Sunday, October 17, 2010

Joe the Teabagger Campaign Death Spiral Watch - Day Seven.two - Miller Goons Assault Tony Hopfinger at Town Forum

It appears the Miller camp is channeling eastern European models for political discourse on more than one front. From the Alaska Dispatch:

Alaska Dispatch founder and editor Tony Hopfinger was grabbed and handcuffed by a private security detail working for U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller on Sunday while trying to ask the Fairbanks Republican questions following a town hall meeting at Central Middle School in Anchorage on Sunday.

Hopfinger was reportedly pressing Miller on whether the candidate had ever been reprimanded for politicking while working at the Fairbanks North Star Borough in 2008. Alaska Dispatch and other media have sued for the release for records related Miller's time at the borough. Various accounts of what happened next generally agree on this course of events:

  • Two or three bodyguards told Hopfinger to stop asking questions and to leave the building.
  • Hopfinger continued to ask questions while apparently videotaping the candidate.
  • Bodyguards told him that if he persisted they would arrest him for trespassing, but refused to identify themselves to Hopfinger.
  • Hopfinger asked why he was trespassing, as the event was at a public school. Seconds later, he was then put in arm-bar and later handcuffed and sequestered at one end of a hallway for at least 30 minutes. He was told, "You're under arrest."
  • Anchorage Police arrived on the scene shortly after.

Police were still trying to sort things out as this was written.

As are a lot of people, I suppose. The Anchorage Daily News has joined the lawsuit against Miller that was initiated by the Dispatch and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

There will probably be updates. This will be a national story by morning.

Update One: KTUU TV early coverage

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rassmusen predicts 55 seat gain for GOP
americanthinker.com

Anonymous said...

Donation going to McAdams right away! If this db decides to run for anything God willing that he looses, he had better expect to answer for that.

I am disgusted with the governor for endorsing him and my votes will reflect this. Sean has not spoken out against anything that this guy has done. I was Luke warm about the gov, but I was going to support him, but now, no effing way. Same for Young. The Republicans should be renouncing this clown and they are not. To me, they want the same thing that Joe Miller wants.

Anonymous said...

He's scheduled to be at the Anchor River Inn in Anchor Point on Monday at 2pm. That is straight-up militia central. I wish I could be there to apply some pressure, but this time I've got to be at work. ...should be INteresting.
Kathleen G.

Anonymous said...

updated already Phil...
police said the obvious- public place, public event...
Mr Miller burnt the toast at his own tea party...
though I suppose it will be another poorly trained "aide" again...
alaskapi

Celia Harrison said...

This was clearly an illegal act that one would think a man who claims to be a constitutional expert would not have allowed. Will the department of law file assault and false arrest charges against these hired thugs? Most likely not since they are owned by the governor and not the people.

Anonymous said...

I guess we can just call him "Gestapo Joe".

Anonymous said...

7:34 - "I am disgusted with the governor for endorsing...Sean has not spoken out against anything that this guy has done."

I'm surprised. People have some kind of unrealistic false expectation of Sean Parnell. Are we all reading out of different playbooks?
Sean Parnell promised to continue the course set by Sarah Palin. That's what he said. He's Sarah Palin 2.0, for real.
Why would he speak out against him? They're on the same team! He approves and endorses. Get it? He IS that!