1 Thoughts and prayers go out.  Hope this ends quickly and safely.

2 He's asking to speak to Hillary.  Hopefully it's just some random nut that they can take down before he hurts anyone.

3 Steve, send the phone spiders..............

4 Not to be glib, but as with all acts of terrrorism the only way to defeat it is to capitulate.  Clinton needs to pull out of NH and bring the troops campaigners home.

5 Hm depending on what kind of whacko this guy turns out to be this will either be the death of or the resuscitation of the Clinton for President campaign.

6

One small correction:

"The fellow, in his 40s, has taken two hostages"

Since he did not walk in and press the magic button, as is the M.O. of suicide bombers (see any of several examples in Israel and Iraq for details), he is someone carrying a bomb who has taken hostages, and not (yet) a suicide bomber.

7 Damn, best wishes to the people being held hostage.  Good luck to the NH State Police in getting this wrapped up safely and quickly.

8

I question the timing.

(In all seriousness, my prayers to everyone involved, but seriously, I couldn't let that one go.)

9 Fox just announced that it's Bill O'Reilly holding the hostages and demanding an interview with Hillary.

Anything for ratings.

10 Take that elsewhere Tom.

Fricking moby.

11 Point taken, Arbalest.

12 Probably an irate husband. Where's Bill?

13 Question for all, what do you think about the live on air coverage of these types of events?  Obviously it's news but it seems that giving this guy the full bore Missing White Girl treatment is playing into what he wants.  I am unsure of which side of this I come down on, yes, it's important but, no, I don't want to feed into the hero complex.  So I'm interested to know what y'all think.

My prayers are with the hostages and the police as they deal with him.  I hope that it ends without innocent blood being spilled. 

14 The Fox guys are jumping through their own asses right now, for those who aren't watching.  They've got no new info, so they're recycling the shit they've repeated already to keep things interesting.

15

Ok, since I'm an inconsiderate bastard, I'll put this out there. How about a pool on whether this guy is on the extreme right or extreme left. I'm betting the left; an anti-war fucktard with no sense of irony.

 

16 #8 beat me to it

17
Posted by: alexthechick at November 30, 2007 03:51 PM (SHHaV)

I don't think you can get around covering a story like this. There is the risk of giving this guy something he wants but I am more concerned about the news giving away too much. I don't like Fox showing where these cops are and Cameron needs to stop yelling "the SWAT TRUCK IS MOVING".

Giving this idiot any tactical information is unpardonable.

18 Suppose CNN will do any vetting of this guy?

19 I'm calling it--this will be an evil Bush plot by the end of the day.  If this guy even walked past a person who voted for Bush he'll be an example of evil, unhinged Republicanism.

20 Penn State Marine...

Not now, okay? The why and who doesn't matter right now except as it helps the cops deal with this. Any violence in the political system threatens us all.

We can figure all the rest out later, right now the only important thing is the safety of these two people.

21

Penn State Marine:

he's gotta be a leftard- right wing crazies bring long guns

22

Hmmm.  Cop hostage negotiators aren't talking to him yet, apparently.  This guy may actually be serious about wanting to talk to Hillary.

And it looks like he just let someone go.  Curious.

23

Drew,

I understand the sentiment. But what else is there to address on this? Until there are developments, there's nothing else to cover. Isn't the first question, "what does he want"? Yeah, I get the "talk to Clinto" thing. But you know what I mean. Where is this guy coming from?

 

24

I'm calling it--this will be an evil Bush plot by the end of the day.  If this guy even walked past a person who voted for Bush he'll be an example of evil, unhinged Republicanism.

Secundus beat me to it.  This guy could be the DNC's main man and the flimsiest connection to Bush will be found.  We talking crap like, "I heard that he once rode on the same train as Bush, so he's an evil-Rebuplican."  That will be enough to prove that the Right is bad.

25

Fox and CNN doing all they can to reveal what the cops are doing

26 So, if he's demanding to talk to Clinton, what do you do if you are Clinton?

Do you offer to talk to the guy through the police and hope that he'll calm down and walk away without hurting anyone, or do you say "I do not negotiate with terrorists" and walk away and let the police to their thing alone?

