Real Name: Tom Webster Gender: male Member Since: August 14, 2006 Last Signed In: July 22, 2008 Profile Views: 11028 Blog Views: 12190 Not Yet Drinking Liberally Drinking Liberally? Bush Announces The End of the Surge McCain Breaks His Own Laws McCain's Idea of Love Unofficial "Bloggers' Brunch" at Dagny's Saturday Republican State Parties in Disarray Publican's Political Genius I did not have sexual relations with that woman! Amazing Obama Video August 06 September 06 October 06 November 06 December 06 January 07 February 07 March 07 April 07 May 07 June 07 July 07 August 07 September 07 October 07 November 07 December 07 January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 
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A friend of mine was just attacked by George Allen's staff
Some of you may have heard about this, some not, but a friend of mine in Virginia was just attacked by staffer for George Allen, the Virginia Senator. Mike Stark, a Marine who is now in law school went to an Allen event to ask him some pretty uncomfortable questions. He was tackled and pushed to the ground by a couple of guys who work for Allen. Allen has a sealed arrest record and a sealed divorce record, and Mike went to ask him about some of the allegations that have been made.
Now, Mike's a known partisan, he has a website called CallingAllWingnuts.com, where he calls talk shows and posts the recordings. It's a pretty funny site. He's also involved in getting Democrats elected, as so many former service members are. It's amazing that the Congress has become so insulated that they feel that this is ok, to physically attack their critics, but I guess that is what it has come to. Anyway, I'll be talking to him in the next couple of days or so, so I'll get more for you soon, though since he's not exactly a private guy, he'll probably be posting everything up at his website. So the question for the gallery is, is this the sort of behavior we can now expect from Congress? And should we tolerate it? Story and video here: http://www.alternet.org/blo... 33 comments from 8 users
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posted by
mattloch
on Oct 31, 2006 at 06:37 PM
I hope your friend is alright. I just saw the video of it. Hopefully it'll be getting lots of airtime the next few days. Let us know if he'll be pressing charges. Or if he'll start carrying bear mace. Either option opens up some fairly entertaining possibilities.....
posted by
TomW
on Oct 31, 2006 at 06:45 PM
He's fine and he is pressing charges. I said he wasn't a private guy. Check out this letter:Letter from Mike Stark Richmond Times-Dispatch Oct 31, 2006 The following is a letter to NBC29 from Mike Stark, the man who was tackled for a comment he made at Senator Allen's campaign stop in Charlottesville on Tuesday. My name is Mike Stark. I am a law student at the University of Virginia, a marine, and a citizen journalist. Earlier today at a public event, I was attempting to ask Senator Allen a question about his sealed divorce record and his arrest in the 1970s, both of which are in the public domain. His people assaulted me, put me in a headlock, and wrestled me to the ground. Video footage is available here, from an NBC affiliate. I demand that Senator Allen fire the staffers who beat up a constituent attempting to use his constitutional right to petition his government. I also want to know why Senator Allen would want his staffers to assault someone asking questions about matters of public record in the heat of a political campaign. Why are his divorce records sealed? Why was he arrested in the 1970s? And why did his campaign batter me when I asked him about these questions. George Allen defends his support of the Iraq war by saying that our troops are defending the ideals America stands for. Indeed, he says our troops are defending our very freedom. What kind of country is it when a Senator's constituent is assaulted for asking difficult and uncomfortable questions? What freedoms do we have left? Maybe we need to bring the troops home so that they can fight for freedom at George Allen's campaign events. Demanding accountability should not be an offense worthy of assault. I will be pressing charges against George Allen and his surrogates later today. George Allen, at any time, could have stopped the fray. All he had to do was say, "This is not how my campaign is run. Take your hands off that man." He could have ignored my questions. Instead he and his thugs chose violence. 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. It just isn't the America I know and love. Somebody needs to take a stand against those that would bully and intimidate their fellow citizens. That stand begins right here, right now. W. Michael Stark posted by
TomW
on Oct 31, 2006 at 06:53 PM
Mattloch, about the mace, Mike's a Marine, was in the corps for 4 years. The fact that those guys weren't eating the glass is a tribute to his restraint.
posted by
mattloch
on Oct 31, 2006 at 07:36 PM
I was surprised by his restraint. Doubly so if he's a Marine. I still think that a HST-style macebombing of a political candidate's hired thugs would guarantee some interest in your story. But that could just be my own sense of humor at work... ;)
posted by
TomW
on Oct 31, 2006 at 07:42 PM
If Mike goes through with the lawsuit, it'll be the headline. The macebombing tends to make you less sympathetic. :)Again, I'm not sure how well this will play in Virginia. Since Webb was already up in the polls, I kinda wish Mike had held off, but he's not really a strategist. One of his charms, I guess. posted by
blognroll
on Oct 31, 2006 at 10:44 PM
I don't care what party he's from or how controversial he is. I feel sad for your friend and it is outrageous that someone should attack him in this way.
