McCain Communications Director Gave Reporters Incendiary Version Of "Carved B" Story Before Facts Were Known
John McCain's Pennsylvania communications director told reporters in the state an incendiary version of the hoax story about the attack on a McCain volunteer well before the facts of the case were known or established -- and even told reporters outright that the "B" carved into the victim's cheek stood for "Barack," according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions.
John Verrilli, the news director for KDKA in Pittsburgh, told TPM Election Central that McCain's Pennsylvania campaign communications director gave one of his reporters a detailed version of the attack that included a claim that the alleged attacker said, "You're with the McCain campaign? I'm going to teach you a lesson."
Verrilli also told TPM that the McCain spokesperson had claimed that the "B" stood for Barack. According to Verrilli, the spokesperson also told KDKA that Sarah Palin had called the victim of the alleged attack, who has since admitted the story was a hoax.
The KDKA reporter had called McCain's campaign office for details after seeing the story -- sans details -- teased on Drudge.
The McCain spokesperson's claims -- which came in the midst of extraordinary and heated conversations late yesterday between the McCain campaign, local TV stations, and the Obama camp, as the early version of the story rocketed around the political world -- is significant because it reveals a McCain official pushing a version of the story that was far more explosive than the available or confirmed facts permitted at the time.
The claims to KDKA from the McCain campaign were included in an early story that ran late yesterday on KDKA's Web site. The paragraphs containing these assertions were quickly removed from the story after the Obama campaign privately complained that KDKA was letting the McCain campaign spin a racially-charged version of the story before the facts had been established, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.
The story with the removed grafs is still right here. We preserved the three missing grafs from yesterday:
A source familiar with what happened yesterday confirmed that the unnamed spokesperson was communications director Peter Feldman. Feldman was also quoted yesterday making virtually identical assertions on the Web site of another local TV station, WPXI. But those quotes, which we also preserved here, are also no longer available on WPXI's site, for reasons that are unclear.
This is problematic because the McCain campaign doesn't want to have been perceived as pushing an incendiary story that not only turned out to be a hoax but which police officials said today risked blowing up into a "national incident" and has local police preparing to file charges against the hoaxster.
There's no evidence that anyone from McCain national headquarters put out a version of events like this.
After the story appeared on KDKA's site and this and other pieces in the local press started flying around the political world, an Obama spokesperson in the state angrily insisted to KDKA that it was irresponsible for the station to air the McCain spokesperson's incendiary version of events before the facts were fully known, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.
After that, KDKA went back to McCain's Pennsylvania spokesperson, Feldman, and asked if he stood by the story as he'd earlier told it, but he started backing off the story, a source familiar with the talks says. That prompted KDKA to remove the grafs.
Feldman couldn't immediately be reached, and a McCain HQ spokesperson declined to comment.
Congressman Duncan Hunter on Hardball explaining why Barack Obama is winning:
"He's got good teeth"
October 24, 2008 5:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
You're just joking, right? Right??
"He's got good teeth"?
Is that the extension of "He's clean and articulate" (unspoken: and has good teeth, to boot!)
October 24, 2008 5:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
No joke. When Matthews called him on it, he added that Obama is articulate and a good debater.
As we speak, I'm sure there people cutting a video that will soon hit YouTube.
October 24, 2008 5:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's kind of hard to take Republicans seriously at this point. You might think, wouldn't you, that after the Biden "He's articulate and clean" gaffe, that politicians might be, I dunno, a little more reserved when tossing out comments about Obama.
Wouldn't you? Wouldn't anyone?
October 24, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, Hunter's got a point.
But it's not so much that Barack has good teeth. It's rather that McCain has really terrible teeth.
October 24, 2008 6:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
At least they don't go clickety-clack like they did last year. He musta got 'em fixed. More caulk or something.
October 24, 2008 7:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
*Sigh*
This story is the biggest piece of crap. So what if he said that the "B" stood for "Barack" before the facts were out? That's an absolutely understandable assumption to make considering the charge was that she was for John McCain!
What? Was the supposed mugger supposed to have meant the "B" to stand for "Bob Barr" the libertarian candidate?
