For Immediate Release:
October 31, 2006
Contact: Press Office 703.845.3689
Democrat Activist Verbally Attacks Allen
Allen Campaign Demands Webb Restrain Out of Control Supporter
ARLINGTON, VA - At the conclusion of a well attended event in Charlottesville, a Webb supporter wearing an Allen sticker aggressively went after Senator Allen, who was at an event with his wife Susan and Senator Elizabeth Dole, screaming that he answer inappropriate questions.
As the Senator was trying to exit the room with a campaign staffer, the Democrat activist, identified as Mike Stark, pushed the Allen staffer. Later, volunteers restrained him and asked to leave the building when he approached the Senator a second time, asking inappropriate questions.
This was not the first time that Stark, a frequent Daily Kos blogger, has aggressively confronted Senator Allen in front of TV cameras and been removed from the premises by event security. In August, Stark was asked to leave a Holiday Inn by management "after he became combative" while interrupting a press conference with Senator Allen. (Chris Graham, "Webb Supporter Asked to Leave Allen Event after N-Word Question," Augusta Free Press; August 25, 2006).
Stark has a history of violent outbursts on the Daily Kos, an extreme left-wing website, such as his post "The F*****g Way...Take These RNC F*****s Down". Daily Kos Link < " target=_blank>http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/4/12/02847/6131BY>
He also posted his intention last night on his blog, Calling All Wingnuts, which is subtitled "Kickin' a*s on the lyin' side: A never-ending battle against stupid, ugly, deceitful and corrupt right-wing water carriers..." in which he wrote in reference to stalking Senator Allen,"So yeah... I miss doing this stuff - it seemed that at least once a month, something would happen that really got the adrenaline flowing... I miss those tasty morsels of victory." ( www.callingallwingnuts.com < " target=_blank>http://www.callingallwingnuts.com/> ; Accessed October 31, 2006)
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A mid-term re-election campaign rally held Tuesday morning by Virginia Senator George Allen at the Charlottesville Omni Hotel turned ugly after a University of Virginia law student, Daily Kos contributor and blogger, Mike Stark, was man-handled by Allen staffers in the hotel lobby after he asked the Senator about his 1970's divorce and arrest record.

Three Allen campaign staffers wrestled Stark to the ground, ending what ''Friends of George Allen'' said in a press release were "inappropriate questions" by Stark. Allen was approached by Stark as he tried to exit the conference room following his speech at "a well attended event". Stark is accused by the Allen campaign of stalking Allen, by ''The Washington Post'' of heckling him, and by Stark's own admission on his blog page of doing something that "got the adrenaline flowing".

Stark said he attempted to "stand my ground" after his question about Allen's sealed divorce records was met by pushing and shoving by Allen staffers, according to an interview by blogger Greg Sargent.
   
"I never raised my hands...They were actually physically pushing me away when I shouted to him, 'is it true that you spat on your wife'? That's when they said, 'now you're getting personal' and tackled me."
 
The slim polling lead once held by the Republican incumbent Allen has for the first time shifted to Webb, who now leads by a 50 – 46% margin, where the 4-point spread is within the 'margin of error percentage' of those surveyed by the Opinion Research Corporation.