In this image from AP Television News, S.W.A.T. team members escort a hostage out of Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign office in Rochester, N.H. Friday Nov. 30, 2007. (AP Photo/APTN)
by Jill Zuckman, updated at 6:39 pm
Update:
A mentally ill man released all of his hostages from the Clinton campaign office in Rochester, N.H. and police took him into custody this evening, ending a tense afternoon that brought out swarms of police, sharpshooters and media to the small seacoast town.
Leland Eisenberg, the Rochester man who entered the office with a bomb-like device strapped to his chest, had said he was having trouble getting mental health help and wanted to talk to Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.).
Two hostages inside the Clinton campaign office had released earlier in the day.
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Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign said it would release information when appropriate following a hostage situation in its Rochester, N.H. campaign office.
A man with a bomb strapped to his chest has taken two campaign workers hostage, according to WMUR-TV.
"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,'" said witness Lettie Tzizik, according to WMUR.
Other witnesses described the man as in his 40s with salt-and-pepper hair.
"There is an ongoing situation in our Rochester, NH office," the Clinton campaign said in a statement. "We are in close contact with state and local authorities and are acting at their direction. We will release additional details as appropriate."
Sen. Barack Obama's campaign evacuated its Rochester campaign office in response to the situation, which has brought sharpshooters onto the roofs of businesses near the Clinton campaign. Sen. Hillary Clinton cancelled a speech she was planning to give at the Democratic National Committee winter meeting.
Rochester, a gritty, working class town that has been in decline for a number of years, is located just north of Dover on New Hampshire's sea coast.
Throughout the state Friday, political activists waited for news of the hostage situation and wondered about the safety of other campaign offices, as well as the state capital. Security is virtually nonexistent each of these places and anyone can walk in at any time.
The Clinton office in Rochester is a small storefront - no more than 600 square feet - with just two paid staffers who have been there little more than a month.
"It's a concern, but I don’t know what you can do about it if you're actually going to have grassroots campaigns,'' said Caroline McCarley, a former state senator from Rochester who ran John Edwards' campaign in the state in 2004. "Most of these offices are on the first floor and what you want is people coming in.''
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Comments
Has anyone checked the whereabouts of Sean Hannity?
Posted by: Raving Loon | November 30, 2007 4:25 PM
OH, Hilary...What's going to happen next?
READ THE ANGRY PUNDIT!
HTTP://THEANGRYPUNDIT.BLOGSPOT.COM
Posted by: Joe | November 30, 2007 4:33 PM
I wasn't going to be snarky, but after reading the Loon's post, since this guy is known to be mentally ill and a poll says most Democrats view themselves as mentally ill, this hostage-taker surely must be a Democrat. I'm sure from the Far Left Loon Camp too.
Posted by: John D | November 30, 2007 4:36 PM
I'm assuming they knew he was mentally ill by his voting records?
Posted by: Noah | November 30, 2007 4:42 PM
If you look closely, I mean really closely, you can see the man waving something. A copy of an electrical contracting products magazine....
So the score is:
Obama 1, Hillary 1
1 loiterer with a knife: 1 hostage taker with a bomb
Posted by: average joe | November 30, 2007 4:49 PM
RL,
You win the prize, buddy. There are so many 'fill in the blank' names for that one.... Now I am regretting my PM nap.
Posted by: C.Morris | November 30, 2007 4:51 PM
"Raving Loon"---Typical classless Lib
Posted by: Roland Melnick | November 30, 2007 4:55 PM
Has anyone done a popularity poll to see who is more popular- Hillary Clinton or the man with the bomb?
Posted by: villiage of idiots | November 30, 2007 5:13 PM
Although we can never be safe enough, I do believe this is one mentally ill individual and others campaigning need not be alarmed.
I would play this down big time so copy-caters will not be tempted to get the same attention. After all we do have our share of nut cases in this country!
Posted by: Denise DeVore | November 30, 2007 5:17 PM
And, not surprisingly, reichwingers are already accusing the Clinton campaign of staging a publicity stunt. More of the worst from the worst the world has to offer.
