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GOP Campaign In NY-23 Calls The Police On Weekly Standard Reporter

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NY-23 Candidate Dede Scozzafava (R)

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Dede Scozzafava, NY-23

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Now this is something that doesn't happen every day. The campaign of Dede Scozzafava, the moderate Republican candidate who is in a three-way race with a Democrat and a Conservative Party candidate in the NY-23 special election, called the police on a Weekly Standard reporter for asking her too many questions.

The Standard's John McCormack reported that he asked Scozzafava repeated questions about her support for the Employee Free Choice Act, her positions on health care, taxes and abortion. After a staffer got in between him and the candidate, he followed her to the parking lot and kept trying to ask questions.

Then things got interesting:

After she got into her car, I went to my car and fired up my laptop to report the evening's events.

Minutes later a police car drove into the parking lot with its lights flashing. Officer Grolman informed me that she was called because "there was a little bit of an uncomfortable situation" and then took down my name, date of birth, and address.

"Maybe we do things a little differently here, but you know, persistence in that area, you scared the candidate a little bit," Officer Grolman told me.
"[Scozzafava] got startled, that's all," Officer Grolman added. "It's not like you're in any trouble."

That was good to hear.

But I do wonder if it's the Scozzafava campaign that's in trouble--with a candidate who supports card check, who is unwilling to say she'd oppose a health care bill that raises taxes or includes abortion coverage, and who is so reluctant to answer questions that she has someone with her campaign call the cops when she's questioned by a reporter who is (if I may say so) polite--if a bit persistent.

Scozzafava spokesman Matt Burns told TPM that he had nothing further to add to the story.

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12 comments

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October 20, 2009 11:29 AM   

Only two z's in Scozzawhatever...

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October 20, 2009 12:09 PM   

The candidate, surrounded by her own staff, called the cops because she was "scared" by the reporter's questions? Jiminy Crickets this woman is obviously unprepared to run for office.

Then again, GWB used to have scary reporters removed from his events, too. Seems like Republicans have a problem with accountability. It's "scary."

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October 20, 2009 4:51 PM    in reply to BluGrass

Remember when John Edwards was running around that hotel avoiding paparazzi because of the affair?

Oh, right ...

What is it with single-minded double-standardism that permeates blog comments?

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October 20, 2009 12:24 PM   

How will she stand up to teh Terrists?

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October 20, 2009 12:42 PM   

Or the fascists, commies, and socialist Democrats!
It would have been great if she had a balloon boy moment
and threw up in the parking lot. In need of a comic moment.

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October 20, 2009 12:43 PM   

Her alleged moderation is obviously giving the Repugs fits, and for that I'm grateful to her.

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October 20, 2009 12:58 PM   

STRONG Republican woman!

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October 20, 2009 1:40 PM   

This is hilarious...

The repubs had control of Washington and Dems responded by forging a coalition of left and the center. Alas, dems are in control of washington (i know, there are caveats, cut me some slack)

The repubs now find themselves in the same position as dems circa 2003. Since repubs reflexively choose the opposite of and dem position, they are choosing to forge no coalition but to insist on idealogical purity.

I feel that by insisting on the opposite approach as the dems repukes will find themselves in the opposite position.

I mean really...the northeast is where they are going to pursue this strategy? Are they TRYING to add NY to their list of NE states w/ no republican congressmen. that's fine by me.

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October 20, 2009 1:41 PM   

Well, she didn't threaten to hit the guy, in contrast to:
http://washingtonindependent.com/64236/im-not-gonna-hit-you-but-id-like-to

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October 20, 2009 1:49 PM   

Someone who writes "But I do wonder if it's the Scozzafava campaign that's in trouble--with a candidate who supports card check, who is unwilling to say she'd oppose a health care bill that raises taxes or includes abortion coverage," is not a reporter, they might be a blogger, or a commentator, or a pundit, but that is opinion not reporting.

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October 20, 2009 2:55 PM   

CY, you could be a bit picky here. Remember, the reporters story wasn't about her answers to his questions, which was the story he intended to write when he started asking them. It was in fact a first person account of the batty, possibly paranoid, behavior of that candidate DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE REPORTER. It is entirely unfair and, indeed, it would sound awkward, if we expected a reporter in such a situation to write in the same style as they would a more typical article. I'm guessing that if they used that style, it would, among other things, require that the reporter refer to himself in the third person and then some nitpicker would ding him for that. When someone acts aggressively towards me and I tell other people about it, you can be damned sure I'm going to editorialize on them. It wasn't the least bit unprofessional for the reporter to do the same in this rather unusual, if not unique, situation.

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October 21, 2009 9:39 AM    in reply to LogicalConsideration

Remember, all we have here is the reporter's version of what happened in the parking lot. And given the rest of the story it's not clear that that version is entirely objective and truthful.

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