posted by
allRED
on Nov 1, 2006 at 05:30 AM
I watched the video, this guy came in bumping and yelling to the Senator. I believe the guards had the right to protect Senator Allen. Ron. posted by
blognroll
on Nov 1, 2006 at 06:27 AM
May I ask what the extent of his injuries were, and if the force used was over and above that which was necessary to restrain him, if, in fact, he needed to be restrained at all?
posted by
Hardliner4freedom
on Nov 1, 2006 at 06:53 AM
As much as I think of George Allen as a despicable, un-American freedom-hating dirtbag, dredging up crap from 30 years ago should be totally off limits, public record or not.. Who hasn't done something wrong by the time they got out of kindergarten? . I maintain that this is one reason why good, honest, ethical candidates don't run for office. You'll have crap from your youth -- even childhood -- dragged out for all the state/nation to see. posted by
mattloch
on Nov 1, 2006 at 08:40 AM
If Allen can lie about Webb's writing, why shouldn't he be confronted by people shouting rude things at him? He can just walk away. He can respond to it. He can do whatever he wants. But to send your jack-booted thugs after a guy because he's dredging up (possibly unpleasant but possibly true) past actions, that's where you've crossed the line. You know Hardliner, it isn't so much that everyone has done something wrong by the time they got out of kindergarten, it's just those that act like they never did. And those that attack others for their transgressions. Allen was scum. If this is the final nail in his coffin, so be it. It would be a fitting tribute to his career to go out on a cheap and violent note like this. posted by
Hardliner4freedom
on Nov 1, 2006 at 08:50 AM
I do hope that the reaction of the Allen team will be the nail in his campaign coffin. He is a dirtbag.. However, I still maintain that anything that far in the past should be off limits. I'm aware of the fact that the law governing invasion of privacy all but disappears when you become a public figure, especially a political candidate. . I'm not so sure that's wise. The fact that something may be public record doesn't mean that it may be freely used forever. I forget the actual case, but there was a suit filed by a woman who was interviewed by a newspaper. The reporter then went out of his way to publish information about the woman's arrest for prostitution some 20 years earlier. Since that information was completely irrelevant to the story, the plaintiff won. . It stemmed from the "right to be left alone." . I'd like to see the law tightened up to better protect political candidates from such smears from the distant past. To drag out dirt from 30 years ago (unless it's really heinous, like attempted murder), just is not right. posted by
randomfactor
on Nov 1, 2006 at 08:57 AM
Tom, give Mike my best, Randomfactor in Bakersfield. Tell him I'm pleased with how he spent my last donation, and I hope Senator Macaca just paid for his law-school education.
posted by
ProgressivePete2
on Nov 1, 2006 at 08:58 AM
What if it's some sort of racial hate crime? Like burning crosses on people's lawns or something of the sort. Would that be heinous enough to drag it out. I understand he's got a questionable arrest that he's trying very hard to hide. Allen is certainly no angel, but he has been pretty good at hiding it from the public until now.
posted by
randomfactor
on Nov 1, 2006 at 09:03 AM
Hardliner, I'm generally with you on privacy rights--I unfortunately think the Right to Privacy will have to be written into a Constitutional Amendment before some will respect it. . But Allen's reaction to the question shows that his is a *CONTINUING* problem, dating all the way back to his deer-head-in-the-mailbox, sister-abusing days. . Ron, he asked a question. He was not threatening in any way, and he did *NOT* heckle the Senator during his appearance. The thugs were way out of line. posted by
Hardliner4freedom
on Nov 1, 2006 at 09:06 AM
Thirty years ago? Yeah, I think even burning crosses could be off-limits for campaign smear material. (Unless, of course, you think dragging out Robert Byrd's KKK past is fair play.) . If candidate X is still the bad guy that cross-burning would indicate, then it should be possible to demonstrate that his/her racist views continue intact to this day. . If, say, you can show that candidate X has given many speeches to the Council of Conservative Citizens (like Trent Lott), and actively worked to depress minority voter turnout -- and did all these things within the past five or ten years -- then it's on topic and relevant to bring up cross-burnings from 30 years ago. The relevance of cross-burnings long ago would arise from the candidate's present temperament. That would demonstrate a consistent, lifelong devotion to racism. posted by
Hardliner4freedom
on Nov 1, 2006 at 09:09 AM
Random, show me something that demonstrates Allen's continued, present-day character flaws of that nature, and I'll revise my opinion in Allen's case, based on what I wrote to Pete.posted by
randomfactor
on Nov 1, 2006 at 09:12 AM
Whether I think it's fair play or not, it's done, Hardliner.. Interesting you should mention the CCC, which counts Senator Allen as a strong supporter as recently as ten years ago. Is that too far back? posted by
