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The Fight for Indiana's 6th CD. Literally!
It seems the race for Indiana's 6th congressional district has heated up according to this article from the Ticker Tape of Howey Politics Indiana blog.
REPORTER, CD CANDIDATE ATTACKED: A Republican voter registration deputy faces battery charges after he tackled a newspaper reporter and hit the Democratic 6th District congressional candidate after a contentious Delaware County Election Board meeting Wednesday afternoon (Muncie Star Press). The meeting had just ended when Will Statom, GOP registration deputy and secretary of the local Republican Party, attacked Star Press reporter Nick Werner while Werner was interviewing Ball State University student Johanna Perez about hundreds of last-minute voter registrations for Democrat Barack Obama’s campaign. “He did not seem very happy that we were stating our opinions,” Perez said afterward about Statom. Werner said Statom seemed critical of his reporting, sarcastically saying to make sure he screwed up the story again. Statom had just walked past Werner when Statom turned around and pushed Werner against the wall, grabbed him and they fell to the ground, according to witnesses. Barry A. Welsh, Democratic 6th district congressional candidate, who attended the meeting, stepped in, and Statom turned around and hit Welsh in the eye. “When Nick went to the floor, I tried to break it up,” Welsh said. County sheriff’s deputies then stepped in and broke up the fight outside the commissioner’s courtroom. More deputies arrived when 911 dispatch informed police of an emergency in the county building involving a scuffle outside of the commissioners office. Statom refused to comment when he walked out of the county building. He was taken into custody by sheriff’s deputies.
Comments (7)
It is my understanding that Werner is pressing charges, but Welsh is not. While I understand taking the high road, turning the other cheek, and otherwise focusing on frying bigger fish, it seems to me that there might be a larger legal issue than an assault. I'm not clear on the specifics as to who said what to whom, whether there were prior discussions among Statom's associates, and what went on in the fight. Looking at the report of the altercation, it is very unusual for someone on the ground to be able to strike above and behind them with enough force to blacken an eye. Did this happen when Welsh interceeded on Werner's behalf, or did Statom launch a second assault after he regained his feet? If the later, then just looking at the fight, there's a good argument for a charge of terrorizing to interfere in an election. My guess is that there was prior posturing and threatening that would lend support to such a view. I do not know about Indiana, but that should be a felony.
April 11, 2008 9:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
This is how intractable ideologues crack-up when their power-group loses power. It happens in sports, it happens in business, and now it will happen in p[olitics.
I can just picture his face growing red as he watched new voters coming aboard, and probably also, as people from his own fatally-flawed party became Obama supporters before his very eyes.
Watch for more of these violent outbursts during psychological nervous breakdowns, as the reality of what is coming finally pierces some of these arrogant partisans' shells of self-appointed royalty. "Sore loser" is a mild way to put it.
Losing isn't accpetable to people like Statom, especially if it is fair and square. And this guyt actually had authority in his party,(Will Statom, GOP registration deputy and secretary of the local Republican Party), if their leadership is so volatile and incapable of accepting their inevitable defeat, what does that suggest about the rank-and-file Repulicans.
After November, there will be a big class of sore losers huffing and puffing around, hopefully they won't vent their frustrations like Statom did.
Can we get a link to some of Werner's articles?
April 11, 2008 9:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Here is a link to Nick Werner archives search of The Muncie Star Press- http://search.thestarpress.com/sp?aff=117&keywords=%22nick+werner%22
This link is to an article in today's Muncie Star Press which follows the aftermath- http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080411/NEWS01/804110342
April 11, 2008 10:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Drpangloss - are you Happy Friday Guy? You must be, because you cheered me up with this one. Not that I find battery funny, but it was at BALL STATE. First of all, any article that features a school named BALL is funny (yeah, that's the 10-year-old in me). Second, I went there and it's a terrifyingly Republican campus (at the time, the largest student organization was Campus Crusade) so the fact that they have ANY Obama supporters is both funny and encouraging. Finally, the Repubs must not like losing ground at their only state-school academic stronghold...sad for you Statom!! So, go BSU, and "Happy Friday, Everybody!!"
April 11, 2008 10:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
Happy to oblige. Had a friend at BSU some years ago studying journalism. She said it wasn't much fun and came to Bloomington many weekends. I remember she had a T-shirt everyone liked that kinda' left out the "State", so it was Ball U. Glad the shout out to the Cards brightened your day.
April 11, 2008 10:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
tee hee. I have two shirts from my time there: "Balls Tate" and "hangin' low, gettin' sweaty...Ball U"
April 11, 2008 11:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Republicans are always about to snap. They're just children who can't handle losing.
April 11, 2008 5:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
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