27 I hope this ends with ZERO deaths, because, of course, death is bad, even for crazy people who take hostages (but not if hostages get killed by said hostage-takers).  But especially because I don't want a dead perp who can therefore be turned into something he's not, such as, for example, a rabid Rush Limbaugh listening, Romney-supporting, Bush-voting (twice!), right-wing gun nut.  I'd rather hear from the perp's mouth what his issue was, rather than trust the MSM, those wacky DECIDERS, to tell me who this guy was and what he really wanted (because there's no way they'd tell us he was either a fuckwit lefty Gaia worshiping, Obama-voting, abortion doctor or a muslim terrorist, even if he was).  Paranoid, yes?  But after a while, paranoia becomes a survival instinct.  Alas, though, since SWAT is on-scene, I'm sure they'll blow his fucking head clean off, and let the CONSPIRACY THEORIES BLOOM.  Sad.

28

"The SWAT response won't work. The police need to redeploy to Vermont."

-Jack Murtha, (D-PA)

29

The police need to take action.  Standing around outside while this douche can do what he wants inside is not my idea of why we pay police.

30 Penn State Marine,

Sometimes there's not much to say other than hoping for the best. The rest is generally unhelpful and be the kind of thing one may regret later.

Look at the Kos thread, it's pretty disgusting(and note I am NOT saying your comment was out of line by any stretch). Nothing good comes from speculation at this point.

Of course media bashing is always fun. As I posted above, they need to real careful of what they are showing. Fox strikes me as getting very close to the line.

31

The cops have the whole place overwatched by snipers.  There's no reason to send SWAT in against a guy who's got a bomb on him--not yet, anyway.

So while Fox and CNN may be parasites, right now they probably aren't telling the hostage taker anything important.

32 I'd say you talk to them.  It stalls for time, plus lets you seem flexible in the negotiation phase. 

But, that's just my half-assed opinion.

33

# 11 Gabriel Malor

Thanks.

My point was to keep the distinctive title of suicide bomber (and related profile) reserved for those who wear/carry and then intentionally target and detonate a bomb to intentionally murder civilians, frequently many of whom are women and children.

This title/profile seems Not to fit Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Confucians, Animists, Wiccans, etc., and there seems little reason that we should relax the profile or allow it to be changed.

As a side note, I hope this fool is either faking, or surrenders, or gets capped, or injures no one but himslef.

34

Hey, Xchaan, you wanna be pointman against a guy wired up with C4?  No?

And if the snipers don't have a shot, they should make every effort to resolve this without killing anybody.

35

Standing around outside while this douche can do what he wants inside is not my idea of why we pay police.

They aren't just standing around.  They just got 1 of the 3 hostages released.  I'm pretty sure the cops have a much better idea how to handle this the a few random morons on a blog.

Let the pros do their job.

36 So while Fox and CNN may be parasites, right now they probably aren't telling the hostage taker anything important.

Secundus,

The problem is this guy may not know what he's seeing on TV and panic if he thinks they are coming to take him down.  It seem the less he knows or thinks he knows the better.

37 Negotiating with the hostage taker accomplishes several things, in no particular order- it 'lets some air' out of the situation, allowing all involved to calm down somewhat; and it can, essentially, bore the shit out of the hostage taker and sap his will to continue- the longer he talks without taking action, hopefully he gets to a point where his actions feel futile, and he just wants to quit. Hopefully.

38

Ok, let's take a different approach:

do you say "I do not negotiate with terrorists" and walk away and let the police to their thing alone?

Then what do you do with terrorists? If you walk away and he sets the thing off, are you then reponsible for not preventing the loss of human life with a simple phone call?

This is some straight up fucked up shit. No one wants to pile on the girl in stiletto heels who just got raped. But sometimes you reap what you sow.

The bottom line is, the world has a problem with terrorism; whether AQ, Malvo or this piece of shit. There's only one way to deal with it. In this case, a spectacular head-shot.

39

Chas v'shalom.

