Black reporter ousted at McCain event

By Secret Service:

Tallahassee Democrat senior writer Stephen Price on Friday was singled out and asked to leave a media area at the Panama City rally of presidential candidate Sen. John McCain.
Price was among at least three other reporters, and the only black reporter, surrounding McCain's campaign bus . . . when a member of the Arizona senator's security detail asked the reporter to identify himself. Price had shown his media credentials to enter the area.
Price showed his employee identification as well as his credentials for the Friday event.
"I explained I was with the state press, but the Secret Service man said that didn't matter and that I would have to go," Price said.
When another reporter asked why Price was being removed, she too was led out of the area.

Having covered Hillary Clinton three times and John McCain once on the campaign trail, I can tell you that the security for McCain's event was much more . . . uptight, I guess you'd say. In Wilkes-Barre, they had "crime scene" tape set up so nobody could get within 50 yards of the McCain bus. And reporters were not exempted.

There must be some training academy where Republican campaign staffers are taught to treat reporters like dangeorous scum. Team Maverick's use of Secret Service to hassle reporters is apparently an innovation that will be studied closely by GOP operatives in future campaigns.