randomfactor
on Nov 1, 2006 at 09:13 AM
posted by
Hardliner4freedom
on Nov 1, 2006 at 09:17 AM
No, Random, ten years ago is well within range. . Tie it in with the Macaca comments, and you have quite a good case. [Looks like you just did. I just read the alternet link.] . posted by
TomW
on Nov 1, 2006 at 10:18 AM
Thanks all for your support. I'll keep you all posted on what happens. We won't know for a couple of days if he was injured or not.As for dragging out Allen's past, Allen has issues like the "prank" of putting a severed deer head in a black family's mailbox, and then there was the book his sister wrote about his temper, the very recent racial slurs and his ongoing friendship with klansmen. Certainly the fellow is unsavory. Doc, as for the restraint needed, he was trying to ask a question. He's been pulled out of a rally before for asking Allen if he'd ever used the word "ni****" after the "macaca" incident. They know who he is which I think contributed to the thuggery here. Random, et al, thanks for the good will. Sorry that some here think he deserved this, but I guess they won't complain when it happens to them or there people, so at least there's that. posted by
Hardliner4freedom
on Nov 1, 2006 at 10:25 AM
Speaking of the Alternet link, why am I not surprised to see another dirtbag, Charlton Heston there? (And some say Hollywood (i.e. movie actors) is liberal.). I still can't believe Heston would try to drag the "culture war"* into the National Rifle Association. The NRA is about guns, remember twit? There are people who consider the Bill of Rights a package deal, y'know. . * "Culture war" -- colloquial term for the Religious Right's war on freedom and the Constitution, and their drive to impose their worst cultural taboos on everyone by force. There is no place for "culture wars" in a free and diverse society. posted by
ProgressivePete2
on Nov 1, 2006 at 10:38 AM
Some of the stunts the NRA has pulled in recent years is really disturbing. Like when they had a huge pro-gun rally in Colorado the same week of the Columbine massacre. That kind of stuff makes me ill. And I support gun rights.
posted by
mattloch
on Nov 1, 2006 at 02:00 PM
And yet when someone confronts Heston with those stunts, people attack the confronter. They feel sorry for Heston because he's old. He gets a free pass in the media and they destroy the messenger. Par for the course.
posted by
randomfactor
on Nov 1, 2006 at 02:11 PM
posted by
TomW
on Nov 1, 2006 at 02:13 PM
I saw that Random. Good on him. Hope he sticks with law school, but I'm guessing he'll drop it. Well, law school will always be there, I guess.
posted by
ProgressivePete2
on Nov 1, 2006 at 02:31 PM
mattloch, Yeah and they don't just attack what they're saying or their position, they actually physically attack them. This is great for Mike Stark. Not great for whoever he has in his crosshairs though. posted by
randomfactor
on Nov 2, 2006 at 10:00 AM
It's been pointed out that this amounted to a terrorist attack.. http://www.dailykos.com/sto... . Don't you love it when the Law of Unintended Consequences kicks in? posted by
mattloch
on Nov 2, 2006 at 10:45 AM
I still think a CO2 fire extinguisher or macebomb would have been perfectly valid forms of defensive measures. Instantly show those jackbooted thugs that their actions have serious consequences. One quick Taser jolt at the base of the spine and that brownshirt would have been cowering in a corner begging for forgiveness. I would be willing to bet the guys who did it don't feel sorry for their actions, or at the very worst feel sorry as far as their current jobs are concerned. Any bets that a) they'll never apologize unless they think it'll help Allen out in the polls, b) will be kept on staff if Allen wins and "fired" immediately if he loses (to decrease liability), and c) that any investigation will peter out after the election?
posted by
Hardliner4freedom
on Nov 2, 2006 at 10:49 AM
I'd amend (b), Mattloch.. b) Will be kept on staff, and given promotions or bonuses if Allen wins. posted by
TomW
on Nov 2, 2006 at 11:05 AM
Mike was great on Olbermann last night, though he seemed a bit sleepy. He sent out a mass mailing that basically said he's super busy, and thanks for all the love. I'm guessing we'll see more of him in the next year or so. Now if only we could get him to wear a damn suit when he does this stuff...
posted by
mattloch
on Nov 2, 2006 at 11:05 AM
I wouldn't bet on promotions within his staff, but certainly letters of recommendation if/when they go into the private sector.
posted by
dusty1215
on Nov 2, 2006 at 11:15 AM
Allen's first wife wrote a book and the details to which Mr. Stark was alluding to are in the book...Stark wanted him to admit or denounce Allen's ex-wife's allegations..what is wrong with that?Doc, watch the video and judge for yourself if the "handlers" went over the edge.Tom, I read Mike's blog all the time..have it blogrolled in fact. He also calls up the rightwing radio jocks and tries to engage them in debate.. posted by
TomW
on Nov 2, 2006 at 11:24 AM
Yeah, Mike's pretty awesome, though he's a bit raw. Fun to hang out with and I bet in a year or so, he'll get the discipline he needs to really start making big waves.
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