MyDD :: Clinton NH Hostage Situation

Clinton NH Hostage Situation

by Adam Conner, Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 02:20:11 PM EST

WMUR is streaming live coverage from NH. MSNBC has good coverage:

A man took an unknown number of people hostage at a New Hampshire campaign office for Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton, police said Friday.

The man claimed to have a bomb strapped to him when he walked into the office in Rochester, WHDH-TV reported.

Police said they believe two hostages were being held and that the man had released an adult and a child.

Update [2007-11-30 14:23:52 by Todd Beeton]: Update from WMUR:

Officials with the campaign confirmed that there were two workers taken hostage in the office on 28 North Main St.. A woman and her baby told workers at a neighboring business that she was released by the hostage-taker.
"A young woman with a 6-month or 8-month-old infant came rushing into the store just in tears, and she said, 'You need to call 911. A man has just walked into the Clinton office, opened his coat and showed us a bomb strapped to his chest with duct tape,'" witness Lettie Tzizik said.
There are several police officers positioned across the street from the office, crouched down behind cruisers with guns drawn, according to a reported at the scene.
"I walked out and I immediately started running, and I saw that the road was blocked off. They told me run and keep going," said Cassandra Hamilton, who works in an office adjacent to the building.

Update [2007-11-30 14:44:33 by Todd Beeton]:WMUR is reporting that the man is demanding to speak with Senator Clinton, although they can't confirm it.

Update [2007-11-30 15:4:2 by Todd Beeton]:WMUR: SWAT team in touch with the hostage-taker. They're not going in but will try to get a phone in to him.

Update [2007-11-30 15:6:23 by Todd Beeton]: WMUR: One of the hostages was just let go.

Update [2007-11-30 15:10:37 by Todd Beeton]:WMUR: Make that both of the hostages have been released.

Update [2007-11-30 15:43:41 by Todd Beeton]:Press conference in 5 minutes. WMUR is now saying there may be more hostages inside.

Update [2007-11-30 16:43:59 by Todd Beeton]:Press conference finally going on now. "Situation is still fluid." They're revealing nothing.

Tags: clinton, hillary, hostage (all tags)

Permalink :: 56 Comments :: Post a Comment

Prayers and thoughts for all those involved. (none / 0)

Hopefully this troubled individual comes to his senses and doesn't hurt anyone.

John Edwards 2008

by MeanBoneII on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 02:25:51 PM EST

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

I don't support Hillary Clinton but I hope everything turns out right.

by TheUnknown285 on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 02:37:30 PM EST

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (2.00 / 2)

These disgraceful Democrats making light of a very serious situation are people who have let politics consume their entire lives and have lost all sense of empathy and concern for whomever their political opponent may be at the time.

by andrewalker08 on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 02:40:39 PM EST

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

I agree. I wouldn't wish this on a Republican, Libertarian, Green, anyone.

by TheUnknown285 on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 02:42:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (2.00 / 1)

One of the anchors on the streaming news coverage made the point that almost immediately after this incident started, calls were exchanged between the various rival campaign offices to make sure everyone was warned to be on the alert. Which, of course, is exactly how you'd expect decent people to behave.

Sure hope everything ends up okay.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Steve M on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 02:44:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

Exactly.

These folks that are being held hostage are campaign volunteers. Volunteers like you, me, and everyone else has given their time to help their preferred candidate get elected to office.

I'm just praying that these volunteers get out unharmed.

by andrewalker08 on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 02:45:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

While we don't know what is driving the individual's actions, this situation illustrates what can go wrong when one becomes over-emotionally involved in a political campaign in 2007.

None of us are really surprised by such actions anymore.

The rhetoric pro and con for various candidates on this site often reflects psychological over-involvement by the posters.

by susie on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 02:45:21 PM EST

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

i dont think the posters on this site are this radical. This guy has serious problems, i dont think its an overzealous supporter of another campaign.

I can dish out pretty harsh rhetoric at some times, but i would never, even in my most heated times, even THINK about running out to Obama's campaign to bitch, much less strap a bomb to myself.

i think you are way off

vote blue in 2008

by sepulvedaj3 on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 02:48:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

No kidding. There's always a lunatic that does something like this every time. Someone tried to run down Katherine Harris when she was campaigning for Congress. Ned Lamont's volunteers were injured when a car ran into them in Connecticut. This man probaly has a severe mental illness.