I hope and pray for a speedy and harmless resolution.

40 Wiccans have suicide bombers, but when they pull the string, patchouli and rainbows pour out.

41 And the dick on Fox saying, "As a lawyer, I can tell you the Supreme Court says it's okay for the police to lie in these situations" doesn't exactly help if the guy is watching TV.

God I hate reporters and news readers.

Except the hot chicks on Fox. They rock.

42

shoot him dead, no sympathy for this crap, no discussion of whether he was "mentally ill" (duh) or anything else.

this will not be tolerated, period.

you reward nutjobs like this with fame, you get more of them.

43 Drew, which would scare you more--watching the SWAT team standing around smoking cigarettes, or not knowing anything and letting your imagination run rampant?  Remember, this isn't the most stable guy to begin with.

44  icus, your second suggestion is the right one. She shouldn't get involved at all at this time...and that includes announcing that she's not getting involved.

45 I pray the hostages' get out safe. Moonbats gone wild?

46

Secundus:

I am not a cop, I don't play one on T.V., I don't get to wear military grade combat gear.  Plus I did not sign up.

Send in a robot.  It's 50/50 dude pulls the pin.  50/50 explosives are real. 50/50 the hostages make it. 

Harsh I know, but the world is harsh.

47  Let the police do their job. They're already screwed up enough with the media telegraphing their every move. They're not pushing back the secured area to make room for the hostage; they're trying to push the cameras back.

48 The bit about wanting to talk to Hillary (I assume that's which Clinton is meant) makes me think leftcrazy rather than rightcrazy.  I'm pretty much a rightcrazy myself and I have zero desire to talk to that woman.

You guys want a paranoid conspiracy theory to chew on?  How about this:  she set this up to heroically go in and talk him down.  The guy's actually something like the head of her Arkansas campaign organization, and has been guaranteed a Presidential pardon.

49

This situation is pissing me off.

As I am watching this unfold, I am thinking about the way that Hillary is being treeated versus how the President was treated.  In the wake of the worst terrorist attaack in US history, the President took prudent steps to protect himself until such time as he knew that the threat was neutralized.  He was excoriated for "running and hiding" instead of standing into danger.

Fast forward to today.  One lone whack job threatens Hillary hundreds of miles from where she is.  She cancels all of her appearances and cowers away behind her Secret Service protection.

Something doesn't seem equal in the coverage.

50 Secundus,

Fox wasn't showing them standing around. They were showing an armored car move down the street and Carl Cameron is yelling "The armored car is moving! It's moving towards the building!. It could mean nothing or to a nervous nut job it could mean they are storming the place (even though they aren't).

Now Cameron is on Fox describing the SWAT team 'inching down the street toward the building'  and that one SWAT member is holding a pry bar.

He needs to STFU.

51 I phrased my question badly, obviously it has to be covered, it's the level of coverage that I'm worried about.

There is the risk of giving this guy something he wants but I am more
concerned about the news giving away too much. I don't like Fox showing
where these cops are and Cameron needs to stop yelling "the SWAT TRUCK
IS MOVING".

Giving this idiot any tactical information is unpardonable.

That's what concerns me as well, most of the media can't help themselves.

Right now I do not give a crap what the asshole's affiliation is, why he did it, if the voices are driving him or anything else.  It's not the time.  Once he's taken out, then we can go to town. 

52 http://blogs.abcnews.com/rapidreport/2007/11/hostage-situati.html

ABCNews reporting the man is a local with a long history of emotional and mental issues. 


Per HotAir.

53

The right move for Hillary is 'no comment' until the incident is resolved.

 

 

54

Xchaan, there's still no reason to do that until they're certain that's the only way to end the situation.

55

The days of sitting quietly on board a hijacked plane are over for me.

Easy to type, harder to live. But that's the plan.

56

I'm hoping the guy is just a lunatic. 

Whether he's an unhinged right winger or an unhinged left winger, if this is a politically motivated crime, it will be a bad thing for our political process.  These sorts of events rob the population of its ability to make rational decisions.

