August 23, 2008 02:21 AM UTC

Schaffer Supporters Assault Protester?

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• by: Colorado Pols

From the Grand Junction Sentinel’s Political Notebook blog:

When Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer walked under the shaded picnic area at Hawthorne Park to deliver his public address, two protestors took the opportunity to roll out a $1 million check from “Iraq Profiteers, Inc.” to the candidate.

The check, hand delivered by Richard Crispin and Jaynie Curington and pictured below, is made out to “Big Oil Bob” Schaffer and signed by Vice President Dick Cheney, who recently came to Grand Junction to raise money for the Republican Senate contender.

Crispin, Curington and Schaffer’s “check” lasted about five seconds before local Republican Gary Brewer and Mesa County Republican Party Chairman Gary Roahrig grabbed it and placed it in the trash. (Brewer’s grab was so forceful, in fact, it tore the check.)

Schaffer told the crowd he was upset to hear the protesters – whom he said were released from an “asylum” – shout and swear following the check episode.

“This is the way they campaign. This is the way we campaign,” Schaffer said to cheers from his supporters. [Pols emphasis]

Accompanying photos, also courtesy Political Notebook:

We’re not civil rights lawyers, but something about this doesn’t look right to us. Did that guy have the right to rip this placard out of that kid’s hands in a public park? Were police on hand, either to protect Schaffer’s event from disruption or to prevent Schaffer supporters from getting physical?

Interesting anyway, we’ll see if this becomes something more than a brief entry on a small-market newspaper’s political blog. Seems to us like it probably should.