The sharpest criticism often goes hand in hand with the deepest idealism and love of country. ~RFK

by Vox Populi on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 03:00:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

Read my last line line again very slowly. No mention of mydd's posters "running out..., much less strap a bomb..."

Just a statement that some posters' rhetoric reflects psychological over-involvement. Obviously that can take many forms, including personalizing objective statements. Have we not seen that again and again?

by susie on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 03:57:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

sry, but i dont agree with your point.

Even some of the crazier comments on here from the most rabid posters dont approach this level of instability.

vote blue in 2008

by sepulvedaj3 on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 04:07:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

This is no time to be worried about politics, man, people's lives are at stake! What has to be done, has to be done. I won't hold it against her.

by Todd Bennett on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 04:49:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

umm, wha-?

by Todd Beeton on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 02:49:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

Don't spend any more time guessing the guys motives. Just pray that everyone gets out ok and the whole thing ends w/o violence. then we can find out they guys motivations.

by alexmhogan on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 02:51:52 PM EST

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

This is despicable and I hope that this is resolved and the hostages are returned safely to their families.

I just don't know if Clinton should talk to this man. If he suceeds with his tactic then their may be copy cats. On the other hand if it will free these hostages, then maybe she should.

In 1968 we had assinations because their are mental crazies that want to effect the political process. These crazies are an attack on all of us and democracy itself.

by BDM on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 03:10:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

One hostage released... (none / 0)

...3 more to go.

by andrewalker08 on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 03:06:57 PM EST

Re: One hostage released... (none / 0)

Three more to go? I had thought there were only 2 hostages, 1 to go.

by Obama08 on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 03:09:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: One hostage released... (none / 0)

The news is reporting that 2 hostages have now been released, although they don't seem to be 100% sure. They seem to believe these may have been the only 2 hostages, although they're not 100% sure; this diary is the first time I've ever heard the number 4.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Steve M on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 03:11:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

released

vote blue in 2008

by sepulvedaj3 on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 03:10:24 PM EST

Both hostages released... (none / 0)

...Good deal. Big high fives to the negotiators in New Hampshire.

They earned their paychecks today.

by andrewalker08 on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 03:10:56 PM EST

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

are all hosatges out or just most?

Obama! because 51% isn't enough!

by nevadadem on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 03:12:09 PM EST

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

From what the news is reporting, it's now a armed stand-off and not a hostage situation.

The negotiators still have to get this guy out without any harm to himself or others.

by andrewalker08 on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 03:14:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

yea - they just reported that he has a history of mental illness

vote blue in 2008

by sepulvedaj3 on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 03:20:34 PM EST

Thanks for all the updates.... (none / 0)

I just turned on the TV in my office to msnbc and instantly was reminded why I tuned out MSM news over two years ago. It was like a horrible dream slapping me in my face all over again.

Thank God for TIVO, Olberman, PBS and BBC. They saved my sanity and I'll be damned if this crackpot is going to suck me back into the slime pit of MSM.

Please keep the updates coming.

Hillary Clinton is not a monster,....as far as I know.. We are all Hussein JUNIOR.. ///.. FEINGOLD/BOXER 2016

by Its Like Herding Cats on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 03:20:38 PM EST

booktv offers the occasional gem (none / 0)

did you hear what horror novelist stephen king proposed? he wants newsweek to put britney spears on the cover and make her person of the year. that would most accurately reflect the media zeitgeist, he said.

I really don't understand how that is an attack; lol. ~ by Jerome Armstrong

by jello on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 05:43:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: booktv offers the occasional gem (none / 0)

Ha. That is funny and sad all at the same time.

Hillary Clinton is not a monster,....as far as I know.. We are all Hussein JUNIOR.. ///.. FEINGOLD/BOXER 2016

by Its Like Herding Cats on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 05:50:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

Looks like it. It looks like they want to get the hostage taker out w/o bloddshed.

by alexmhogan on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 03:24:38 PM EST

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

Where are you seeing this?

by Obama08 on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 03:26:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

http://www.cnn.com/video/live/live.html? stream=stream4

vote blue in 2008

by sepulvedaj3 on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 03:36:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

The AP just said it is ongoing and there may still be a hostage.

by Obama08 on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 03:46:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

Just spotted over at Daily Kos... "Is Hillary wagging the dog like Bill did?" diary. People can be disgusting sometimes.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Steve M on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 03:28:01 PM EST

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

i used to defend clinton's iraq offensive. then i studied the dates involved.

