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Weller thuggery * Updated x6 *

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Illinois

Allegedly shoving a reporter down a stairwell [update: and manhandling another reporter] is never a bright idea.

Flannery plans to file charges, I’m told.

CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery plans to press criminal charges after he was shoved and sent down a flight of stairs while questioning a congressman Friday, knocking him into a woman who also fell.

The incident happened at a news conference in Joliet, where Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.) was announcing his intention not to run for reelection. […]

There’s a large man, who begins shoving reporters around, including yours truly. He shoves me one way, then he goes after another reporter with CLTV.… There’s an opening in the doorway, and I begin moving through that doorway, and he shoves me down the stairs; he shoves me into a railing on the staircase and also into a woman in on the staircase who was traveling with Weller,” Flannery said. […]

“I realized that I need to ask the police to look into this, and I indicated to them that we get roughed up like this from time to time, but I don’t recall ever being treated his violently; shoved around this violently, to the point where a woman gets knocked down,” Flannery said.

Flannery said he later learned an arrest had been made by police officers from Joliet Junior College.

He said the man who shoved him was identified by others as a Weller staffer, but, “He never said a word to me before during or after his violent actions, nor did he say a word to my colleagues who were similarly mistreated.”

*** UPDATE 2 *** There’s apparently much better video of this thug pushing both CLTV reporter Carlos Hernandez Gomez and Flannery. It should be posted soon.

*** UPDATE 3 *** This isn’t the first time that somebody has been dealt with harshly by the Weller people. Remember this one?

*** UPDATE 4 *** The CLTV video is now posted. It gives you a different angle and shows how the CLTV reporter was pushed by the Weller guy, who is now reported to be in custody.

*** UPDATE 5 *** From the CLTV video it looks as if the Weller guy leaned hard against Carlos Hernandez Gomez’s throat or upper chest. You can hear Carlos grunt in the video. Here’s a screen cap, which shows Carlos putting his hand on the other guy’s hand, but go watch the video…

*** UPDATE 6 *** This appears to be the guy…

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 2:44 pm

Comments

That was weak, he looks like a punk for calling for the police. It was not that bad.

Comment by bbb Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 2:48 pm
Flannery should go after Governor Blagojevich that hard. Then there really would be fireworks.

Comment by Flannery is a goof! Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 2:55 pm
bbb, there’s more video coming soon.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 3:00 pm
Yeah. This sounds about right. Anyone surprised?

Comment by Squideshi Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 3:10 pm
Oh yea, Weller is doing this for his family, oh yea. I’m sure we have not heard the end of his troubles.

Comment by downhereforyears Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 3:13 pm
If Flannery wears that ugly shirt again, maybe the judge and jury will have sympathy thinking he’s homeless.

Comment by Steve Trachsel's fan club Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 3:34 pm
Mike Flannery is probably glad that Weller didn’t have him attacked by a Death Squad.

– SCAM

Comment by so-called "Austin Mayor" Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 3:41 pm
What a picture of class. Not only does he go out on a low note of serious ethical questions, his staff shoves a reporter. If that was a Dem and a FOX news reporter, the wing nuts would be all over it.

Comment by What a facist pig Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 3:47 pm
Isn’t Weller’s campaign mgr. Schearer — the same guy managing Schock’s campaigns?

Comment by Rob_N Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 3:49 pm
Rich,

Now aren’t you glad we got that whole Thug v. Goon thing sorted out a couple of days ago?

– SCAM

Comment by so-called "Austin Mayor" Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 3:52 pm
“Nothing in his congressional career became him like his leaving of it.”

- VanillaMan Shakespeare

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 3:56 pm
Heh I only expect big city politicians to act that way.

Comment by Levois Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 4:01 pm
Bye, bye Mr. Weller.

I have been saddled with him since he carpet-bagged into my state house district and ran a couple of nasty little campaigns trying to oust Ray Christensen. After the last one (which went to the State House for a controversial decision in Ray’s favor), Ray retired and Weller ran, won, and began to “serve.”

Since then, I do not think a year has gone by when something unpleasant has come up regarding Mr. Weller. I could never understand how he kept getting re-elected. I can only credit the unwillingness of the DCCC to recruit a solid candidate and put some $$$ into the race. The district is so oddly drawn that bad press rarely seemed to get a foothold and a challenger could not afford to spread the word effectively.

Don’t cry for Mr. Weller, I’m sure he has a nice future in Washington lobbying for brutal Central American strongmen.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 4:15 pm
The best part of the whole spectacle is Mike Flannery tearing up after the event when he was talking to the police.

Comment by GoodByeJerry Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 4:15 pm
With all due respect, I am not a Weller fan, but this appears to be Flannery and others chasing Weller and getting bumped. I think the staffer was simply trying to block the door.

