The Saga of Hunter Pickels Continues

By: Lowell
Published On: 9/8/2006 3:51:26 PM

From the Webb campaign, this would be hilarious if it weren't so sad...

(Roanoke, Virginia) +óGé¼GÇ¥ George Allen+óGé¼Gäós +óGé¼+ôcampaign of positive ideas+óGé¼-¥ is now bullying another campaign tracker+óGé¼GÇ¥this time their own.

Today in court, James Hunter Pickels, a tracker for the Allen campaign is facing trespassing charges after being deployed by the Allen campaign to record an event.  The Allen campaign has left the tracker to fend for himself.

Should we be surprised?  Absolutely not.  A pattern of George Allen using bully tactics against workers just doing their jobs, even if they are working for him is evident in several accounts:

  * George Allen accused a reporter of being manipulated by his +óGé¼+ôsomnambulant opponent.+óGé¼-¥ In an e-mail meant to be private, Allen accused a reporter of being manipulated.  Allen later telephoned the reporter, professed embarrassment and apologized for the tone of the message.+óGé¼-¥  [Richmond Times Dispatch, 11/21/99]

  * Allen fired state employees. Allen fired countless state workers without cause and replaced them with better paid partisans. A month before taking office he sent Christmas-season +óGé¼-£greetings+óGé¼Gäó to hundreds of state workers, thanking them for their long service and then demanding their resignations.  [Richmond Times Dispatch, 1/11/98]

  * Allen intimidated state workers. Employees from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality said that intimidation tactics were used to prevent them from enforcing water pollution regulations. [The Virginian-Pilot, 9/28/00]

+óGé¼+ôWhile we have no doubt of the veracity of the District Attorney+óGé¼Gäós charges against the Allen tracker, we do think that this young man has become a scapegoat because he was sent to trespass at the behest of George Allen and his campaign+óGé¼-¥ said Webb spokesman Steve Jarding. +óGé¼+ôIt would appear this is another instance of the Allen campaign bullying trackers, and Virginians just doing their jobs.+óGé¼-¥

Lowell Feld is Netroots Coordinator for the Jim Webb for US Senate Campaign.  The ideas expressed here belong to Lowell Feld alone, and do not necessarily represent those of Jim Webb, his advisors, staff, or supporters.

Comments



Hunter Pickels (Silver Fox - 9/8/2006 4:10:30 PM)
Lowell, Can you give us more details on this story or a link to follow?  Where did he trespass and who brought the charges?  I don't think it's fair to comment unless we have more details.  After all, for the "macaca" incident we had an actual video clip to see exactly what had transpired so we could make our own judgments.  And if he was an official tracker sent out by the Allen campaign that adds a very important factor.
Thanks.


See... (Lowell - 9/8/2006 4:20:26 PM)
here and here and here for starters.


In brief... (Lowell - 9/8/2006 4:21:19 PM)
Dave "Mudcat" Saunders, a Roanoke political consultant who is helping the Webb campaign, said James Hunter Pickels wouldn't get off his property in Roanoke when asked to leave. Pickels was a tracker videotaping Webb.

Saunders is a partner in a company that owns a city block in the market area of downtown Roanoke.

Pickels, a former Richmonder who now lives in Washington, declined to comment. His lawyer, David Nixon, said a trial date has been scheduled Sept. 8 in Roanoke City general district court. The charge is a misdemeanor.

The incident occurred April 27. Pickels was arrested and charged July 17.



i kind of feel sorry for the guy (Jambon - 9/8/2006 4:49:29 PM)
not about the trespassing thing, but that his name is really Hunter Pickles.

Hunter Pickles picked a pickled pepper but how many pickles did Hunter pickle pick?

btw, wouldn't it have been much cooler if he had tracked Webb wearing this outfit?