I think not. It's ludicrous that TPM is trying to make this story to be more incendiary that it really is. Bottom line, some woman with a history of mental problems said and did something that she later confessed was all her and some guy who worked for the campaign made an easy to make assumption and then the atom bomb dropped.
I have campaigned for Barack Obama in four states and I said that the "B" stood for "Barack"
But I guess that's going out on a limb.
October 25, 2008 3:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
TIKITEMBO,
IF the story had been true, why couldn't the attacker who carved the B have meant bit_h, bimbo, butthead, broad, or any of a myriad of other words that start with "b"? Why did it have to be Barrack? Because Mr. Feldman saw a chance to get in an under the radar smear at Mr. Obama and appeal to any subliminal racist feelings he could bring out in people. The fact that the story was a hoax blew that plan up in his face and made the McCain campaign look even more small-minded and desparate than before.
October 27, 2008 10:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's kind of hard to take Republicans seriously at this point.
It's been hard for me since Reagan said ketchup was a vegetable.
October 24, 2008 10:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Having lived in San Diego for 15-odd years, I can assure anyone & everyone that Duncan Hunter is a slimebag scumbot.
The last three years I was there I was driving past his office off Fletcher Parkway every morning on my way to work and I never missed a chance to give him a one-fingered salute.
October 24, 2008 5:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
No joke. When Matthews called him on it, he added that Obama is articulate and a good debater.
As we speak, I'm sure there people cutting a video that will soon hit YouTube.
October 24, 2008 5:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
This woman appears the Tawana Brawley of the McKKAIN followers.
Tawana Brawley allegdly faked her own kidnapping and rape several years ago in upstate NY. Al Sharpton defended her. I'm not saying that Tawana Brawley faked anything bu this woman, a McKKKain supporter apparently did fake this to get independent voters to see Obama supporters as hateful and violent.
This has only made McKKKain supporters look bizarre and deceptive.
Please answer a poll on health care at http://poll.democratz.org
You can watch Countdown with Keith Olbermann at http://liberal.democratz.org
October 24, 2008 5:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
""He's got good teeth"?
CT, that alarmed me as well. Look, I know how phenomenally lame playing the race card can be - and I don't mean to play it now. But when I heard him say that"he has good teeth", I immediately envisioned slaves being inspected like cattle while on the auction block.
October 24, 2008 6:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Slaves, horses...what's the diff??
October 24, 2008 6:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
lol
October 24, 2008 6:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
All the better to eat you with, my dear.
October 24, 2008 6:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Democratz.org poster: You are not saying Tawana Brawley faked her abduction? Are you kidding? Everyone in New York has known for about 20 years that she made the whole thing up and Sharpton, Maddox hyped it for their own gain and then were in too deep to admit their mistake and apologize so they just ran with it (ruining some careers and lives in the process but of course that didn't matter). Come on. Don't bring it up if you don't know what you're talking about or be honest if you do. Brawley, Maddox, Sharpton didn't even have the mental illness excuse. They just outright lied for years (and have yet to make amends). I am no republican but this woman appears to have some problems. If McCain's camp tried to exploit the story without checking it, it is another indictment of their campaign. But don't stretch the story to compare it to a much more malicious act.
October 24, 2008 9:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
CT Voter,
I think when Kaneblues says "he's got good teeth", he or she means Obama BITES BACK. He doesn't lie down and take McCain kicking him in the kidneys.
It doesn't have anything to do with slavery.
Weird that nobody got this.
October 24, 2008 9:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
What, is he a horse for sale or something?
October 24, 2008 5:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
So, Obama is winning because he's a dental hygienist's dream.
You couldn't make this stuff up if you tried!
October 24, 2008 10:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
So, Obama is winning because he's a dental hygienist's dream.
As Hunter Thompson said:
‘When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.’
October 24, 2008 10:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
He's winning, because his name isn't Duncan!
October 25, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, let them look at his teeth....
Didn't they do that some 200 years ago at certain "auctions" ?
October 25, 2008 11:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Wow Greg, great catch. This is sort of big...
October 24, 2008 5:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
yeah, and kind of funny too.
