Here's the background to the players involved:
The wife of the campaign manager for U.S. Senate Candidate, Joe Miller, threatening people at our table at an official campaign event.
She knew that she was on video, she approached our table without solicitation. The guy with the camera also knew that he was on video. The guy with the camera is a pr person for Joe Miller. The guy with the camera attempted to fight members of our party when they went outside to make a phone call.
I have zero, I repeat zero involvement with the Murkowski campaign. I was not asked to take or post this video by any group or individual.
I'm not entirely sure if this woman just can't handle her drink or if she is so unglued naturally that this is the common way in which she handles her's and her husband's political lives. Seems like she's in the wrong business.
One would think, considering the speed with which these stories get around in the modern socio-political landscape, but why have the major media outlets been silent on this? I'm not even including Fox"News" in that query, as this is precisely the type of footage they DON'T want seeing the light of day.
Naturally, Paul Bauer had to respond in way that made it look like David Stieren was blackmailing him. In a press release from Bauer's offices, his side of the story attempts to paint the confrontation as being NOT about any facet of the campaign and that recording the confrontation was, I'm not kidding here, a violation of election rules.
I am appalled that FCC licensed talk show hosts can literally conspire to change the course of a federal election by using the airways in the way they did, and blackmail a federal candidate’s campaign, Bauer said. There was definite collusion between Morris Communications radio talk show hosts David Stieren and Dan Fagan, with UAA College Republicans conspiring to air the video and force the Joe Miller campaign staff into a compromising position with the intent to disrupt and influence a federal election campaign, Bauer said. Furthermore, the conversation between the campaign managers wife which was disclosed several times by her in the video that this conversation was between two people, had nothing to
do with the Miller campaign; was video graphed by non-participants, the UAA College Republicans, then aired the video to the public without permission with the intent to degrade and intimidate persons, and used against Joe Miller Bauer said. Bauer believes this is a violation of privacy rights and federal elections campaign rules, and is calling for a state and federal investigation into the matter. Bauer also said that he has concerns on how UAA club funds may be used to enhance political agendas without the full disclosure and approval from its members.
I'm unsure of the circumstances under which Bauer left the Miller campaign, but it's safe to say that if this video hadn't make it to the internet that he would have been tossed out on his ear anyway. You can't have and unhinged spouse and her lapdog camera-man threatening people in front of dozens of witnesses without word getting back to you that your campaign might not be able to wiggle out of this situation easily.
I really do wish the audio was a little clearer, because most of what the man with Mrs. Bauer said was either too muffled or simply inaudible. Not only that, but what did Mrs. Bauer say to the woman on the other side of the table? And what happened outside the bar? It's alleged by Stieren was confronted by the cameraman, but it's also alleged by Bauer that the confrontation happened the other way. But without proper validation - like say footage of the so called altercation - it's best not to get into rank speculation.
The end result is that the Miller campaign has a lot to answer for. And as for myself, I think the media at large should seriously be kicking themselves for missing this one.
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