If Flannery hadn’t been in such a rush (he looked like a Walmart shopper on the day after Thanksgiving), this would not have happened.

The kid should not be arrested and Flannery should check his ego.

Comment by 4 % Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 4:18 pm
Peraica/Weller ‘10? or Weller/Peraica ‘10?

Comment by Itchy, and now Scratchy? Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 4:20 pm
Flannery is an exceptionally nice and smart
person. Messing with him is just an
indication of how familiar Weller is with petty
dictator tactics.

Comment by amy Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 4:26 pm
Lovely. For anyone who has never seen Mike Flannery he is all of about 160 pounds I am guessing. He is lucky to be skinny.

Weller’s staffer should try shoving an overfed, south side bred piece of all American beef such as me. He might strain himself.

Thugs tend to surround themselves with Thugs.

Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out Weller. There are good and decent politicians of both parties in this state. Jerry Weller ain’t one of them.

Comment by irishpirate Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 4:28 pm
That last Chicago reporter to plummet that fast was wearing a bikini and swimming with a murder suspect.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 4:41 pm
Bye, Bye, Bye Weller!!!!! Happy Happy Day!!!!
I have had the delight of dealing with Weller a few times….JERK! Not just his staffers, but Jerry himself! If he doesn’t like your point of view, he either ignores you or sticks his finger in your face and blames someone else for his misgivings.
Bye Mr. Weller- Stay south of the border and please don’t come back! (it’s not like he actually stayed in our district anyway)

Comment by DEM61350 Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 4:50 pm
[…] Friday, September 21st, 2007 in Congressional Campaigns, Republicans by robnesvacil Rich Miller and others are reporting that just after Rep. Weller’s retirement speech this morning, a Weller staffer apparently shoved a few reporters around. Channel 2’s Mike Flannery claims he was shoved down a stairwell and has filed a police report — news footage appears to prove it. CLTV’s Carlos Hernandez indicates he was literally leaned on, with an arm to the chest and throat — and, again, video appears to back it up. […]

Pingback by Think You’ll Miss Weller’s Circus? Don’t Worry. « Illinois Reason Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 5:10 pm
I watched John Drummond once outside the Dirksen Bldg when some mob guy flipped out because of questions from reporters. All the reporters paniced save Drummond who just howled laughing and dodged the mob guys swings.

Comment by Bill Baar Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 7:13 pm
and to think he is the offspring of ” salt of the earth ” farm folks. Remember years ago when my folks purchase breeding stock from his parents. Maybe during the 1960’s a few of their prized Duroc hogs went to Guatamala as a good will gesture. Is this how it all began ( and ended ) for ” little jerry weller ” ?

Comment by bluedog demo Friday, Sep 21, 07 @ 9:20 pm
First: Gosh! Horrors! This kind of conduct NEVER occurs in the ranks of Democrats, does it. That is the ranks of a party that regularly employs union toughs, Syndicate footsoldiers, African-American athletes, and the like as their ground troops. And of course, Democratic thuggery rarely makes the forefront of the news–remember the occasion when Philadelphis union thugs regularly assaulted Republican activists in the Presidential elections? Only the Wall Street Journal highlighted that story…

Second, if Rich Miller is so eager to run video of this “crime”, perhaps he should run some video of the everyday behaviour of television news crews at the forefront of political events. A more crude, obnoxious, arrogant, aggressive, abrasive bunch you will rarely see, at least at Republican events, where, as polls regularly show, antagonism is the innate attitude of the media. Think Princess Diana papparazzi and you have a good idea. It is so often the atmosphere of a fight waiting to break out that it is a miracle that scuffles between media crews and Republican political security don’t occur weekly. It is as if politeness and respectfulness are prohibited conduct in professional journalism. Can’t imagine its impossible to get a good news story without acting decently.

Comment by Conservative Republican Saturday, Sep 22, 07 @ 12:07 pm
[…] If you were a Republican member of the House, what do you think would put just the right cap on the announcement of your planned retirement? If you were Jerry Weller (IL-11), the answer would be having one of your staff rough up a couple of reporters (some video at link). The Capitol Fax Blog has a couple more relevant pictures. […]

Pingback by Democratic Convention Party Political Local Advertising Presidential Campaigns » Blog Archive » Midday Open Thread Sunday, Sep 23, 07 @ 1:35 am
Jason Wallace, one of the few candidates who was running even before Weller’s latest ethics problems were dragged out in the press, would definitely bring some much needed dignity to the office.

Comment by M.V. Sunday, Sep 23, 07 @ 3:56 pm
So, who is the guy?

Comment by Cal Skinner Sunday, Sep 23, 07 @ 8:14 pm