THIS
October 24, 2008 5:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
IS
October 24, 2008 5:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
EXCELLENT
October 24, 2008 5:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
NEWS
October 24, 2008 5:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
NEWS
October 24, 2008 5:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
FOR...
October 24, 2008 5:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Joe the Plastic Surgeon!
October 24, 2008 6:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
FOR FLESH-EATING MARTIANS WHO WILL COMMIT VOTER FRAUD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(sorry. couldn't resist)
October 24, 2008 5:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'll say. Why were they pushing the story when he had few facts? What did he tell the national campaign? Will the McCain campaign fire Feldman?
And now that I think about it, When will John McCain repudiate Peter Feldman.
Inquiring minds want to know.
October 24, 2008 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've got to say (resisting the urge to get all conspiratorial) there's an obvious explanation here.
By all accounts, Todd went to her friends' apartment and relayed the bogus story, and they encouraged her to go to the police. They believed it was true, and they were all McCain/College Republican workers. Presumably, they recounted her story to higher-ups in the campaign, who then blabbed it to the media.
October 24, 2008 5:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
This seems reasonable. Feldman should have kept quiet about it until knowing more. In this context, it's a lapse in judgment on his part. A lapse that reflects a willingness to believe an ugly story involving a large black mean with a knife.
On the other hand, the McCain campaign hasn't been exactly reasonable of late.
October 24, 2008 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why do they keep going for the bullshit stories? Joe the not-so-plumber. And now this?
Come on McCain camp!! Why turn yourselves into a mockery?
Freaking unbelievable.
October 24, 2008 5:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
But a dingo really DID eat her baby.
October 24, 2008 5:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Another reason not to vote for mcShame. Imagine if there was some crisis, and instead of waiting to see what actually had occurred, they simply had a knee jerk reaction. Just another example of reckless and erratic behavior by these hapless clowns.
October 24, 2008 5:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bingo!
October 24, 2008 5:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
three words:
NEXT. STOP. BAGHDAD.
October 24, 2008 5:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey, we (Battleship Maine) would (Grenada) never (Tonkin Gulf) do (Panama) something (Iraq WMD) like (Iran-Contra) that, would we?
October 24, 2008 6:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
EXACTLY!
October 24, 2008 6:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Excellent follow-up, Greg. Really outstanding work.
If the McCain campaign has any integrity left, Feldman will be fired, immediately.
October 24, 2008 5:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
yeah great work!
What the hell was Feldman thinking? Must have been a hard couple weeks for him, and this crazy story walks through his door...
October 24, 2008 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, that's a kind interpretation.
I think the fact that he started telling reporters this story before finding out the facts suggests that he really believed that this woman was attacked by a big black guy who carved "B for Barack" into her cheek.
Feldman was predisposed to believe an incendiary story that played on some really ugly racial stereotypes.
Shorter: he was a shit to begin with, even if he had a bad couple of weeks.
Yep, yep. Or, wink, wink. Just the kind of communicationgs director McCain can be proud of.
October 24, 2008 5:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Seems to me this "all too rapid response" likely relates to all the concern that they were whipping up their supporters into a frenzy at rallies and that someone could get hurt. So.... either they set this up themselves. Or seize on it as a "proof" that Obama supporters are rabid maniacs, full of aggression.
More than anything, Obama supporters have been peaceful and working hard to get the word out. With no violence involved.
They so wanted to get Obama or his supporters angry. But it's never worked. And it's not gonna work. And now they've only blackened their own eyes and made themselves look like fools and clowns in a circus!
October 24, 2008 5:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
I like the "blackened their own eyes" snark....
October 24, 2008 5:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Speaking of which, how did she get the black eye? If she used makeup, she was smart enough to blacken the opposite eye above the nose but not smart enough to make the B face the right way? Or did she have somebody punch her?
October 24, 2008 6:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
The wanted to do a remake of "Birth of A Nation" and see if it could win an Oscar in 2009.
Don't forget, College Republicans are the origins of Karl Rove, Gunner Nordquist, Jack Abramoff and Lee Atwater (rip) and a cast of thousands.
October 24, 2008 11:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
In other words, Feldman will probably be promoted.
