McCain Protestor Gets Too Close
Article audio sponsored by The John Birch Society

This weekend, Arizona’s GOP senatorial candidate John McCain was confronted by a potentially violent leftist protestor. Following a televised debate between the candidates for Arizona’s next Senator, an angry “peace activist” approached McCain on his way out of the KTVK television studios in Phoenix, but was “tackled” by McCain’s security team before she had the opportunity to proceed further.

On Sunday evening, KTVK broadcast the four-way debate between Republican candidate John McCain, Democrat Rodney Glassman, Green Party candidate Jerry Joselyn, and Libertarian Party candidate David Nolan. The debate focused on a variety of political issues, including immigration reform, border security, and the economy.

Outside of the studio, protestors targeted McCain, perhaps because of his lead in the polls. As of September 9, McCain leads the polls by 51 percent over Glassman, who holds 37 percent. Protestors targeted McCain for his role in the GOP filibuster that helped oppose the passage of the defense authorization bill one that would have provided amnesty to illegal aliens, repealed Don’t ask, don’t tell,” and virtually suspended funding for the war in Afghanistan.

According to My Fox Phoenix, McCain was confronted by nearly two dozen protestors on his way into the debate. As he exited the studio at the conclusion of the debate, protestors continued to target the GOP candidate, but one particular protestor, Liz Hourican, appeared to be more aggressive than the rest. NECN and KTVK networks report that the activist wore a T-shirt that read, Do I look undocumented?, waved a sign, and jumped in front of [McCain] chanting, ‘John McCain has to go.’ Sensing a threat, a member of McCain’s security team attempted to steer the woman away from McCain, prompting her to fall, but the protestor continued to chant and yell to the camera. She wondered aloud about why a peaceful protester was treated harshly while a warmonger was permitted to roam freely.

The video of the incident has gone viral, but even the leftist website Mediaite had to concede that it looks more like the woman tripped over the curb as the security guard was just doing his job than that the protester was tackled by a security guard.

Others assert that the security guard’s behavior was more aggressive than necessary, and some have even created a Facebook page against the incident. According to the webpage, Peace activist Liz Hourican was the victim of a vicious strangling and excessive force event at the John McCain senatorial forum by a Phoenix police officer. The Phoenix police refuse to investigate this clearly excessive force incident and have even suggested that they could file charges against the victim of this incident: Liz Hourican!

Following the incident, McCain left in an SUV unharmed, and the protester was not arrested.

Despite the Left’s fierce protests, McCain appears poised to accept the role as Arizona’s Senator, a role he has played since 1987. Rasmussen Reports show that Arizona voters continue to be swayed by the economy. To boot, 67 percent of Arizona’s voters are disgruntled with the policies of the Obama administration, while just 12 percent of Arizona’s likely voters believe that members of Congress are in tuned with the desires of their constituents. A mere 39 percent approve of President Obama’s performance, but 60 percent are disoriented with both political parties.

Photo: AP Images