Unfortunately, the fact that she is a presidential candidate pretty much guarantees that this is a politically motivated crime.  So, in addition to the individual costs of this act, we all stand to lose a great deal collectively, as well.  (No matter where his political lunacy is coming from).

Prayers, prayers, and prayers for the people involved.   

57 Fox reporting hostages released

58

Do you think it's Keith Kerr?

 

59 Steve L,

I am second to know one in my disgust for Hillary but what would you have her do? Run there and grab a gun? Go on like nothing is happening?

Please, she just needs to disappear and let law enforcement handle this.

Yes, the left is inconsistent and idiotic. What's new?

It sounds like he's a local nut job and that the hostages have been released. Let's hope so.

60 Unfortunately, the fact that she is a presidential candidate pretty much guarantees that this is a politically motivated crime.

Posted by: oops

Not quite.  Reagan got shot out of love for Jodie Foster.

61 Idea for drinking game: do a shot every time Carl Cameron refers to 'the lilac city'

62

"Fox reporting hostages released"

Great!  Now the rest of the media can get working on the real story -- feverishly searching for an angle to link this guy to conservatives.

63 Don't investigate further if you have blood pressure problems:

HuffPo:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/11/30/hostage-situation-in-hill_n_74839.html

Basically, they are "praying" that it was a right-winger so it'll "kill off the Rethugs" once and for all.

Then it degrades into RushIsADruggie, Talk radio made this guy do it, BushCo is finally making their move to silence their opponents..................


Sickening.

64

Not quite.  Reagan got shot out of love for Jodie Foster.

Point.  Anybody remember why Garfield--it WAS him, right?--got killed?

65 Do you offer to talk to the guy through the police and hope that he'll calm down and walk away without hurting anyone

That's what I'd do but I haven't been president so I don't have the office and position, and thus the country and perception of the world to think of.

66 That's what concerns me as well, most of the media can't help themselves.

Posted by: alexthechick at November 30, 2007 04:23 PM (SHHaV)

Exactly. Fox is patting themselves on their back for this new car they have with all sorts of cameras. They have the toys and need to use them.

If a cop were to come up and knock the mic out of Cameron's hand and arrest him on any charge to get him off the air, I'd buy the guy a drink.

Now they are talking about being careful about what they say. I wonder if a call or two were made.

67

I wasn't suggesting that Hillary do anything differently.  I think she is being smart.  I was only pointing out that, in a situation signifincantly more dire, the President was dragged over the coals for taking the exact same action.

It was about the hypocrisy.

68 Do you see how the left side of FOX's screen has been steady on the HQ? It's there for no other reason than to catch it LIVE if the bomb goes off.

Good news for the hostages.

69 You just know that one of the candidates will blame this incident on the 'climate of fear' created by George Bush and his criminal gang

70 Oh yeah, FOX got scolded by someone.

71 Fox seems to be going out of their way to make clear they don't want to give police tactics away in case the perp is watching TV

72 Don't have linky, but WMUR is reporting that the hostages have been released.

Anyone else see this?

73

Techie at November 30, 2007 04:29 PM (AV8Z6

 

You should see what they are saying over at DU. 

74

Even if it is a lefty perp, the media will make him out to be a troubled guy with environmental concerns, like those nice-but-kooky tree sitters.

On the slim chance he's not a lefty, then the media will describe his three hunting guns as a "weapons cache", his boxer-mix puppy as a trained pitbull.

75 Lets see how long it takes Hillary to do her best Janet Reno impersonation.

76 Oh yeah, FOX got scolded by someone.

Sounds like it doesn't it?

Seriously, this is a case where I am all for the chill wind of fascism coming down on them like the fist of God.

77 Saying you're going to stop filming the SWAT team because they're about to do something is pretty retarded.  Drew, I withdraw my argument.  These idiots need to be kicked the hell out.

78 Looking more and more like this guy is a local whackjob

79 So is he just a nut?

ABC News says he's just a nut.

80 "ABCNews reporting the man is a local with a long history of emotional and mental issues. "

Like I said, leftcrazy.  Otherwise they'd mention his politics.

I hope the news that the hostages are out is true. 