October 24, 2008 5:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Medal of honor from bush!
October 24, 2008 5:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yup.
October 24, 2008 6:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
These guys are setting world records for mendacity.
October 24, 2008 5:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Who knows? This may just be the warm-up to the real record-setting!
October 24, 2008 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, let's recap today's stories.
1. McCain supporter makes up cockamamie story of being attacked because she's a McCain supporter. One of McCain's flacks, apparently feeling this isn't good enough, embellishes the story further. They all end up looking pretty stoopid.
2. NM Republicans wind up with their asses hanging out over the story of 28 ineligible voters, so they proceed to send a PI to harass and intimidate these people.
3. IN Supreme Court tells GOP to go home and stop trying to keep people in heavily Democratic areas from early voting.
Did I miss anything? And this is just today.
October 24, 2008 5:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
This. This is the best day ever. It's like Christmas, the Fourth of July and my birthday all rolled in to one.
New Years Eve, too.
October 24, 2008 8:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
isn't that normal republican B. S.
October 24, 2008 8:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let's face it - if the the roles were reversed and it was the Obama campaign communications director of any state pushing the story everyone would be talking about it being another Tawana Brawley hoax.
October 24, 2008 5:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can we get this front-paged, please? This needs to be a big story.
October 24, 2008 5:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
This has major legs!! Highly suspicious.
October 24, 2008 5:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gee, a show of hands as to who thinks this was planned not by a college kid, but by the likes of Steve Schmitt??
Could Ashley Todd be this week's Joe The Plumber gone awry??
October 24, 2008 5:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ehhh... i doubt it, i would hope that Schmitt was a bit smarter then this. There was just so many mistakes in this case which allowed it to be shot down way to quickly for it to spread and make any impact. The main focus of the "attack" revolves around 3 things, 1. ATM machine, 2. being attacked, 3. The B.
1. If you were going to plan this then he would of gotten someone to find a ATM with a crappy camera and have someone pretend to force her to take money out and then go off camera. Since she never was at the ATM where she said it happen then the entire claim falls apart instantly, the cops are going to check the ATM cam right away and i would hope Schmitt would of known that.
2. If your going to claim you got attacked and got hit over the head, and also i guess claim you were groped a bit(she really went ugly in the race baiting there didnt she? The whole Big black guy attacking/mugging/groping of a white women) then the police would verify that right away. If it was planned better then they would of staged this to make it look realistic, once again though this did not happen and make her look like she was lying at the get go. Also if this was done more professionally she would of had just one story and sticked to it instead of telling multiple recounts of the attack. Once again i think if they were going to have anything to do with this stunt they would of thought it through for longer then a half a second.
3. Once again if this was done by someone who at least can think on a grade level above a 3rd grader then they would of not have the B look like it was scratched into her face by herself in a mirror. They would of had someone do it with a knife and had her struggle while doing it to make it look real, and it would of been a O not a stupid B. (I mean come on who the hell says iam a Barack supporter, Its OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA, most of the people who identify him as just Barack are Republicans) This hoax even have Republicans thinking it was fake from the get go, it just had way to many holes in it to make it anything but a negative for McCain because of it makes McCain supporters look bad.
I could be wrong though, and i do hope i am. Because if Schmitt is so dumb to have planned this then he most likely will get caught and then be charged for crimes.
October 24, 2008 5:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Look, they planned to have mcShame use Joe the Plumber. And look how quickly that got blown away! And they "picked" Palin. And how did that turn out?
You think they can't do stupid encores? Of course they can!
October 24, 2008 6:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nah, the way i see it the Joe the plumber, and Palin pick, backs up my statement of saying this wasn't planned high up. I do not think the McCain camp planted Joe the plumber, i think he was a repug tool who did it on his own and Obama saying spread the wealth around caught the attention of repug's and that made its way to McCain's advisors who jumped on the opening with out thinking it through. It has been one of the themes of the McCain campaign. They keep trying to do stunts with out thinking it through. Just like Palin, they didn't think it over.