I really don't understand how that is an attack; lol. ~ by Jerome Armstrong

by jello on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 05:21:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]

what is wrong with you? (none / 0)

Do you think you could keep your leftist crap to yourself or at least keep it out of this diary for now?

ABO... Anybody but Obama. I LIKE the democratic party.

by MollieBradford on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 05:51:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: what is wrong with you? (none / 0)

"leftist"?

um, I take offense to that term being used like that. You should have said, "extremist."

I am a proud "leftist." Remember...you are NOT at redstate.com.

McCain is defining Obama, and Obama is neither defining himself, nor McCain. This is awful.

by jgarcia on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 05:59:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: what is wrong with you? (none / 0)

don't taze me, bro!

when did simply stating have done some research mark one an extremist?

I really don't understand how that is an attack; lol. ~ by Jerome Armstrong

by jello on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 06:28:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: what is wrong with you? (none / 0)

i'm not the one who opened the topic.

I really don't understand how that is an attack; lol. ~ by Jerome Armstrong

by jello on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 06:24:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: what is wrong with you? (none / 0)

The comment was about how on earth people could care about things like that at that precise moment and were too uncaring to hold of such hold that post for a couple of hours.

And you took that comment as an opportunity to just get a dig in at Clintons expense. I've seen people with less class then that, but not very often.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Ernst on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 10:51:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: what is wrong with you? (1.00 / 2)

today is not different time than others. hillary brownshirts are constantly wanting to shut the debate down.

clinton set the bar for low class.

I really don't understand how that is an attack; lol. ~ by Jerome Armstrong

by jello on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 11:36:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: what is wrong with you? (none / 0)

That's funny... I'm a Biden supporter and I still think you are a troll.

But calling fellow Dems Nazi's as a rebuttal simply shows that I was right. If Hillary set the bar for low class, then you are the limbo champion.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Ernst on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 05:23:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: what is wrong with you? (none / 0)

i'm not the one trying to shut down debate.

i didn't say hillary, i said bill.

I really don't understand how that is an attack; lol. ~ by Jerome Armstrong

by jello on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 05:26:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: what is wrong with you? (none / 0)

today is not different time than others. hillary brownshirts are constantly wanting to shut the debate down.

clinton set the bar for low class.

Gee... you first named Hillary and then used an unspecified Clinton. normal people would assume you were talking about the same person or otherwise you'd specify the last name.

But then again, normal people wouldn't resort to nazi slurs.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Ernst on Sun Dec 02, 2007 at 06:55:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: what is wrong with you? (none / 0)

hillary is hillary.
clinton is bill.

and you're the barometer of what constitutes normal?

re brownshirts: if you have another metaphor that describes rabid political partisans uninterested in debate, who run around telling everybody who disagrees with them to shut up - i'd be more than happy to use it.

I really don't understand how that is an attack; lol. ~ by Jerome Armstrong

by jello on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 05:22:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: what is wrong with you? (none / 0)

brownshirts is a metaphor that describes rabid political partisans uninterested in debate, who run around beating up everybody who disagrees with them at the very least. Usually they end up murdering them.

You are a disgrace to this site, the democratic party, this country and this world by using such a term in such a manner. Learn your history. bah.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Ernst on Tue Dec 11, 2007 at 07:51:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: what is wrong with you? (none / 0)

you weren't on the thread that preceded that comment, but whatever. you're entitled to your elitist attitude if it makes you feel better about yourself.

I really don't understand how that is an attack; lol. ~ by Jerome Armstrong

by jello on Tue Dec 11, 2007 at 08:23:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: what is wrong with you? (none / 0)

My elitist attitude consist of finding it unacceptable that you call posters here nazi?

are you insane?!?!

my good. you are sick.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Ernst on Wed Dec 12, 2007 at 05:08:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: what is wrong with you? (none / 0)

and you're anal.

I really don't understand how that is an attack; lol. ~ by Jerome Armstrong

by jello on Wed Dec 12, 2007 at 10:04:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

Holy crap.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Steve M on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 09:20:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

you are easily shocked.

