Joe Miller Handcuffs Democracy

By on October 21, 2010 in News 6
Joe Miller. Photo: Paraserv (CC)

Joe Miller. Photo: Paraserv (CC)

Aaron Cynic writes at Diatribe Media:

Republican Senate candidate Joe Miller, one of the more extremist Tea Party darling candidates of this election cycle, seems to have his own set of brownshirts. Joe Miller’s private security detail handcuffed and detained Tony Hopfinger, editor for the Alaska Dispatch and reportedly pushed him into a wall at an event for the GOP Senate candidate. According to Miller’s website, Hopfinger “appeared irrational, angry and potentially violent” and apparently “assaulted another individual.”

Hopfinger’s account of the incident appears slightly less hyperbolic. He stated he was surrounded by both private (non-uniformed) security guards and Miller supporters after he followed and attempted to ask uncomfortable and unwelcome questions. Hopfinger admits to pushing a guard out of the way, but only after he began to feel threatened by what seemed like a mob. While Miller’s campaign said Hopfinger was trespassing on a “private” event, that event was held at a public school that citizens were invited to via Facebook and other websites.

Read the full post at Diatribe Media

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  • emperorreagan

    The 4th estate has been in a lamentable condition for a while – consolidation has effectively neutered much of the serious media and people have flocked to bullshit pundits as legitimate sources of information.

    The refusal of tea party candidates to deal with even a neutered media is unacceptable (though not surprising, since they have almost universally proven themselves to be ignorants shits when they do answer questions). Take Christine O’Donnell for example: being asked to name a recent Supreme Court case you disagree with is a real softball question, one that any candidate for Senate should expect to be asked in a debate – after all, you’re running for an office that has a responsibility to vet court candidates. Christine O’Donnell, Rand Paul, Sharon Angle, Joe Miller…they’ve all been absolute disasters when asked for either their opinions, or in many cases, asked questions that would demonstrate even a rudimentary knowledge of American politics, law, and history.

    I might disagree with almost everything someone like Lindsey Graham ever says, but I wouldn’t accuse him of being a fool. I think you can very fairly charge some of the prominent Tea Party candidates with being ignorant shits and it makes me really nervous about the direction of the US. After two pointless wars and an economic disaster, the shift seems to be towards ever less capable minds, rather than towards competence.

  • emperorreagan

    The 4th estate has been in a lamentable condition for a while – consolidation has effectively neutered much of the serious media and people have flocked to bullshit pundits as legitimate sources of information.

    The refusal of tea party candidates to deal with even a neutered media is unacceptable (though not surprising, since they have almost universally proven themselves to be ignorants shits when they do answer questions). Take Christine O’Donnell for example: being asked to name a recent Supreme Court case you disagree with is a real softball question, one that any candidate for Senate should expect to be asked in a debate – after all, you’re running for an office that has a responsibility to vet court candidates. Christine O’Donnell, Rand Paul, Sharon Angle, Joe Miller…they’ve all been absolute disasters when asked for either their opinions, or in many cases, asked questions that would demonstrate even a rudimentary knowledge of American politics, law, and history.

    I might disagree with almost everything someone like Lindsey Graham ever says, but I wouldn’t accuse him of being a fool. I think you can very fairly charge some of the prominent Tea Party candidates with being ignorant shits and it makes me really nervous about the direction of the US. After two pointless wars and an economic disaster, the shift seems to be towards ever less capable minds, rather than towards competence.

  • 5by5

    Those two goobers were active duty military, and while they may not have been wearing their uniforms at the time, they did disgrace themselves by not understanding that people have worn those uniforms, fought, bled, and died so that we could have Freedom of the Press in this country. They should have known better. That was neither cute, or funny, and it sure as hell had nothing to do with the security of the candidate. It was just pathetic.

    The author is correct that they acted like brownshirts, and that’s not the kind of thing I want to see happening in America. Period.

    • Hadrian999

      if they were active duty in uniform they have trouble heading their way

  • Anonymous

    Those two goobers were active duty military, and while they may not have been wearing their uniforms at the time, they did disgrace themselves by not understanding that people have worn those uniforms, fought, bled, and died so that we could have Freedom of the Press in this country. They should have known better. That was neither cute, or funny, and it sure as hell had nothing to do with the security of the candidate. It was just pathetic.

    The author is correct that they acted like brownshirts, and that’s not the kind of thing I want to see happening in America. Period.

  • Hadrian999

    if they were active duty in uniform they have trouble heading their way