Following this trend they most likely got word about this story then sought to use it to their advantage, and once again they didn't think it over and they looked like idiots. Which is the complete reverse compared to the Obama campaign which has gotten the reputation of thinking about all the variables and having Obama being the final word on such matters. Instead of a pack of chickens with their heads cut off, latching onto anything they run into.
October 24, 2008 6:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's "would have" not "would of"
October 24, 2008 6:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
The next time someone from the media throws Tawana Brawley in Al Sharpton's face, you just know he's going to come back with Ashley Todd.
October 24, 2008 5:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Seems like this is a description of their whole campaign. Honestly, I think if you had a bunch of 4th graders managing a project, they would do better at it than these supposed adults. I'm not kidding.
October 24, 2008 5:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Has either Obama or McCain commented on the story since Ms. Todd confessed?
October 24, 2008 5:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
No, Obama's dealing with something very important right now. Besides, the less he says about this, the less his name is associated to McCain's latest fuck-up!
Me thinks this was supposed to be some kind of October Surprise to turn voters off towards Obama and it completely blew up in their face.
October 24, 2008 5:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm with you: the less said about this from the Obama campaign, the better. Let the media report the truth (they love a good "hoax" story, so it's not like this one isn't going to get covered). Obama really doesn't benefit from commenting on this much. If asked, he can continue to say what he has been saying about the tone of the race in general, and the need for calm to prevail. But he shouldn't be put in a position where he could be seen as "attacking" the girl post-facto. There's no gain in that, and it's not his style, anyway.
Whatever her motives, this kid is clearly unhinged. While I despise the people who pushed this story, and I have no respect for those who ran with it without doing their journalistic homework, I also think we really need to stay away from this. It's an object lesson in the dangers of race-baiting and desperation - and we don't need to ramp up the atmosphere that will create more of that by harping on this story, or appearing to "gloat" in any way.
For heaven's sake, even Michelle Malkin was calling this out as hoax and asking for restraint. Michelle Malkin. I thought my brain was gonna espload!! I cannot believe I am saying this - and I am absolutely certain that I will never say it again - but I hope that our side is able to show the same kind of restraint in our response to the emerging details of the hoax story that Malkin did to the initially hyped "assault."
Let's all let law enforcement do its job here. Our job right now is to turn out votes for Obama!
October 24, 2008 6:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gonna work my legs off this weekend and for 4 days to GOTV!
October 24, 2008 8:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama doesn't need to say a word about this.
This thing's going to be known, everywhere. And it's pretty freaking self-explanatory. Biden may mention it in passing, but there's not even a reason for that even. Just wait for Saturday's SNL.....
October 24, 2008 6:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
First, Ashley was not a "volunteer." She appears to have been a paid College Republicans (CR) operative.
Second, Ashley was twittering on "lifeinthefield dot com" where she was one of 50 CR's in the field being followed.
Third, Ashley may be a walking talking case of voter fraud, according to her current voter registration.
She is indeed from the Rochester, NY area but her voter registration (and that of her parents) is attached to a dariy farm in Blossvale, NY that her parents sold in October 2007. Both Ashley and her dad voted from this address in the 2007 election.
And Texas does not show a current voter registration for Ashley M. Todd.
October 24, 2008 5:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ashley was not a "volunteer." She appears to have been a paid College Republicans (CR) operative.
Is there any evidence of this? Is the idea that participation in lifeinthefield shows she was a paid campaign person by itself? Thanks.
October 24, 2008 5:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Indeed, my friend.
Ashley was a "field rep" for the CRNC. CRNC said they would hire about 50-60 positions.
Pay for the job was $3,600.
The program description is here:
http://crnation.com/2008/03/28/crnc-field-program-update/
Also, CRNC Executive Director Ethan Eilon is quoted saying "we terminated her effective today" on the current CR Nation dot com post. You don't terminate volunteers.
October 24, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ok. If she was "employed," this is another perfect example that these folks have never vetted anyone! Not their VP. Not even their field reps! The utterly hapless nature of this campaign is an absolute blight upon our national honor - if we have anay left to be tarnshied. The repubs are turning out to be some kind of fraternity hazing/initiation process being run without any forethought whatsoever.
