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Police Declare 'Mutilation' of McCain Worker in Pittsburgh a Hoax -- After Media Raise Doubts
NEW YORK - It had drawn wide local and
national--even political attention, with some of the candidates for
president/vice president weighing in or even calling -- but now the
story has fallen apart. Police in Pittsburgh have declared it all a
hoax and are charging the McCain worker at the center of the episode. 
It started yesterday afternoon with Matt Drudge
screaming at the top of his site in red type -- but no siren -- that a
Pittsburgh campaign worker for McCain, age 20, had been viciously
attacked and the letter "B" carved into her face, presumably by a
Barack Obama fan. Her name, it soon emerged, was Ashley Todd and she
had come to Pittsburgh from College Station, Texas, to help out.
It started to appear overblown (Drudge downgraded it
to smaller, black type) as the police noted that it seemed to be a
robbery ($60) and she did not seek medical attention. But later press
reports said she would visit a hospital, Sarah Palin and maybe John
McCain had called her and Obama camp had condemned, although
McCain/Obama angle to story not yet confirmed.
Still later, conservative columnist Michelle Malkin,
and some others, grew skeptical. For one thing, the "B" was carved a
little too lightly and perfectly -- and backward, as if done using a
mirror. Smoking Gun probed a too-pat "Twitter" angle and Gawker looked
at her MySpace page.
Then police said that evidence from the ATM that she
reportedly visited did not match her account. And then she changed her
story, admitting that her assailant did not see a McCain bumper sticker
on her assault, and adding to he account a sexual assault and losing
consciousness.
John Moody, executive vice president at Fox News,
commented on his blog that "this incident could become a watershed
event in the 11 days before the election. If Ms. Todd's allegations are
proven accurate, some voters may revisit their support for Senator
Obama, not because they are racists (with due respect to Rep. John
Murtha), but because they suddenly feel they do not know enough about
the Democratic nominee. If the incident turns out to be a hoax, Senator
McCain's quest for the presidency is over, forever linked to
race-baiting."
Now the Pittsburgh TV station KDKA reports: "Police
sources tell KDKA that a campaign worker has now confessed to making up
a story that a mugger attacked her and cut the letter 'B' in her face
after seeing her McCain bumper sticker.
"This afternoon, a Pittsburgh police commander told
KDKA Investigator Marty Griffin that Todd confessed to making up the
story. The commander added that Todd will face charges; but police have
not commented on what those charges will be."
For links and updates to our new blog:
The E&P Pub
106 Comments so far
Show All…and we watch as the American election race decends into the slime.
I have yet to find one claim from the McCainites that has not been provin a hoax.
This is a landslide Now!
Sweet, this means I don't watch MSM anymore, I didn't hear about this till now.
Same with me, and I live in Pittsburgh!
I "blew up my T.V." over seven years ago and haven't regretted it for a second!!!
"Crack open a cynic and you will find an angry idealist!"
I killed my TV about the same time - Best decision I ever made - I suggest everyone else do the same. (It was the Jennifer Lopez/ Ben Afleck affair that put me over the edge). I hadn't heard this story before and don't know who Chrystal Gayle Magnum is - Yeah! There is nothing worth watching on TV that you can't get in a public library.
Crystal Gale magnum??? I'm glad I don't know either and I'm very glad I flushed the propaganda tube ages ago.
Another brilliant McCain/Palin supporter, carving a B on her face without realizing the mirror reverses the image, an excellent symbolic gesture.
It's to be expected from the low IQ McCain-Palin supporters. What a bunch of tards.
hahaha
bligh4
Whenever I hear of these types of over-the-top types of "attacks" they inevitably turn out to be hoaxes. Remember Tawana? Or the professor's car in California?
chock up another one.
I am puzzled by Moody's comment. How or why would voters need to question if they know enough about Obama if someone had done this? That has got to be the most nonesnsical comment ever made; If it was true how would it reflect on Obama personally?
If someone who watched FOX got a ticket for not wearing a seat belt would we need to question whether we know enough about Moody?
Really - I thought the same thing. But remember, any possible way the neocon/neonazi propagandists can discredit Obama, they will - no matter how outrageous. I'm actually surprised he went so far as to say McCain's campaign would bite the dust if this turned out to be a hoax. You would expect him to say that it calls Obama's candidacy into question no matter what.
Seems to go both ways with the partisans of each of these worthless campaigns. Note of course how many comments use this to attack the McCain campaign and all its supporters.
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"To know, and not to do, is not to know"
What's puzzling? He was simply being refreshingly candid about how his TV network was going to play this particular hand of cards. "John Moody, executive vice president at Fox News, commented on his blog that "this incident could become a watershed event in the 11 days before the election." If Ms. Todd's allegations turned out to be accurate, Fox (and others) were going urge voters to revisit their support for Senator Obama, because Fox's demographic is largely racists and crypto-racists, with the reasoning that the viewer ought to suddenly feel they do not know enough about the Democratic nominee. In the context of this kakistocratic election, what is nonsensical about this? It's very bog standard stuff - and certainly from the low numbered pages of the Fox TV playbook.
