Free Republic

White House spokesman Jay Carney declined to condemn the increasing violence and threats by union members in Michigan, merely telling reporters Tuesday that “the president believes in debate that’s civil.” When asked by a reporter about a claim by Michigan state Democrat that “there will be blood” should Republicans pass a union-choice law in Michigan, Carney professed ignorance and then downplayed the comment. “I haven’t see those comments, and I’m not sure they mean what someone interprets them to mean,” he said. The union violence, which included at least one televised assault on a journalist, followed an Obama rally in...

Politics: With the Massachusetts Senate race in a dead heat, the Service Employees International Union makes a massive ad buy for a Democrat raising money from lobbyists. Sorry, Sen. Kerry, but the tea party's coming. Having received a tsunami warning, the purple shirts of the SEIU have sprung into action with a major ad buy trying to pull the Senate candidacy of Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley from the jaws of defeat. The buy size of $685,000, extracted from the union dues of not-always-willing workers, is one of the biggest of the election. The ads note that Republican Scott Brown...

As you may have heard, a Dem staffer helping the Martha Coakley campaign was caught on video shoving a Weekly Standard reporter, prompting an explosion of outrage from national Republicans and the right-wing media, who alleged bullying and intimidation. Now the staffer, Michael Meehan, sends over a statement admitting error (though not conceding bullying) and saying he also apologized directly to the Standard reporter, John McCormack:

Michael P. Meehan, Member, Broadcasting Board of Governors Michael P. Meehan currently serves as President of Blue Line Strategic Communications, Inc. and as Senior Vice President at Virilion, a digital media company. For over two decades, Meehan served in senior roles for U.S. Senators John Kerry, Barbara Boxer, Maria Cantwell and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, two presidential campaigns, two U.S. House offices and congressional campaigns in 25 states. Mr. Meehan earned a B.A. in political science from Bates College.

The rough-and-tumble world of politics was on full display Tuesday night when a man believed to be longtime Democratic strategist Michael Meehan was caught on videotape shoving a reporter for the Weekly Standard into a metal railing, reportedly giving him a large tear in his pants.