You begin to wonder if all these clowns have going for them as effort after effort to grab media attention... no matter how bizarre, regardless of any truth value or redeeming social purpose.
It is the total dead-end of a political party.
October 24, 2008 5:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
I even previewed... but no I didn't catch the typos. Should have read:
"national honor if we have any left to be tarnished"
October 24, 2008 5:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Also, the McCain campaign made sure to inform CNN she was a "volunteer" only, and CNN made sure to clarify that to it's viewers. So, where is the truth here? Is the McCain camp lying about that too?
October 24, 2008 5:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Where is Sherlock Holmes when you need him?
October 24, 2008 5:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Perhaps as in,
"No shit, Sherlock!"
"Keep digging, Watson!"
(sorry, couldn't help it, huge Holmes fan myself...)
October 24, 2008 6:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
See below. She's a "volunteer" for McCain but a paid operative for the NCRC.
Plausible deniability.
October 24, 2008 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow. Thanks for the information.
October 24, 2008 5:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Keep in mind she's a National College Republican Committee person. She does not draw her $ from the McCain campaign.
GOP organizations use this tactic all the time for plausible deniability.
The NCRC has an umbrella of "affiliated organizations" where they pay for field operatives. And they're notoriously dishonest too. They fundraise extensively and tap the elderly for repeated small contributions.
October 24, 2008 5:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I mean CRNC.
October 24, 2008 5:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow!
October 24, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Imagine if McCain, early in the general campaign, had tried to address the issue of race and made it clear that with an AA opponent, instances of racism wouldn't be tolerated. McCain has instead shown no moral leadership. McCain didn't make this up, but so many of the state-level Republicans have shown such horrible racist tendencies that McCain, if he had any clout and leadership, would have made it clear this is unacceptable.
October 24, 2008 11:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Imagine if McCain, early in the general campaign, had tried to address the issue of race and made it clear that with an AA opponent, instances of racism wouldn't be tolerated. McCain has instead shown no moral leadership. McCain didn't make this up, but so many of the state-level Republicans have shown such horrible racist tendencies that McCain, if he had any clout and leadership, would have made it clear this is unacceptable.
October 24, 2008 11:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
This was the big plan to win Pennsylvania? Looks like it backfired.
October 24, 2008 5:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Now they're going to have to cancel that commercial where everyone was going to say "I'm Ashley Todd".
October 24, 2008 5:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ok = they're in it up to their eyebrows - so we can quit letting McLame off the hook here.
What else did I miss - I lost electricity, again - if this hasn't been the worst season here for this shit - I make it through this season I can make it through anything. They've closed our dead end road while they were working on the highway you can't get in, you can't out; they severed my phone cable twice; I've lost electricity 4 times - oy!
sorry - it's been very frustrating -
October 24, 2008 5:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe Drudge will run your story if you'd just say it was repub subversives who know you post at TPM.
October 24, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
O my god, what a great idea!
LOL!!!
October 24, 2008 5:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Seriously (well, snark coming... so not so seriously)... but if the mcShame folks were to hire a detective, they'd hire Clueseau for sure!
October 24, 2008 5:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gosh, nothing much has been happening around here.
NOT!
October 24, 2008 5:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well tell me - don't just lay down the snark and leave me hanging!
;)
October 24, 2008 5:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was just teasing. You showed back up right at the same time this story was posted.
Coincidence? Maybe you're the bad-luck penny for the McCain campaign....
If so, you may not leave Election Central discussion boards ever again between now and election day. You simply have to make that sacrifice for the greater good.
October 24, 2008 5:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
O god CT, that would make my life - to be the bad penny for the McLame Camp!
I see below that early voting finally coaxed a bit of optimism out of the Obama Campaign.
:)
October 24, 2008 5:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey Guys especially you TinaX your Favorite Republican Dragon here.Its CRAP like this that make me want to Register as an Independant!!!!
October 24, 2008 8:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Another day, another disaster for McCain. What's next? Bigfoot Takes Massive Dump on the Straight-Talk Express?
October 24, 2008 5:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Too bad Hunter Thompson isn't with us anymore. McShame needs a BooHoo!!
