, but campaign workers.  This is perverse.  Allen's reaction: "stuff like that happens."

Those of you who don't know Mike, he's the mastermind behind "Calling All Wingnuts" a blog of his (and others') experiences calling into nutjob talk show hosts and giving them what for.  Usually, hilarity ensues.

I know that Mike gets under the rightards skin, but even this reaction seems a bit extreme.  We cannot let this stand.

Let's get this on the afternoon news.  I know we can do it!
C'mon folks.  The other side can gin up some controversy.  Why can't we?  We've built a lovely little wurlitzer here, so let's see some outrage. (hat tip Atrios)

•  Allen. Such a class ass...errr....act. n/t

  by Melody Townsel on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 10:56:14 AM PDT

  •  Everyone Should Drop A Couple Dollars

    At Calling All Wing Nuts!!

    Mike is officially Putting his Body on the line to nail these scumbags!!

    by Abraham Running For Congress When I Turn 25 on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:26:17 AM PDT

    •  Takin' one for the team! nt

      by Battling Maxo on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:53:14 AM PDT

•  I'd love to

  But we need more details.

  Is there a news report of this anywhere?

  What happened, how and why?

  by stephdray on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 10:56:22 AM PDT

  •  Yes.

    Follow the link above.

    by pb on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 10:57:10 AM PDT

  •  The news report is the first link

    see the hat tip for atrios ID of who, exactly, it was.

    by Cheez Whiz on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 10:57:25 AM PDT

  •  Umm,

    click on the link, duh.

    by HariSeldon on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 10:57:39 AM PDT

    •  My apologies

      I'm apparently blind and did not see the link.

      by stephdray on Wed Nov 01, 2006 at 10:04:35 AM PDT

•  Mike's a fucking hero...

  If this doesn't get the sealed divorce record story out in the open, I don't know what will...

  Mike - I hope you're OK.  I admire you.

  by magnus on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 10:57:38 AM PDT

•  I just read the blurb

  and I FREAKIN' KNEW it was him!!

  by paddykraska on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 10:58:16 AM PDT

  •  I started watching the clip

    and wondered if that wasn't our own Mike Stark.  Good for him!!

    by mlk on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:01:16 AM PDT

•  asdf

  Incident at Allen Campaign Stop in Charlottesville

  Allen at Omni

  Reported by Henry Graff
  October 31, 2006

  Senator George Allen, (R) made a campaign stop in Charlottesville Tuesday morning and it was met with controversy.

  As Senator Allen was exiting a ballroom, coming to talk to the media, a protestor started yelling and asking, "Why did you spit on your first wife?". He wasn't able to get near the senator as he was tackled by three men wearing Allen stickers, presumed to be staffers. He was pushed and manhandled and ended up on the floor, near windows at the Omni.

  Senator Allen went back into a conference room and after the man was removed from the building, we were able to talk to Allen and asked him what he thought of the incident. He responded saying stuff like that happens.

  NBC 29 Story

  by paddykraska on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 10:59:40 AM PDT

  •  And as Atrios mentions

    Mike is a FREAKIN' CONSTITUENT!!! What the f**k?

    Not a "protester trying to disrupt"
    a FREAKIN' CONSITUENT trying to ask a f**king question!! *

    *(and a damn good question it was!!)

    by paddykraska on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:03:03 AM PDT

  •  The video

    is actually much more favorable than the writeup.  I think that the Allen quote is going to come back to bite him.  These goons really went after Mike.

    There may be an opportunity to press charges against these goons.

    by juls on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:05:13 AM PDT

    •  i called allen's office

      and asked whether Allen approved of these tactics, and if this reflected the character of the campaign he is running.  The staffer asked if I'd like someone to call me back; I said that Allen's office never calls me back on other issues, such as the stock option question from over a week and a half ago, which is part of the reason I hope he loses next week.  

      I left my number and told her that, while I'd love to get an actual response out of Allen's office, I would look forward to the phantom call not coming.

      by grrtigger on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 12:00:25 PM PDT

•  Give em hell Mike

  Macaca boy afraid to answer questions

  by jerseyjoew on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:00:47 AM PDT

•  Mike is really hammering Allen.

