Free Republic

Why Trump may be costing Democrats millions for their convention The GOP is struggling to raise cash from corporate donors, and now Democrats are feeling the pinch. By Anna Palmer and Brianna Gurciullo 04/18/16 05:34 AM EDT Republicans have been struggling for months in the shadow of Donald Trump to get corporate sponsors to pony up for their convention. Now Democratic fundraisers are feeling their pain, too. Several Fortune 500 companies — including Bank of America, Duke Energy and Time Warner —are taking a pass on chipping in for the Democratic convention in Philadelphia or, with just 100 days to...

The city of Berkeley has hired a law firm to investigate the police chief's decision to send an officer to a reporter's home after midnight to push for changes in a story, officials said today. Interim City Manager Christine Daniel issued a statement confirming the independent investigation shortly after the police union called for an outside probe, saying the top cop should be held to the same standard as the rank and file. Chief Michael Meehan has apologized for what he has described as an "error in judgment." Any officer under his command who did what the chief did would...

Berkeley Police Chief Michael Meehan sent his public information officer to an Oakland Tribune reporter’s house in the middle of the night on Friday to push for changes in a story that Meehan thought was inaccurate. Chief Meehan then twice called the reporter, Doug Oakley, and sent him numerous follow up emails urging him to alter wording in the story about a community meeting called to examine Berkeley police response to the Feb. 18. murder of Peter Cukor. The 12:45 am visit by Sgt. Mary Kusmiss on March 9 and subsequent police demands have left Oakley disturbed and shaken. “I...

. . . "The BBG works to promote freedom and stop abuse of the press overseas. What kind of message does that send dictators in Iran and Venezuela if the U.S. promotes someone caught on tape assaulting reporters?" . . .

Michael P. Meehan - aka the Coakley Shover, is current Obama nominee to sit on the diplomatic Board of Broadcasting, is partner of David DiMartino at Blue Line Commnications; is consultant to senate candidate Martha Coakley David DiMartino - on scene and in the infamous viral Coakley Shover video; is former aide to Nebaraska Senator Nelson; is partner of Michael Meehan at Blue Line Strategic Communications; is married to Kitty DiMartino from Obama administration Kitty DiMartino - is Obama administration appointee at State Department; is Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s designated representative to the very same Board of Broadcasting;...

But here’s where the insidious part comes in. Look at the photo… Watch the embedded video in the link above… Listen to Meehan’s apology. Last evening I was a little too aggressive in the confusion of trying to help the Attorney General get to her car and catch a flight. Given all that, Coakley has the gall to say “I didn’t see what happened so I can’t say.” So, IMHO, here are the possible explanations...

Is this Martha Coakley’s Shannon O’Brien moment? In 2002, Democratic gubernatorial candidate O’Brien was still considered the front-runner over Mitt Romney when she sat down for the final debate, moderated by Tim Russert. When the debate was over, so was her campaign. Her extremist answer to a question on abortion, and her flippant tone as she talked about having a tattoo, combined to bury her. In that moment, voters’ concerns about O’Brien (too liberal and not ready for the job) were captured and galvanized. On Tuesday, while Scott Brown was rumbling across Massachusetts in his pickup, Martha Coakley jetted off...

Following the MA Senate debate on Monday, Martha Coakley was off to Washington DC where a big fundraiser was being held for her. Per the Washington Examiner, "17 of the 22 names on the host committee are federally registered lobbyists. Fifteen of those 17 have big health care clients such as Pfizer, Merck, Amgen, Sanofi-Aventis, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Astra-Zeneca, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, HealthSouth, and United Health among many others. In addition, among the other five hosts there are direction connections via marriage and/or direct professional ties to the health care industry." After the fundraising event, Coakley took two...

All the guy did was ask a question and the Coakley campaign pushed him to the curb. How many Massachusetts voters watched that video and thought “Pal, I know just how you feel”? Coakley may not realize it, but we’re tired of being pushed around. Tuesday is our chance to push back.

The other videos I've seen have made it hard to make out exactly what happened last night in DC. I had to download the video, zoom in, and then watch it again. So, I've tried to slow it down and pick the relevant part out for all of you.

A reporter trying to question Massachusetts Senate candidate Martha Coakley was involved in a scuffle with one of her aides. John McCormack of the Weekly Standard fell Tuesday night as he tried to speak with the Democrat while simultaneously videotaping her and trying to pass a metal grate on a Washington sidewalk. Photos and video of the incident show Coakley aide Michael Meehan trying to help McCormack up. A scuffle broke out as Meehan tried to block McCormack and determine if he was an operative of a rival campaign. Coakley is seen ignoring McCormack. The trip prompted criticism, since Coakley...

Legal Insurrection has up a link (rec'd notice by Twitter, I have been following Prof. Jacobson) that the 'shover' (caught on tape lst night) Michael P. Meehan is an Obama appointee to the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

By now anyone following the Massachusetts Senate election knows of the latest twist, involving Michael Meehan, and Weekly Standard reporter John McCormack. McCormack, after asking a tough question was shoved by Meehan and fell into a metal fence. For his part, Meehan has apologized, and McCormack appeared to be unhurt. The unfortunate part of the story is that the two questions asked by McCormack deserve an answer, and have been ignored. For her part in the whole affair, Coakley should at least answer the questions that led to Meehan’s actions. Coakley commented that she did not see what happened in...

You’ve probably already seen the report of Weekly Standard writer John McCormack on how he was pushed to the sidewalk outside a Washington fundraiser by a Coakley aide who, it appears, was Michael Meehan, a longtime aide to and spokesman for Democratic candidates and officeholders. The Associated Press, fronting for the Coakley campaign, has a different take: McCormack stumbled and Meehan tried to help him get up. Take a look at the photo and video in McCormack’s posts and see who you believe—the reporter who was actually there or the reporter who evidently talked to his pal Meehan on the...

New video which clearly shows thug throwing reporter to ground (around 1:40 mark in video)

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:

Reporter who was assaulted by Obama Goon to be interviewd by Hannity on his radio show today.

A campaign aide to Democratic US Senate candidate Martha Coakley has acknowledged that he acted too aggressively in an incident Tuesday night in which he jostled a reporter for a conservative magazine who was pursuing Coakley for a comment and the reporter fell to the ground. "Last evening I was a little too aggressive in trying to help the attorney general get to her car and catch a flight," Michael Meehan said this afternoon in a statement. He said he had called the reporter, John McCormack of the Weekly Standard, this afternoon to apologize. McCormack, who reported on the incident...

Coakley's bodyguard is connected all the way to the top of the Democratic party.Update: 3:10 P.M.: An aide to a Republican senator on the Foreign Relations Committee, which handles nominations to the BBG, says the shoving incident “will certainly be an issue if the White House continues to back his nomination.”“The BBG works to promote freedom and stop abuse of the press overseas. What kind of message does that send dictators in Iran and Venezuela if the U.S. promotes someone caught on tape assaulting reporters?”Update: 2:57 P.M.: The Boston Globe is reporting that Meehan  “said in an e-mail he would...