Quote:A huge Republican political gathering on Mackinac Island got under way Thursday night with a barroom incident in which a top official for presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio allegedly threw a punch at a Michigan consultant working for Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.

"I ran into a guy named Rich Beeson, who frankly I didn't even know who it was at first because he isn't relevant in our political world," Yob said. "He literally physically assaulted me by punching me in the face. The state police are looking for him. I have it on video, from multiple angles. This will play out in the national media in the next few hours."

An officer at the Mackinac Island Police Department early Friday would neither confirm nor deny that the incident took place. He said there would be no comment until the chief of police arrives at the station later this morning. Beeson did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.