November 30, 2007

"A man has just walked into the Clinton office, opened his coat and showed us a bomb strapped to his chest with duct tape."

News.

UPDATE: The NYT reports that the man, Leeland Eisenberg, now in custody, was said to be "despondent," because he was facing a divorce, and that he'd been on a drinking binge.

62 comments:

Fen said...

Politically motivated [anti-war Moonbat] or unrelated?

MadisonMan said...

I'll say the bomber is not Republican, as Republicans are apparently more mentally healthy.

Jokes aside, prayers for a speedy and peaceful end to this news story.

Revenant said...

Whatever party the guy's registered with, his actual political affiliation is "Nut". I hope the whole thing works out ok.

reader_iam said...

Rev: Ditto.

Oh, Fen.

Maxine Weiss said...

Another publicity stunt.

Yawn.

She'll do anything to get elected.

And, if there are casualties....so what.

Vince Foster et al.

If this is what it takes to raise her polls, then so be it.

Fondly,
Maxine

I'm Full of Soup said...

Madisonn Man:

Good one LOL.

Fen said...

Yah, sorry Reader. Couldn't help but wonder.

Brian Doyle said...

Couldn't help but wonder.

More likely a politically motivated wingnut.

Der Hahn said...

Hoping everyone comes out of this safe and unharmed

EnigmatiCore said...

"More likely a politically motivated wingnut."

Probably. The only question is if it is one of theirs or one of yours.

That's one good thing about being generally moderate. People are rarely insanely passionate about being moderate. It doesn't work with the whole meme.

Fen said...

More likely a politically motivated wingnut.

Doubtful. The fascist Left in this country is very unhappy with her anti-war positions. Wingnuts don't fit the profile, as seen by the lack of violence against her during the 8 years she was First Lady.

More likely, its simply a deranged lunatic without political gripe. Regardless, I do hope everyone comes out unscathed.

Brian Doyle said...

Wingnuts don't fit the profile

Remember Oklahoma City by any chance?

reader_iam said...

At least so far, of the three cable networks, CNN is doing the least comprehensive coverage of the this situation.

Fox currently is going on about sharpshooters and other amassing law enforcement. MSNBC is currently interviewing someone about kids in a nearby (??) school.

I'm always fascinated by breaking news coverage.

reader_iam said...

Wingnuts don't fit the profile.

Remember Oklahoma City by any chance?

How about Eric Rudolph?

reader_iam said...

Please let's not be stupid about this.

Rev's 1:20 nailed it.

Simon said...

Fen said...
"Wingnuts don't fit the profile, as seen by the lack of violence against her during the 8 years she was First Lady."

Right, they mainly confined themselves to spreading scurillous whispers about her sexuality and personal conduct.

reader_iam said...

Doyle, while your example (which is the one I was first going to offer, until I saw you got there first) is on point, I could also point to crimes committed by nuts who also happened to be political leftists.

I have faith that you could, too.

Unknown said...

He's just exercising his second amendment rights. What's the big deal?

If it's a real bomb and the hostages get killed, that should be good for Hillary's campaign. I wonder how quickly the wingnuts would start the conspiracy theory that Hillary planned this? 5 minutes after? 6?

If it's not a real bomb or it gets defused, story is forgotten in 24 hours.

Brian Doyle said...

Sure, reader. But my real point isn't that wingnuts are inherently more violent than liberals (although if the shoe fits...)

It's that given the target appears to be Hillary Clinton's campaign, it's more likely to be a wingnut than a liberal who finds her too hawkish/corporate etc..

There are Hillary haters on the left, but the vast majority of Hillary haters are on the right. She's especially popular among NH Dems, too.

Fen said...

Remember Oklahoma City by any chance?

Yah, that wasn't about politics, it was about revenge [wrongful] for the slaughter of the Branch Davidians. Esp the children choking to death on CS gas. Thats why the perp inquired about the daycare center in the building.

Brian Doyle said...

He's just exercising his second amendment rights. What's the big deal?

:-)

Maxine Weiss said...

I smell a set-up.

And, a another hoax !

I'm Full of Soup said...

I suspect it is Dick Cheyney just dropping in to sy hello- they mistook his new pacemaker for a bomb.

Original Mike said...

It's the folks in the office that need to be exercising their 2nd Amendment rights.

reader_iam said...

And don't let's get started on the anarchists!

Christy said...

Don't know about that, Doyle. Isn't armed robbery just free-lance socialism?

Fen said...

LATEST:

All hostages released.

Local Police say man is known to them and has history of mental illness.

Perp is demanding to talk to Hillary

/via FOX News

Crimso said...

"Isn't armed robbery just free-lance socialism?"

No, they're just undocumented account holders.

Unknown said...

98% chance this guy is just mentally ill.

So a good chance it's Fen.

Fen said...

Oh look, I have a stalker now.

Can I keep it?

Brian Doyle said...

Without relishing the prospect, I do think it's hard to see how this won't redound to Hillary's political advantage.

Unless of course she's behind it and this is like an extreme version of the Romney push polls.

ricpic said...

If we don't elect Hillary domestic terrorists win!

Maxine Weiss said...

...and they all lived happily ever after !

...Until the next time she needs a rise in the polls and something a little more dramatic.

former law student said...

Now that it's over...

Duct tape -- what ISN'T it good for? Buy a fresh roll today.

reader_iam said...

According to a Rochester (NH)police log posted publicly on the internet, the person in question was arrested on Nov. 6 on a bench warrant (disorderly conduct).

MadisonMan said...