It seemed to me the opening of scaring white voters into McCain's camp...by later saying 'black Obama supporters' are attacking 'white female McCain supporters'...classic race baiting.
Just the latest in a long line of McCain campaign related hoaxes. They've really nothing else to run on. What's next?
Neither party has anything to run on. What you say about the McCain campaign is true. But note how the Democrats don't have anything to offer other than exactly the sort of mudslinging you see in these comments either.
Why don't they talk about the bailout? Ooops, forgot. Obama and McCain both support wall street against the American citizens on that one. Back to the mudslinging.
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"To know, and not to do, is not to know"
i've never read such drivel in my life..............
It's drivel until we realize that this is what some of the media is putting out as news. That, is not drivel.
"It is not true that it's one damn thing after another - it's one damn thing over and over." Edna St. Vincent Millay
I am from Pittsburgh and I thought it looked fishy from the start. To their credit, our local MSM also called it an alleged attack from the start and suggested it might not be true.
I must hurry and catch up with the others for I am their leader
Any reputable media would use the word 'alleged'. Or, at least I'm old enough to remember when that was the case. Ideally they would do so up until the facts of the case are proven in a court of law.
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"To know, and not to do, is not to know"
Except for Sid Vicious, who never stood trial for the alleged murder of Nancy.
Hopefully this disgusting piece of crap will have the full weight of the law descend upon her now.
I read a number of comments below attacking Republicans for believing her. Three words:
CRYSTAL GAYLE MANGUM
and the Duke University case. If you attack the morons who believed this human slime, do you also attack the human filth who facilitated Crystal Gayle Mangum's horrendous lies?
An obvious and good rule in all of these cases is to be sceptical until the facts are truly known.
Especially when the known liars that surround both Democrat and Republican campaigns are involved.
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"To know, and not to do, is not to know"
Gotta love the backwards B! What a freaking moron! Even rabid right wing dog Michelle Malkin disputed the validity of this idiot's hoax!
In a way, this crazy self-mutilating woman, Ashley Todd, is the karmic counterbalance to McCain's use of Joe Wurzelbacher (Joe the plumber).
Just as unwarranted exploitation of a single, irrelevant person (Joe the plumber) was used by McCain in an attempt to boost his image, so will the actions of this equally irrelevant, probably mentally ill, individual end up harming McCain's image.
Ironically, both of these irrelevant individuals would benefit more under Obama than they would under McCain: Joe would have lower taxes, and Ashley Todd would be more likely to have access to the mental health care she needs.
It's too bad for John McCain that Joe is not a licensed plumber in Ohio. The company he says he's trying to purchase is not worth $250,000. Joe is not registered to vote in Ohio. His first name isn't even Joe. It's all illusion which is what McCain has been trying to sell us since the Republican Convention ended.
Wow, so now the Democrats call the citizens of the US 'irrelevant'.
I'm not surprised. That's been obvious in the actions of the Democrats for quite sometime. But its a bit shocking to see it stated so clearly.
For the Democrats, just like for the Republicans, the only thing that really matters is their campaigns, and that they 'win'. Whether this translates to anything good for the citizens of the country is obviously 'irrelevant'. That's been obvious for some time, like when the Democrats voted to authorize the war in 2002 saying they did so to 'take the issue off the table' for that years campaigns. In other words, they helped start the Iraq war just because they thought it would help them 'win'.
But still, its striking to here the Democrats say it directly like this. Truly amazing in a country that's supposed to be a democracy.
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"To know, and not to do, is not to know"
Hey, those of us not wallowing in millions have been irrelevant for some time. It doesn't matter what political party we happen to belong to. We're only noticed, en- mass, when they want our vote.
Typical conservative strategy... attack yourself for political gain.
Oh, and Matt Drudge is a gullible imbecile.
Hmmm, Tawana Brawley, Crystal Gayle Mangum, and the crazy professor in Los Angeles were Conservatives? Since when?
troll
Are you saying they ARE conservative?
Whine, troll, whine...
Why? For pointing out that these sorts of frauds are not always limited to conservatives?
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"To know, and not to do, is not to know"
Maybe Leonardo (da Vinci) carved the "B".
this story is complete rubbish.
you are not a person
Old Hippy
Wouldn't surprise me at all if Ashley was hired by the repugs to exactly what she did. It's damn hard to get good inteligent help now adays.