Posted by: rncbs | November 30, 2007 5:25 PM
Raving Loon,
This just in! in realation to todays hostage situation at the Clinton campaign building, the Feds have just raided Fox Noise Channel and are in the process of taking Bill-O and Hannity away in handcuffs.
Bill-O was last heard crying out for his secret police force to come save him and Seany was calling out for his mommy.
There's still an APB out for a fat spineless guy named Rush in connection with today's incident, if anyone see's him they're being advised to approach him with caution while using a full bottle of viagra as bait.
That is all.....
Ya gotta love the snark!
Posted by: John E | November 30, 2007 6:30 PM
Posted by: JadedTLC | November 30, 2007 6:32 PM
"Raving Loon"---Typical classless Lib
Posted by: Roland Melnick | November 30, 2007 4:55 PM:"
But you never know. Hunnity has been giving people 'ideas'.
Or, it could be a case of 'stalker worship'.
Posted by: C.Morris | November 30, 2007 6:38 PM
BTW, does anyone know the whereabouts of John D??
Posted by: C.Morris | November 30, 2007 6:40 PM
OK, nobody hurt, let the real fun begin.
Posted by: C.Morris | November 30, 2007 6:56 PM
♬This is the end....♪
Col. John D. Kurtz;
"The little arms were all piled up, cut off by the Democrats.
Captain CMo Willard;
Come out John. Come out. End the pain.
JDK;
But you are MY prisoner! I decide who lives and dies!
CMW;
Wrong, buddy. You popped your cork. It's not about winning the thing.
It's about stripes and tour ribbons.
JDK;
No! I'm gonna pull the trigger! It's real! I could have done it if not for the
interference from the crazy Democrats! We need to hit them hard!
CMW;
Come on. Put the Big Mac down, buddy. It just won't blow up. You will only
hurt yourself with it.
JDK;
OK. I'll trust you. Here's the Mac. Take me away. Help me.
(The machete falls on Kurtz neck and the pain ends.)
Col. John D. Kurtz;
"The little arms were all piled up, cut off by the Democrats.
Captain CMo Willard;
Come out John. Come out. End the pain.
JDK;
But you are MY prisoner! I decide who lives and dies!
CMW;
Wrong, buddy. You popped your cork. It's not about winning the thing.
It's about stripes and tour ribbons.
JDK;
No! I'm gonna pull the trigger! It's real! I could have done it if not for the
interference from the crazy Democrats! We need to hit them hard!
CMW;
Come on. Put the Big Mac down, buddy. It just won't blow up. You will only
hurt yourself with it.
JDK;
OK. I'll trust you. Here's the Mac. Take me away. Help me.
(The machete falls on Kurtz neck and the pain ends.)
♫desperately in need of a strangers hand♪
Posted by: TheReamer | November 30, 2007 7:10 PM
OK, nobody hurt, let the real fun begin.
Posted by: C.Morris | November 30, 2007 6:56 PM
_____________________________
Only one all cap? Kudos to C Morris.
Posted by: Anonymous | November 30, 2007 7:39 PM
BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME!
Posted by: monroe | November 30, 2007 7:50 PM
Journalist Jerry White: (Apologizing for severed heads adorning Kurtz's headquarters) The heads. You're looking at the heads. I, uh – sometimes he goes too far, you know – he's the first one to admit it!
Captain CMo Willard asked to see John D. Kurtz
Journalist Jerry White: Hey, man, you don't talk to the Colonel. You listen to him. The man's enlarged my mind. He's a poet-warrior in the classic sense. I mean, sometimes he'll, uh, well, you'll say hello to him, right? And he'll just walk right by you, and he won't even notice you. And suddenly he'll grab you, and he'll throw you in a corner, and he'll say do you know that if is the middle word in life? If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you – I mean, I'm no, I can't – I'm a little man, I'm a little man from Springfield, Il., he's, he's a great man. I should have been a pair of ragged claws scuttling across floors of silent seas – I mean –
Posted by: dt | November 30, 2007 10:35 PM
I take issue with you saying Rochester is a gritty town, that is in decline.
As a matter of fact, compared to most cities in the northeast Rochester has very low crime, beautiful real estate and decent schools.
so, lay off.
Posted by: Bob | December 1, 2007 1:48 PM