Ordinarily, we use "Isn't It Weird That" as shorthand to point out some bit of political hypocrisy. But today's installment highlights something that's just ... well, plain weird.

"After I lost the primary, I said that there should be a new mayor—that should have been a clue right there."—Bruce HarrellIsn't It Weird That ... Mayor Mike McGinn's campaign staffer Bill Monto hung around outside a press conference this morning at which city council member (and former mayoral candidate) Bruce Harrell endorsed McGinn's opponent, state Sen. Ed Murray, and then trailed Harrell up the street, interrogating the council member about why he was supporting the mayor's opponent?

Both Harrell and Monto confirm that Monto followed Harrell and a Murray volunteer up Pike Street after Murray's press conference, inserting himself in between the two as they walked down the sidewalk and demanding to know why Harrell was supporting Murray. After Harrell tried to end encounter by saying he had to talk to the volunteer, Monto followed a pace behind them, and sat down with them until Harrell and the volunteer got into their car to get away.

The McGinn staffer followed Harrell and a Murray volunteer up Pike Street after Murray's press conference, inserting himself in between the two as they walked down the sidewalk, demanding to know why Harrell was supporting Murray.

"I was just left under the impression that he wasn’t a big fan of Senator Murray, so I was a little surprised and I wanted to ask him about it," Monto says by way of explanation. "He didn't want to answer the question. ... He said a lot of pro-social justice things [during the primary campaign] that are very in line with what he mayor believes so I came with an impression that he would support him ... and I was surprised [that he didn't]."

Harrell, for his part, says the McGinn camp shouldn't have been shocked that he isn't backing the mayor. 

"After I lost the primary, I said that there should be a new mayor—that should have been a clue right there," Harrell says.

In addition to Monto, who hung around on the sidewalk during the press conference, the McGinn campaign sent "trackers" to monitor on Sen. Ed Murray's press conference this morning, Monto confirms. One, who said he was just walking by Murray's campaign headquarters and was "interested in the mayor's race," recorded the whole thing; another claimed she was just on her way to school at Seattle Central Community College and decided to stop by.