I really don't understand how that is an attack; lol. ~ by Jerome Armstrong

by jello on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 05:27:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

Please people always remember right-wing-nut-jobs come on to try and make us crazy. The say stupid ugly things, things that can only come out of an ugly mouth driven by an ugly heart filled with the yellow bile of arrogance and hatred.

They post here, they post at Crooksandliars they post at DailyKos. Its telling to hear their vile statements, but be warned they will get uglier and more vicious and more desperate as we move closer and closer to the point when they are thrown unceremoniously to the curb in the next election.

We all hope everyone, the hostages, neighbours family members and the crazy man with something (what some news channels are describing as a flare) taped to his chest, everyone, gets out this alive and unharmed.

Trained professionals are dealing with the situation, bilious hate mongers are trying to find some way to benefit from it.

by inexile on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 04:35:11 PM EST

today is just a really bad day (none / 0)

chicago tragedy, then this?

our prayers with the hostages and their families.

by pmb on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 04:41:07 PM EST

Something occurred to me in that brief moment..... (none / 0)

I turned on MSNBC and watched this saga. As I mentioned earlier, I turned off the TV almost instantly because of the horrible memories of the MSM. Something lingered in my mind though, and only just found it's way to the front.

I saw on the screen in front of me a small town, a town of 20,000 people or less. There was also a dozen heavily armed and heavily armored men. they were scattered around an armored Hummer, dressed all in black like jack booted thugs and I wondered, are we as a society so afraid and so terrorized by the MSM that the scene described above is not considered unusual even in a town the size of Rochester New /Hampshire?

I may catch hell from the security moms, but honestly as serious as this scene is, does anyone else believe as I do that a local sheriff, dressed in his usual attire, who knows the suspect by name and face, carrying nothing more than a cell phone might be a more appropriate response?

I am troubled by what I think is an over reaction by law enforcement and worse yet the apparent indifference we as a society have to this type of police action in a very tiny new england town.

This police response did not take hours to muster but rather just minutes. Really, what kind of world do we live in when even in tiny little Rochester we are armed to the teeth and our first response is SWAT?

Maybe I'm off base, but the entire scene was off putting.

Hillary Clinton is not a monster,....as far as I know.. We are all Hussein JUNIOR.. ///.. FEINGOLD/BOXER 2016

by Its Like Herding Cats on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 04:43:21 PM EST

Re: Something occurred to me in that brief moment. (none / 0)

no, it is odd. But I think they are state forces, not town forces and with it being Clinton they could not be sure the situation wasn't much worse. It seems like there are still hostages, they really do not know the extent of his fire power (if they were for sure he only had traffic flairs this would be over) and no local cop wants to be blown up.

It is odd, but it is also a new world. They just couldn't be sure what they were looking at when this all first started.

BTW, the town is 30k.

ABO... Anybody but Obama. I LIKE the democratic party.

by MollieBradford on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 05:58:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Something occurred to me in that brief moment. (none / 0)

I know that the Republicans have been saying for the last six years....

"It's a new world, everything changed on 9-11"

I suppose I am either naive or nostalgic, but I do not believe everything changed, I believe rather we have let the continuing assault against our civil liberties stun us into believing that this show of police force as not only necessary, but desired.

I am exceedingly glad no one was hurt, including the poor fellow who was so confused he actually believed he was accomplishing something by taking hostages.

I am equally sad that we have devolved into this "brave new world"

Hillary Clinton is not a monster,....as far as I know.. We are all Hussein JUNIOR.. ///.. FEINGOLD/BOXER 2016

by Its Like Herding Cats on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 06:34:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Something occurred to me in that brief moment. (none / 0)

I don't think everything has changed and I don't think it was 9-11 that did it. I am thinking more in terms of the schools shootings etc... the way these hostage situations are handled is just a lot different.

ABO... Anybody but Obama. I LIKE the democratic party.

by MollieBradford on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 06:41:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clinton NH Hostage Situation (none / 0)

This is terrible, and hopefully will be resolved peacefully and quickly.

by Korha on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 04:49:33 PM EST

Everyone safe. (none / 0)

It's over. The last hostage was released and the suspect arrested.

Restore America's Strength.

by RJEvans on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 06:23:24 PM EST

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