Marathon Pundit: Ill. comptroller race: Video of Topinka official shoving camera into face of Kelly manager

Former Illinois Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka announced her bid for state comptroller at a press conference on Chicago's West Side two days ago.

Fellow Republican William J. Kelly, who is also a candidate for the office, showed up, and while being interviewed by reporters from WGN-TV and WBBM Radio, witnessed some strong-arm politicking.

Kelly was discussing some of the points he and I talked about when we met last week--he was very critical of Topinka's stewardship of the state Republican Party, which included the Alan Keyes fiasco in 2004.

At the end of the clip, a man believed to be Topinka's campaign manager pushes his hand into the video camera held by Steve Ruggiero--the camera ended up in his face. Ruggierois Kelly's campaign manager. An Iraq war veteran, he's a two time recipient of a Bronze Star.

A police report of the incident has been filed.

Kelly released this statement:

This behavior will not be tolerated. Not from the campaign of Judy Baar Topinka or anyone else. This is old style politics. We are not going to be intimidated. This is truly a campaign of old versus new, corruption versus reform.