It'd be the other way around. Hired by Obama. If she was hired by the rethugs the hoax would not have been so obvious. If she was hired by Obama would make more sense. McCain is intently throwing the election anyhow. Most likely she was hired simply by financial dominance as rethugs demonrats are two faces on the same predatory murderous financially dominant scam. She's infotainment. She's acting like she's greatly distressed in front of the camera now. Which doesn't fit the attention seeker profile. There's nearly no chance she's just a very stupid kid trying to help McCain, nor a crazy kid just trying to get in the spotlight. Hired by the financially dominant to polarize African American voters. The media is reporting the race is tight, which it's not, Obama has a landslide victory ahead of him. But if people think it's close then they'll vote Obama rather than 3rd party. Obama btw was born in Kenya and isn't even eligible to be president.
rocyahsoul@yahoo.com
www.lamegame.name
Daniel Vincent Kelley
Hilarious - if it wouldn't be so sad. That's what You get if You are standing in front of a mirror and prepping up 'support' for the guy You adore so much. The mugshot like picture is a perfect example of a MacKain follower. Did she wear something red? To call her mentally ill is a good excuse. All MacKain/'Plain' supporters are mentally ill. Not even to mention those who still believe that the repiglicon party is to be seriously considered to be fit to continue to govern this Nation.
What goes around comes around.
May all Beings be blessed. Specifically the weak and ill minded.
"All MacKain/'Plain' supporters are mentally ill"
Amazing to watch some of the Democrats go into complete stupidity and incoherence as the election draws closer. And that their entire campaign seems based on throwing insults at the opposition.
Why don't they talk about the war? Oops, I forgot, Bush will get us out of Iraq faster than anything Obama has proposed. I guess that's why all the Democrats have is stupid insults.
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"To know, and not to do, is not to know"
Okay, so you hate Democrats including Obama and don't want him to win. Just go ahead and vote for your choice McCain and quit pretending to be neutral. It's gotten tiresome.
And while I am at it: Matt Drudge = braindead fascist asshole. "Go fuck yourself."
(Apologies, but that's the only thing that comes to mind for this scumbag)
May all Beings be blessed. Specifically the weak and ill minded.
Matt Drudge has VERY clearly got this story tagged as a hoax.
Why is he a scumbag, by the way? Does he tell lies? If so, can you name one?
Is your Google in the shop or what, chief?
From The Guardian UK: "Two weeks ago, American presidential hopeful John Kerry was accused of having an affair with one of his interns by the rightwing internet gossip monger Matt Drudge..." An accusation that was completely false.
Go ahead, search "matt drudge lies" and enjoy the 100,000 hits - which, of course, are all from liberal anti-pro-American haters, but still.
Limbaugh never lies, either. Nor O'Reilly, or Malkin, or Coulter, or Frum, or Brooks, or Rove, or - who were those imminent WMD threat guys again... Bush? Cheney? Nope - the US doesn't torture, we don't illegally spy on fellow Americans without warrants, Brownie did a heckofajob, God picks the president, and the fundamentals of our economy are strong.
McCain/Palin 08!!!
Liberty- maybe you have reading comprehension problems which shape the world you see through your meager but self assured conservative lens.
In paragraph two, the article provides the information you are seeking.
"It started yesterday afternoon with Matt Drudge screaming at the top of his site in red type -- but no siren -- that a Pittsburgh campaign worker for McCain, age 20, had been viciously attacked and the letter "B" carved into her face, presumably by a Barack Obama fan. Her name, it soon emerged, was Ashley Todd and she had come to Pittsburgh from College Station, Texas, to help out."
(continuing)
"It started to appear overblown (Drudge downgraded it to smaller, black type)"
Liberty, if you are indeed experiencing reading comprehension problems, I would suggest placing your fingure on the screen, towards the left side where the sentence begins, and use your fingure to set a comfortable reading pace, from left to right, remembering that your goal is to understand the material before starting your flame war.
"braindead fascist asshole" - "go fuck yourself"
followed by .... "May all Beings be blessed."
I ask you, "itsjustkarma" - do you realize what a hypocrite you are?
It might have been better to "carve" Obama's middle initial ... it's a much more ominous name to the fear-based community, and it looks just the same forward and backward!
Did anyone else in the McCain campaign in Pittsburgh contribute to the hoax? Did she do this on her own, or did anyone else in the campaign suggest this to her? These sorts of questions could lead to charges against others.
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"To know, and not to do, is not to know"
The backwards 'B' is kind of a give-away that she did it herself. Think about it: if you imagine, from your own point of view, drawing a 'B' on your face that is supposed to read from left-to-right, that is how you would do it. That is, if you were an idiot and didn't consider that you want the 'B' to read from left-to-right from the *observer's* point of view, not your own.
That struck me when I saw the photo. The only 'good' thing is that it seems to indicate she did this by herself and it wasn't a conspiracy of several people. In the latter case, you'd figure someone would have helped her with this and no mirror would have been involved.
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"To know, and not to do, is not to know"