Allen, GOP seek to shift blame for attack on blogger to Webb

[sabra]

http://www.jacksonville.com/apnews/stories/110106/D8L4KCL02.shtml

Allen, GOP seek to shift blame for attack on blogger to Webb

LEESBURG, Va. - Republican Sen. George Allen on Wednesday refused to denounce his supporters' manhandling a liberal blogger a day earlier and accused his Democratic opponent, Jim Webb, of provoking the videotaped incident.

...

Webb, campaigning in Richmond with Mayor L. Douglas Wilder, said he knew nothing of Tuesday's attack in which men wearing blue Allen lapel stickers put University of Virginia law student W. Michael Stark in a chokehold and slammed him to the floor after an Allen rally at a Charlottesville hotel.

"I don't even know what happened yesterday. I don't even know this individual. But I certainly regret the conduct of certain people there yesterday," Webb said.

...

"It was typical of the Webb campaign, wanting to provoke an incident," Allen said. He said Dole and others may have felt threatened by Stark's activities."

Dole, chairwoman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, issued a statement of her own, also portraying Allen as the victim and demanding an apology from Webb and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

[Fridays Child]

1. Classic abuser mentality: blame the victim for the attacker's behavior.

Just classic.

[ljm2002]

5. Bingo!

Abusive husband being hauled away: "She made me do it! She provoked me!"

And why aren't reporters in his face asking about personal responsibility? Another of life's little mysteries...

[Marie26]

9. Allen displays

a lot of classic abuser behavior. Really. He fits the profile to a "T". I'm curious about what's in those sealed divorce papers.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

12. Baron von Assholessen by proxy.

[AlCzervik]

2. So in other words Allen condones violence, thats what i got out of that article.

[napi21]

3. Well, at least he didn't blame it on Bill Clinton!

What an ass! It sure couldn't have been MY FAULT! Noooo George, yu and Shrub are always the innocent victims, huh?

[NanceGreggs]

4. Well, there sure is a lot of 'apology demanding' going around ...

I guess it hasn't sunk in yet with these GOPers that they are not in a position to demand anything these days -- no less an apology about anything.

[msongs]

6. historically dems usually cave, maybe now that is changing? nt

[NanceGreggs]

7. I think it is. Wish it had happened sooner ...

... but at least it's HAPPENING.

Two big contributing factors, IMHO: The fact that they now KNOW they are the people's choice - and, most importantly, the fact that Clinton led the way in the now-famous Wallace interview.

I think that was the setting of the tone, if you will, and the previously timid Democrats finally woke up to the fact that hitting back, and hitting back HARD, not only gets people's attention, it gets you their respect and support.

Better late than never ...

[tblue37]

21. Well, keep in mind that Webb was originally a

Republican, so he won't have the classic abused spouse Stockholm Syndrome tendencies. He will hit back--hard.

One thing you have to say about Republcians is that they do fight back, no matter what. That was the one thing that was so different about Bill Clinton: he was a Democratic candidate with a rapid response team that fought back against smears.

[Marie26]

8. The party of personal responsibility!

:rofl:

[MadMaddie]

10. Bottom line is....the assault on the blogger was caught on tape

and it appears that Allens henchman attacked and assaulted the guy....

He has pressed charges I hope arrests will come soon...

[Skip Intro]

11. ha ha ha ha ha - I'm sure the call for an apologies to the attackers will play well

morons

[davidinalameda]

13. what a fucking bizarro world he lives in

Allen is such a moran, douche bag, dumb ass, etc etc etc

[kevinmc]

14. It was Bill Clinton's fault not Webb's ..... HAHAHA...n/t

[Straight Shooter]

15. How long did it take for the Allen campaign to come up with this stinkbomb?

Pathetic.

[bunny planet]

16. Macaca Doodle Doo!

That's not going to fly Mr. Spitter.

[Canuckistanian]

17. What's that smell?

Ah, yes, desperation....

[jefferson_dem]

18. Va. Senator blames opponent for scuffle (Whiny Macacawitz's sheer desperation)

Va. Senator blames opponent for scuffle
By BOB LEWIS, Associated Press Writer

Sen. George Allen (news, bio, voting record) and Democrat Jim Webb entered the final week of their bitter and sometimes bizarre campaign with Allen refusing to denounce his supporters' manhandling of a liberal blogger and accusing Webb of provoking the incident.

<SNIP>

Webb, campaigning in Richmond, said he knew nothing of the incident Tuesday in which men wearing blue Allen lapel stickers put University of Virginia law student W. Michael Stark in a choke hold and slammed him to the floor after an Allen rally at a Charlottesville hotel.

"It was typical of the Webb campaign, wanting to provoke an incident," Allen said Wednesday. He did not say why he believes the Webb campaign provoked the stunt.

Webb said he did not know Stark.

"I don't even know what happened yesterday. I don't even know this individual. But I certainly regret the conduct of certain people there yesterday," Webb said.

Video of the incident was shown often on cable news networks and circulated widely on the Internet, posing a late-campaign distraction for Allen just as he was trying to make his final push to the Nov. 7 election.

<SNIP>

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061102/ap_on_el_ge/virginia_senate_15

[Hav]

19. .

Aww sweet. It's always the fault of other people.
Poor racist Allen. He wanted to beat up the protestor himself like he did with his brother and sister :(.

[liberal N proud]

20. Republican value - blame the other guy for your inadequacies

[BklnDem75]

22. Explains alot...

Explains why he's so unwilling to unseal those records.

'I'm the victim! Waaaaaah!'

[Califooyah Operative]

23. great logic. nt

[GeorgeGist]

24. Webb should say he's sorry...

that Allen is an embarassment to Virginia.

[BigDDem]

25. but wait....

Don't we want the scuffling to be going on OVER THERE and not
OVER HERE?

Hey Georgie - How's that presidential run in 2008 going?

[jaxhud]

26. George Allen is a man of low character.

If George Allen physically and/or verbally abused his wife, then I think that should be journalistically investigated and reported. It is rather suspicious that he has kept his divorce records sealed despite the fact that most voters demand to know the details of all civil/criminal legal proceedings of their government officials. Any public official that has things to hide in such documents does not deserve my vote!!

As for the Allen detractor. He was outright assaulted!! And within plain view of everyone, including Allen. Allen stood idly by while the man was tackled to the ground and intimidated to leave the public area of Allen's hotel lobby.

I think that speaks a lot to Allen's character. He stood there slack-jawed and simply watched while a fellow American citizen was forcibly deprived of his first amendment rights. I can't vote for a man like George Allen. I demand that my senator have a backbone, and not stand-by and watch a violent, criminal injustice take place.

And now, to blame Webb for the incident, in an effort to hide his own cowardice and inaction, is downright despicable. This is one Virginia voter that will be casting his ballot for the honorable Jim Webb, a highly-decorated Vietnam war veteran, and sworn protector of America's freedoms.

[stepnw1f]

27. Mr. Macaca is a Coward!

Couldn't even stomach a question? What does he think this is, Germany 1939?