Coakley Campaign Staffer Physically Assaults Reporter on Public Street

John McCormack, a reporter for the Weekly Standard attempted to ask Martha Coakley a question last night, and was assaulted in the process.  Coakley is the Democratic candidate for Senate in the special election to fill Ted Kennedy's old seat.  She is opposed by Republican Scott Brown.  Massachusetts is possibly the most leftwing state in the union and Ted Kennedy's former senate seat would normally be a shoo-in for any Democrat.  However, anger over Democrat deficits, higher taxes, nationalized health care and economic stagnation has annoyed even people in Massachusetts.  Scott Brown is now running neck and neck with Coakley and an upset victory appears increasingly possible.

Last night Coakley was attending a dinner meeting with lobbyists in Washington, D.C. and refused to take a question from reporter John McCormack.  After the meeting adjourned, McCormack followed the Coakley entourage down the street and attempted to again ask her a question.  It was at this point a member of the Coakley entourage violently pushed McCormack into an iron fence, causing McCormack to fall on his back on the ground and rip his suit pants.  It would seem to me that such an assault may very well be actionable -- meaning an arrest for assault and battery against the perpetrator.

The assailant has been identified as Michael Meehan.  The Weekly Standard reports:

Meehan heads up a firm called Blue Line Strategic Communications along with his partner David DiMartino, who was outside the fundraiser with Coakley tonight and introduced himself to me there. The AP reported on Monday that Meehan is also working for Coakley: "The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also dispatched Michael Meehan, a media consultant with ties to Massachusetts, to assist the Coakley camp with messaging."

Read it all here.