Wednesday, May 05, 2010

In ugly confrontation, Muncie staffers ejected from Democratic Party HQ meeting after heated primary



[Video captures moment; images shaky as photog grabbed]

Indiana's Muncie Star Press staffers were ordered to leave a meeting last night at local Democratic Party headquarters, following results of a contentious primary where some party candidates lost. “We asked you to leave now,” former Democratic Party chairman Phil Nichols told Star Press reporters and photographers. “Out. Out."

At one point, another party official, Mike Quirk, grabbed a photographer's camera and began trying to herd the group downstairs. “Emotions are high and people ought to be able to say what they want without it being in the newspaper,'' he said.

9 comments:

  1. I'm a Democrat, and even I'm ashamed at how these people acted. You lost, suck it up and do your interviews.

    And of course, had they won, they'd be mugging for the cameras and kissing the staffers' rear ends.

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  2. What a bunch of hypocrites. "Please come cover us and give us free publicity!" Then that turns into man-handling reporters who are just there trying to do their job (and who would have been viciously criticized if they'd refused to come in the first place).

    Shame, Muncie Dems. SHAME.

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  3. The answer is simple. Next time these idiots hold a news conference, no one show up.

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  4. Just goes to show you:
    If Republicans don't like something, they don't buy or watch it.
    If Democrats don't like something, they create a law or otherwise obstruct YOU from taking part.

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  5. Great shots of the ceiling!

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  6. Hey, Guess what.

    Something similar happened in Crown Point last night, except the HUSBAND of the losing Republican candidate in a state race attacked a news photographer in the parking lot, in front of a bunch of witnesses.
    Later on the candidate stated that she didn't believe that her husband touched the photographers camera, even though he DID. He threatened to smash the camera on the ground, and was trying to twist the lens off of the camera.

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  7. On the other hand, political parties are a private organizations, and the press has no innate right to attend their meetings. Such meetings aren't government meetings.

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  8. I assume the HQ is private property. Not sure about the fuss here.

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  9. 12:43 PM
    I agree with you. Journalists stirring a pot that doesn't need stirring is no good.

    ReplyDelete

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