Weekly Standard reporter John McCormack was knocked down and then pushed, shoved and blocked by a Democratic operative named Michael Meehan when he tried to ask a question of Senate candidate Martha Coakley.

McCormack acted with amazing restraint. Meehan acted like a thug. And where does he get off asking McCormack for identification on a public street?

Watch the video here.

The AP mischaracterized the incident as a "scuffle." It looked more like simple assault to me. If Mr. Meehan had put his hands on me like that, I fear he'd have a bloody nose to show for it.

Coakley, the Massachussetts Attorney General, is in a surprisingly tough race against Republican Scott Brown. She was in Washington D.C. collecting campaign contributions from healthcare lobbyists. Democrats are panicking. Meehan's behavior certainly suggests as much. What an ass!

UPDATE: The AP headline: "Reporter stumbles chasing hopeful for Kennedy seat" is ridiculous. McCormack didn't stumble, he was pushed and knocked down. It looks like an intentional act on Meehan's part. Meehan might have been able to claim it was an accident if he hadn't continued to push, block and harass McCormack after he got to his feet.

McCormack has issued a semi-apology claiming he was "overly aggressive" in trying to help Coakley catch a plane. There is no excuse for what is on the video. McCormack wasn't preventing Coakley from catching a plane. He was asking a legitimate question. One that Meehan apparently didn't want his candidate to have to answer. It involved all those campaign contributions she'd come to Washington to collect from those lobbyists.