81 That makes no sense.  In this day and age, a guy walks into a place with 4 people and the police ahve to provide a cell phone for commo?  It would have seemed to me that every f'n person in he room woulda had a cell phone.

82 And there's always a jerk who's worried about how a crisis makes him look:

"We are all disappointed that this would happen in our city. We are a quiet, friendly city," Rochester Mayor John Larochelle.

83 We get signal:

http://www.wmur.com/news/14737868/detail.html

WMUR is reporting the two hostages are released.  However, they don't know if anyone else is in the building.

84

"Like I said, leftcrazy.  Otherwise they'd mention his politics."

Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too, or else they're just waiting until they can find some way to link him to something conservative.  Did he have a radio in his car, for example?  Then talk radio made him do it, and should those radio stations lose their licenses?

85 I can only guess why the cops want him using their cell phone.  It's probably set up so it can be monitored and recorded.

86 Barry, it's useless copypastaing from PuffHo.

87 Great.  Fox is down to the "Interview the Random Street Guy" phase.

88 Local crazy, hostages safe. Nothing to see here folks. Move along.

Alexthechick...now I think what you said really comes into play. This kind of thing happens across the country all the time. Without the political angle, the coverage really needs to be stepped down. It won't be, but it should be.

89 yeah I guess they're pretty predictable over there- it's just that the handle 'janeane' grabbed my eye, for obvious reasons

90

It's probably set up so it can be monitored and recorded.

Hardwired phones.  You can only call one number.  More like a walkie talkie.  He can only use it to talk with the cops and they usually cut all the other lines.

91 Carl Cameron interviewing a local guy who knows the perp- describes him as a 'the govt planted a chip in my head' type

92

The Fox guys are jumping through their own asses right now, for those who aren't watching.  They've got no new info, so they're recycling the shit they've repeated already to keep things interesting.

That's pretty much along the lines of 90% of Fox's lineup.  This should at least knock Anna Nicole Smith out of the box for a few days while they talk about every aspect of this fruitcake's life ad nauseum.

I'm hoping that the guy is an illegal so Geraldo can go on another two-week bender of calling every legitimate American a racist and accusing them of fearing the "brown wave".

93 I'll handle this. I'm an A-bomb droppin' motherfucker, motherfucker!

94 I hope this all ends as well as it possibly can.  I pray for these people, and also that my co-workers don't hear about it until after-hours.  One whiff of this story and the annoying cackles of obese women in tight pants with voices akin to razor wire will fill the air and i will have to shoot myself.

95 They closed comments on the thread that Barry linked. HuffPo only does that when they get scared they'll get attention for the scummy comments.

96  Did they say "Natalie Holloway"?

<click>

97

As far as the MSM is concerned; if the guy is:

Republican - Typical mainstream GOP voter.

Democrat - Obviously the poor soul can't afford the medication he so desparately needs. All the more reason to have universal health care. Please don't blame the guy. It's not his fault.

We'll know what party affiliation by the headlines tomorrow whether they have the word "republican" or not in them.

98 Fox is breaking away to Greta. I'm going over to cabela's and buy some shirts.

99 DOES GRETA EVER STOP?

100 As far as the MSM is concerned; if the guy is:

Don't worry about it. Friday afternoon, no real political angle and thankfully no one hurt, so this will be a blurb on the shows tonight and that's it.

I bet he doesn't even have a gun or real explosives that the media could latch onto demanding more regulation of something, anything.

Fox has already dumped out for Natalee Holloway.

101 Fox now said the guy has road flares.

Yawn. Next.

102 We must elect Hillary! Otherwise domestic terrorism wins!

103 Road Flares?  We need to prevent Chris Farley and David Spade movies from reaching the public.

104 In everyone's defense, what also come in long red tubes with strings on the end.

105 Chinese tampons?

106 Techie,

No doubt and that's why they have to take it seriously until proven otherwise.  It's also why you don't just pop a cap in the guys head either.

This is apparently a troubled guy, known to be throughout the community (the Lilac City!). There was no need to shoot the guy and the cops seem to have done a fine job. Kudos to them.