I do think it's hard to see how this won't redound to Hillary's political advantage.

Why? 'Cause someone who's off his meds went ballistic in an office? I guess I disagree with that idea unless you think it's cause people will temporarily not listen to what she says in the bad midwestern twang she has.

Fen said...

Why? 'Cause someone who's off his meds went ballistic in an office?

To be more precise, I would say "Hillary will find a way to exploit this"

reader_iam said...

And on Sept. 3, he was apparently charged with criminal trespass--again, according to a publicly posted police log.

reader_iam said...

Driver in a single-vehicle accident this summer, also, though that strikes me as being in a different category. (Passenger was apparently injured to some degree or another.)

reader_iam said...

Hey, did I ever mention I did the cop beat for a while?

reader_iam said...

Old habits die hard. But don't worry--I'm stopping now. Gotta go back on Mom beat--it's International Food Festival Day at school! Time to fly.

jeff said...

"ABC News reported that the hostage-taker was an older male who was well-known locally

Witnesses described the man as in his 40s with salt-and-pepper hair."

Wow. So 40's is considered to be "older". Great. I am going to go home and lie down.

Laura Reynolds said...

Doyle:I do think it's hard to see how this won't redound to Hillary's political advantage.

MM Why?

I suppose the way she "handles" the crisis, closings/cancellings, etc., could be seen (or promoted) as good leadership. Add in a few folks seeing this as more piling on by mean people and it may play in her favor. In any event it won't hurt her, and any publicity that's not bad in by default, good.

Revenant said...

To those asking how Hillary can exploit this, here's one way:

Say the guy turns out to be a guy with a history of untreated mental illness. So far, that seems to be the case. Hillary can make a public show of pity for the guy, bemoaning the fact that the health-care system failed to take care of him. Voila, she looks magnanimous and gets to beat the socialized-medicine drum for all it is worth.

That's what I thought up after about two minutes of speculation. She's got a team of handlers and researchers to handle this for her. She'll find an angle.

KCFleming said...

"A man has just walked into the Clinton office, opened his coat and ...

I was really expecting a different ending to that sentence, something perhaps involving Ted Kennedy, frayed boxer shorts, and vaseline.

Revenant said...

perhaps involving Ted Kennedy, frayed boxer shorts, and vaseline.

I will never be rid of that mental image. It is like brain herpes.

Thanks a lot, butt munch.

Trooper York said...

The latest report said it was Fabio.

Simon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Gedaliya said...

I'm still trying to figure out who this Fabio fellow is and what he did to become a public figure.

Randy said...

Credit where credit is due Dept: CNN did the right thing. I am shocked.

Revenant said...

Gedaliya -- Fabio was a model for about a gozillion romance novel covers.

Yes, that's the actual source of his fame. Strange world we live in, eh?

Beth said...

Randy, I'd just come to the thread to note the same thing. Good to know that in life and death situations someone on the CNN news desk has their head screwed on right.

Gedaliya said...

Gedaliya -- Fabio was a model for about a gozillion romance novel covers.

Yes, Rev, this is certainly a strange world we live in.

reader_iam said...

That's right.

Yeah, I'm real, real glad I purposely didn't use a name or post any links that used one earlier in this thread (deliberately, because I thought a certain cable news station--FOX--was being very risky and foolish).

It's so easy to screw the pooch. Breaking news is a bitch to do, and there's not a news outlet, not one, that hasn't messed up at one time or another. Sometimes it's just one adrenaline rush away; sometimes it's being wilfully misled; sometimes it's being inadvertently misled; sometimes it's fascination with technology; sometimes etc. (or etc., or etc.); and most often a mixture.

In any case ... not a politically partisan motivated incident, and perpetrated by a personally troubled individual. The way it usually turns out.

reader_iam said...

My last comment referred to IR's and Beth's comment ... and some of my earlier ones.

mtrobertsattorney said...

Hopefully someone in the press will ask Hillary why she didn't talk to this guy on the phone and instead elect to put her dedicated staff at risk. Better yet, why didn't she go there in person? Now that would be presidential.

Beth said...

I don't see where Hillary has any questions to answer. I'd assume she followed the preferences of the law enforcement personnel at the scene. But go right ahead and grind your partisan axe.

Randy said...

Beth, something tells me mtrobertsattorney isn't much of a lawyer. Reader, I meant to say I really enjoyed your earlier crime beat posts. Entertaining (as well as informative).

Fen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fen said...

Lightning strikes twice - Beth & I agree again.

Hopefully someone in the press will ask Hillary why she didn't talk to this guy on the phone and instead elect to put her dedicated staff at risk.

If I was the commander on the scene, the LAST thing I would consider is putting the perp in touch with Clinton. Because then you would have a lethal extortion scenario on your hands: "Sen Clinton, use your considerable power and influence to do X immediately or I will kill the hostages". Really bad move.

Michael The Magnificent said...

mtrobertsattorney: Hopefully someone in the press will ask Hillary why she didn't talk to this guy on the phone and instead elect to put her dedicated staff at risk. Better yet, why didn't she go there in person? Now that would be presidential.

Yes, instead of reading "My Pet Goat" to a classroom of school children, she should have ran to the nearest telephone booth, spun around real fast while changing into tights and a cape (oy, the mental image!), sprang into the air, flew to the office, and disarmed the perpetrator(s) single-handedly.

Of course that makes no sense, but then it never did.

Trooper York said...

There is one clear positive development in this story for Mrs. Clinton. Now if you google Hillary Clinton and strap on, this is the story that will pop up. So to speak.