McCain Camp Has Its Own Tawana Brawley
OK. The headline was a little harsh. Via TPM:
“By now you’ve all heard about Ashley Todd, the 20-year-old McCain volunteer who claimed that she was assaulted in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night by an attacker who scratched a ‘B’ in her cheek after learning that she was for McCain.
The story was flacked madly last night by Drudge, even though few if any details had been established or independently confirmed.”
Well. The woman made it all up. The AP is reporting that police found her story just didn’t add up. Here’s more of the details:
“A McCain campaign volunteer who reported that a tall black man robbed her and then cut a “B” onto her cheek after seeing a McCain bumper sticker on her car has been given a polygraph test because of ‘inconsistencies’ in her story, police said.
Among other things, police said photos and bank card information from an automated teller machine where the college student claimed she was robbed do not show her using the machine at the time, police said.”
Yesterday, Todd became a mini Joe The Plumber. According to HuffPo: “The report of the attack Thursday prompted the Republican presidential candidate and his running mate, Sarah Palin, to call Todd expressing their concern. Barack Obama’s campaign also issued a statement wishing Todd well and hoping the attacker would be swiftly brought to justice.”
I guess Todd won’t be making any appearances on Fox News. And I guess McCain will not be citing her in any campaign rallies or using her as some sort of campaign theme.
McKenna has posted some details about the woman’s blog earlier today.
Update 3:16 p.m. A Fox News Honcho says if this assault turns out to be a hoax, McCain’s campaign is over. Really? I wouldn’t blame Todd for McCain’s problems.
*photo courtesy of Huffington Post.
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3:35 pm
This brings to my mind other cases in recent years in which a fabricated black man was made a scapegoat for a crime, such as the Susan Smith or Charles Stuart case: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E4DD123EF935A35752C1A962958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all
This time the ploy is being used not to justify a crime, but as a targeted approach to make us fear the “black man”, and make us doubt voting for Barack Obama as President, even though he is clearly the best choice.
“Democracy is a device that insures we shall be governed no better than we deserve,” - George Bernard Shaw.
3:53 pm
Wow… just… wow. I suppose seeing something as outlandish as this from a supporter (not sure McCain wants me to call her that anymore) would normally be old hat, given the nature of this campaign, especially at this point in the game. And yet, I *dread* the next bizarre media feed the MCP ticket will try to fling, a la the zoo’s monkey house, at our collective heads. What next? “Obama Fathered My Two-Headed Love Child?” “Palin Predicts Obama Win Would Bring Plague of Locusts?” “Team McCain Produces DNA Evidence, Obama’s Father Actually Josef Stalin?”
3:58 pm
the B on her cheek was obviously put there by a red sox fan in order to distract us from philly’s soon to be new world series title.
it is clear as day.. how could those cops not see that?
4:08 pm
I suppose, to some of McCain’s supporters, Obama himself is a scary, unknown black man who wants, somehow to come after and hurt them, so I treasure the irony in this girl’s hoax (it certainly isn’t original, after all). And yet, the only ’scary, unknown, dangerous’ people I’ve come to see are McCain and Palin, who get more erratic and inconsistent each time they open their mouths, belt out snarky chides, or attempt to divide us into “real” and “fake” Americans, and generally champion fear and stupidity like never before. I don’t think this pathetic stunt would have changed many votes anyway has it been real, but as a hoax, it just might. Republicans are jumping ship every hour, and Obama is genuinely greatful to welcome them. Why? Because he IS genuine, and he IS greatful, and he IS welcoming them. All McCain and Palin have to offer the other party and independents who might have thought about jumping to the sinking GOP ship is a bash on the head with the oars for being “liberal” or “fake” or “anti-American,” right before saying, “they don’t get it.” Well, we DO get it, John and Sarah, and it’s why your ship isn’t just floudering, it’s sinking, and fast.
Rondo the Not Plumber
4:21 pm
I used to work in a violent crimes unit of a police department. I immediately knew that this story sounded wrong. The backward “B” was obviously done in a mirror. This woman wasn’t particularly crafty.
What I find a little weirder is that both mcCain adn Palin called her, clearly quick to believe that a crazed Obama fan did it. It also makes me wonder if the constant spewing of hate/negativity from the McCain campaign could have been a catalyst to this behavior? I mean, the woman is obviously unbalanced, but perhaps the 24/7 negative pouncing on OBama with “he’s scary” “he’s a terrorist” etc. drove this woman into a place where she felt that in order to save herself or her country, she should make up this hoax?
All very disturbing.
5:10 pm
What a coincidence — the very day that Ashley Todd admits that she lied about being attacked, Crystal Mangum (the stripper who accused Duke U. lacrosse players of rape), has a book out. Although her charges were long ago discredited, Ms. Mangum again claims her story was true.
Perhaps Ashley Todd will one day change her story yet again, and write her own version of “The Crystal Mangum Story.”
5:53 pm
filing a false police report = class d felony
class d felony = no vote.
old man mcain and nailin pailin lose by 1 vote= priceless
7:42 pm
[...] McCain Camp Has Its Own Tawana Brawley Washington City Paper, USA- Oct 24, 2008 [...]
9:42 am
[...] The Police have said there are inconsistencies in the McCain staffer’s story. The Police reportedly admitted Friday the attack was a hoax. I guess the McCain Campaign will have to drop any planned Willie Horton type ad regarding Ashley Todd on the tube. I know the far right news outlets, and conservative bloggers will be pissed. The McCain Camp Has Its Own Tawana Brawley. [...]