Posted on 08/13/2002 9:18:26 AM PDT by Kennesaw
Push turns to shove in Barr-Linder race
By DOUG NURSE Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer
The Bob Barr-John Linder race has gotten cartoonish. A video clip circulating Monday shows a protester dressed as Yosemite Sam in a crowd listening to Barr speak in Canton Saturday. The costumed man, John Harris, 35, of Marietta was making light of a recent Barr mishap -- a gun that accidentally fired at a supporter's home. Harris wore an oversized foam cowboy hat and a button with the words, "Bob Barr's Official Gun Safety Trainer."
Harris is approached by man in a light blue shirt identified by the online newsletter politicalvine.com as a Barr staffer. He appears to shove Harris, sending the rootin', tootin' protester reeling backwards.
Harris, who said Monday he still had a headache from the altercation, filed a simple battery complaint with Canton police. Harris said he supports Linder, Barr's opponent in the Aug. 20 Republican primary, and went to the event looking "to make a statement."
A Canton police officer was present at the event, which came during a stop on a Barr bus tour of the 7th District, but didn't arrest anyone. In fact, Harris was the one escorted from the scene. Assistant Police Chief Dennis Appling said the department would review the complaint.
Barr's campaign was incensed at the video, posted at www.politicalvine.com/Sam/SAM1LOW.htm. A campaign spokesman said the Web site's operators are backing Linder.
"This is a two-second clip from a 30-minute event," said Brian Walsh, who would not identify the staffer involved. "It doesn't show Canton police walking him away. It doesn't show him knocking people in the head with his hat. Canton police were there and a television crew was there and they didn't consider it any sort of problem."
Linder campaign manager Bo Harmon said Harris is not tied to the campaign and Linder doesn't plan to make an issue of the incident.
But Linder's campaign did e-mail to reporters politicalvine's account of what happened.
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