Allen Staffers Attack Blogger

Staffers for Virginia Senator George Allen attacked a blogger today at a campaign event, and are now trying to lie their way out of it. Here's their version of the events:

As the Senator was trying to exit the room with a campaign staffer, the Democrat activist, identified as Mike Stark, pushed the Allen staffer. Later, volunteers restrained him and asked to leave the building when he approached the Senator a second time, asking inappropriate questions.

Reality, as seen in the CNN footage available on the Think Progress website, paints a slightly different picture of events:

If you watch the CNN footage, you will see this sequence of events:

1. Stark approaches crowd, says: "He's my senator. I'm asking a question."
2. Stark, in attempting to move around Allen supporters, brushes against one. To me, this looks like normal crowd contact, and does not in any way look like a "push". If you don't believe me, watch the video for yourself.
3. Allen supporter turns toward Stark and loudly says: "You going to need to leave, now. (Points toward door) Get out the door."
4. Stark moves back from Allen supporter, says: "Are you part of the -"
5. Allen supporter appears to grapple with Stark, while saying, "No, I'm not. I'm not at all."
6. At this point, a second Allen supporter rushes in and grabs Stark, while the first pushes him, saying, "Let's move on."
7. Second Allen supporter grabs Stark first around the neck and then by the shirt collar, attempting to drag him back from the Senator. The First Allen supporter is grabbing him by the other arm, and a third Allen supporter, wearing a hat, also appears to be involved.
8. Stark, while being manhandled by the Allen camp, yells, "Senator, did you spit on your first wife."
9. All three Allen supporters push/drag Stark away.
10. First Allen supporter throws Stark to the floor, saying, "Oh now you're getting personal. Now you're getting personal. Now you're getting personal."

That's a bit more complex than the Allen camp's "official" version. It's also quite different. The Allen staffers did not "restrain" Stark after he began to ask inappropriate questions. They grabbed him and began to attempt to physically remove him from the area when he stated that he was going to ask a question. After he asked a question that the Allen camp thought was "personal" and "inappropriate," but which may have a firm foundation in reality, the Allen supporters wrestled him to the floor while yelling at him.

Stark plans to press charges, so this one probably isn't over just yet.