  He was the first person to ask Allen if he'd ever used "the N word" and then it got picked up by the national media.  If Webb wins this race, he owes a lot of credit to Mike Stark.

  by GTPinNJ on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:02:45 AM PDT

  •  And let's see if this

    finally gets the press to pull their finger out of their asses and actually report the sealed divorce papers and the arrest records...

    by magnus on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:05:54 AM PDT

•  Was Mike Stark hurt?? n/t

  by trinityfly on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:05:32 AM PDT

  •  Oh, I Hope Not!

    But, as a law student, he may have just the resources he needs to bring justice about.

    by AaronBa on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:07:40 AM PDT

•  What did he say?

  For those of us not blessed with speakers at work, what was actually being said? Was Stark ranting and raving, as the article makes it seem? Or was he speaking in a normal voice?

  I'm curious to know how this will be portrayed in the media once the video gets around.

  Oh, who am I kidding. The headline will be, "Allen staff jumps bravely into action against crazed liberal radical."

  by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:06:45 AM PDT

•  are their allen divorce papers out there

  or something that shows one of her complaints being he spit on her?

  by brady4747 on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:07:07 AM PDT

  •  That's the rumor...

    But as long as they're sealed, noone knows for sure.

    by magnus on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:08:26 AM PDT

    •  so, does mike stark have copies or

      is he just causing a ruckus with a rumor?

      by brady4747 on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:24:15 AM PDT

      •  Ruckus with a rumor...

        But it worked for the N-Word (Mike broke that one too).

        And the fact the divorce records are sealed and the Allen campaign will NOT release them looks bad.

        It's the classic 'when did you stop beating your wife' question.  There's no answer Allen can give as the very fact he won't release the records is clearly incriminatory.

        by magnus on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:26:47 AM PDT

        •  We knos Allen is a spitter: Macaca llama

          His campaign is desperate to keep the women's vote, but we all know he likes to spit on multiple women (not all at once that I know of - yet).

          From reports I heard on the MSM his camp couldn't figure out why the Webb negative women target ads didn't work.

          The Allen campaign is daft for not releasing the divorce or arrest records if there's nothing to them - which, of course lends me to believe the worst is contained there. Why else wouldn't they release them - they would have everything to gain if they are tame?

          "Parking tickets" my arse.

          by a lynn on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 09:44:23 PM PDT

•  This is going to escalate.

  Sooner or later these thugs are going to pick on the wrong person and someone is going to bash back.

  Where are the assault charges? It's time to start prosecuting these thugs. The rethugs and their fellow travelers in red state law enforcement love selective enforcement. Either they start enforcing the law and proscuting these lawless thugs or things will escalate. These thugs are not hotel security, they are not peace officers, they are partisan thugs.

  Welcome to the world's largest banana republic.

  by homogenius on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:07:59 AM PDT

  •  They tried this in New Hampshire

    2 years ago.  The first time, we retaliated and stuffed a guy in a waffle outfit in a trash can.  The second time, well, I was almost in jail later that day but the secret service helped bail me outsince I was helping out with security earlier that day.  

    Anyways, the guy might have tried to do something to John Kerry, you always have to be careful.

    by PaulVA on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:12:38 AM PDT

  •  Let's get Mike a taser. n/t

    by Capn Guts on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:18:29 AM PDT

    •  I'll buy him as many beers as he wants in the

      meantime.

      by magnus on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:27:25 AM PDT

•  Another liberal blogger

  got attacked by Chafeestaffers last night in Rhode Island.  

  by PaulVA on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:10:36 AM PDT

•  Well, you know that...

  sometimes you have to tackle the tough questioners!

  by Primordial Ooze on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:28:23 AM PDT

  •  That is *really* funny

    I hope people reading this don't blow right by it.

    That should be the headline for whatever's written about this: "Allen tackles the tough questioners."

    by Major Danby on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 01:26:52 PM PDT

    •  Thanks. It tickled my funny bone.

      I also posted a similar comment on the FP article on this, where it's getting some love.

      How's the martial law work going?  Thank you for your efforts!

      :)

      by Primordial Ooze on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 02:26:24 PM PDT

      •  See the diary I just posted 45 minutes ago

        the one with three comments.  Other than that, we're chugging along.

        by Major Danby on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 03:24:35 PM PDT

•  I sent this

  to Jack Cafferty. I suggested that his question could be: "Does stuff like this happen?".

  by madgranny on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 11:29:40 AM PDT