107

>what also come in long red tubes with strings on the end.

I think this could take us into a wierd area

108 Sorry.

109

>what also come in long red tubes with strings on the end.

Wile E. Coyote's party supplies?

110 But yeah, law enforcement seems to have done a good job here.  High fives and backslaps all around, and it's good no one was hurt.  Yet.

111

I can hear the cops now:

"Its Troy again"

"What's he done now?"

"He's holed up at the Clinton office. Got some flares taped to him, says it's a bomb. Says the chip in his head has been going off all morning."

"I'll get the Twinkies. You got your taser, right?"

"Yeah, let's get this over with by five. I gotta pick my kid up at basketball practice."

112
What a non-story. But for the fact of the Hillary connection,  things like this happen every day all over the country and never merit more than local news coverage.

113 Great. FoxNews is talking to one of this guy's buddies and he says that the guy was part of a "local libertarian movement."  There's the right wing tie in that the libtards will go nuts over.

114 Hilary must examine the root causes?  How did she so wrong Crazy Troy that he felt he had to go to these extremes?  Putting Crazy Troy in jail will just cause more Crazy Troys?  Why are Crazy Troy's family allowed to walk free after this incident?  How convenient is it that Hilary didn't show up at the office the day Crazy Troy "committed" this act?  Was Crazy Troy tazed?  How can we believe any confession after he was tazed?

115 Barry in CO made me piss myself. Not fair, Barry.

116 Wow, Evil Knieval is dead.

117

If I were as insane as your typical lefty, I would say this was set up by Hillary to get sympathy and/or distract from something.

As it is, I'll just hope for the best.

118 Breaking: At Hillary's request, Janet Reno has arrived in Rochester to extinguish the crisis.

119 Mesablue. If there was any justice in the world, the funeral would have Evil in a casket rocket fired across the Grand Canyon.

120 I actually met Evil once.  He came to a local charity golf outing.  He'd found God at that point and asked us all to call him Good Knievel.  Other than that being a little weird, he was a really nice guy.

121

Dick Morris is good.

"No one is suggesting that Hillary staged this for sympathy." 

Uh, you just did, Dick.  Nicely played.

122 Okay news folks...diagnosed schizophrenic off his meds. Let's pack up the national live shots and move along.

123

Hmmm... Obama and Edwards evacuated their offices. Romney and Giuliani offices remained open.

Still waiting to hear from the DNC on whether the police should have surrendered & pulled out.

124 And would anyone care to guess how many of the Clinton staff just might have a concealed carry permit? No, I didn't think so.

125 One whiff of this story and the annoying cackles of obese women in
tight pants with voices akin to razor wire will fill the air and i will
have to shoot myself.

Good heavens, where do you work?

126 Ah, the smell of burning religious nutters in the morning..... smells like victory

127 diagnosed schizophrenic off his meds

Let's discuss the insanity of chasing everybody out of the insane asylum on the grounds they don't pose a threat to themselves or others.

128 I hope he gets out in time for the primary. I was counting on his vote

129 ITS THE VAST RIGHT-WING CONSPERACY according to hillary

130 Breaking: At Hillary's request, Janet Reno has arrived in Rochester to extinguish the crisis.
Janet Reno can extinguish a fire. Standing up.

131 That last post didn't work right. I was trying to quote
comment#120.

132

Ahhhh, the morning news -- how predictable.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071201/ap_po/clinton_hostage_leadership;_ylt=AvUepy.tXIpIWdGYvwPEc7qMwfIE

133

After waiting two days for the national news to begin commenting on the CNN plant debate, I, for one, think that this crisis was really convenient.  I also think that now all hope of the CNN debate getting any national coverage are now even slimmer than before.

 

134 When the hostages had been released and their alleged captor arrested, a regal-looking Hillary Rodham Clinton strolled out of her Washington home, the picture of calm in the face of crisis.

Wow, just how much of your body can you jam up someone's rectum? This is one of the AP's beat reporters for the election too.

135 Turns out the guy was molested by Sean Hannity as a child.