If a black reporter was singled out, harassed and kicked out of a McCain campaign event in Panama City on Friday, do you think any of the national press traveling with him would report on it?

Not yet.

Tallahassee Democrat senior writer Stephen Price on Friday was singled out and asked to leave a media area at the Panama City rally of presidential candidate Sen. John McCain.

Price was among at least three other reporters, and the only black reporter, surrounding McCain's campaign bus.

Price showed his employee identification as well as his credentials for the Friday event.

"I explained I was with the state press, but the Secret Service man said that didn't matter and that I would have to go," Price said.

When another reporter asked why Price was being removed, she too was led out of the area. Other state reporters remained.

I corresponded via email with another state reporter at the scene on Saturday who was kicked out of the event. She asked not to be identified by name. She indicated to me that there were several other state reporters in the immediate vicinity, and that Price was specifically singled out. Two other reporters standing nearby were pointed out to the security guard, but were not asked to leave. She also indicated that Stephen Price was wearing a collared shirt and tie, as opposed to the T-shirt one of the other reporters in the area was wearing. To me, this just adds to the suspicion that this incident was racially motivated.

Price and another state reporter were both escorted out of the event by the Panama City Police Department, at the request of McCain's security staff.

One astute commenter on Tallahassee.com adds, "Lets see if this makes the national news. I doubt it."

Tallahassee Democrat Executive Editor Bob Gabordi has released a statement:

"We're deeply concerned and disturbed that our reporter — of all of those in that area — was asked to move," Gabordi said. "My understanding is that Stephen was the only reporter approached and asked to leave the area, and the only reporter in that area who is black. Another reporter who stood up for Stephen was then asked to leave."

Both the McCain Campaign and the Panama City Police Department failed to respond to my request for comments.




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This is very interesting. I'd love to hear what the McCain campaign has to say on the matter... Oh wait, they're refusing to talk about it.

I'm shocked. SHOCKED, I tell you.