October 25, 2008 4:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
This takes the story out of the realm of "mentally-unhinged low-level campaign worker does something insanely stupid and crazy" to the level of political scandal directly involving the campaign. It connects the campaign to the hoax.
Of course, it's still unclear what was behind this -- whether she had co-conspirators from the start or whether she was put up to it, for example.
But even if it was just her, it does point up one thing -- hate speech begets hateful actions. As John Lewis himself pointed out. Which is why McShame and Failin bear some culpability.
October 24, 2008 5:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly. This shows that the McCain Campaign tried to make an election issue out of this. This should be the news story coming out of this incident.
October 24, 2008 5:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Last night I thought this was a pretty idiotic story and wouldn't really go anywhere. Just a crazy's ramblings.
These developments turn it into something huge: However it's spun, it looks really bad. But, yes, this was an attempt to change the story of the election in PA. Wow.
October 24, 2008 6:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
who cleared Peter Feldman, the PA McCain spokesman, to talk to the press on the race baiting attack story? did this guy act on his own? This is going to have legs... it's on the front page of fox.
October 24, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's the CNN video as reported by Rick Sanchez.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/24/rick-sanchez-calls-out-me_n_137679.html
The woman is reportedly mentally unstable. Charges are being pressed against her for filing a false police report.
Utterly disgusting. If there is any respectable person left on the McCain campaign, I do not understand how they can make it through the next 11 days. Charles Fried of Harvard Law School apparently couldn't stand anymore, resigned from the campaign's advisory panels and voted for Obama absentee.
October 24, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was loathe to pin this story on McCain, just as the Obama people weren't responsible for the faux-pregnancy story of Palin -- until now.
Contrast how the Obama camp handed the faux-pregnancy story to how McCain's camp handled this. My right-of-center friends are going to be confronted with this.
The beauty is you don't have to shout. The facts speak for themselves. I think all supporters of Obama should remind their friends of the contrast in behavior. The logic is irresistible to all but the most willfully ignorant.
October 24, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nice to see someone finally get it - yes they do go that low.
O yes. Now they're saying they had to force those designer clothes on Princess Sparkle Starburst. Sure they did - she didn't even try them on - that's how come they all fit like they were made for her.
Jesus lady = quit now. And if you really don't want those clothes, I'll take anything in a size 4 - I'll just clean you stink off it.
October 24, 2008 5:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not only did she not want them, but evidently most of them haven't even been worn. My advice? Just STFU about this. The more it's mentioned, the more the press is going to talk about it.
And you KNOW Norm Coleman and Jeff Larson probably just want this whole situation to go away, pronto.
October 24, 2008 5:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
I haven't seen anybody put this stuff together: the guy who authorized the clothes for Palin is also the Republican operative who has been giving sleazeball Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman a sweet-heart deal on a Capitol Hill apartment.... and Coleman has recently come under the magnifying glass for ...ahem... not buying his own suits. Jeez, do you think there could be a connection? And wouldn't it be embarrassing if the Coleman and Palin wardrobes got mixed up at the cleaner's?
October 24, 2008 6:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have NEVER had clothes off the rack fit that well. She is full of it.
October 24, 2008 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Give me a huge break, please. I might fit into something right off the rack, but not 50 outfits right off the rack.
She tried them on and I will bet you that alterations were done very quickly.
That shit does fit her like it was made for her - and I think she has a mean, heavy, unattractive face, but the clothes look good on her. I have to say it.
October 24, 2008 6:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
They spent 98 bucks on sewing supplies in Manhattan. That means one thing--someone, presumably not Moose-killer--was hired to do the alterations in-house.
That 98 bucks pretty much gives the lie to a lot of their spin attempts.
That and the 22k for makeup for the last two weeks . . .
that's a lotta lipstick for one pig.
October 24, 2008 9:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah but Palin is a lot of pig! 22K is cheap given the amount of face Bondo she requires and and the drying time needed between layers. You don't won't cracking after all, that would look as bad as one of her interviews!
October 25, 2008 9:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
If she can't stand up to wardrobe consultants, how can she stand up to, etc.
October 24, 2008 6:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
The wardrobe is a red herring. Deal with some real issues like her creationism.
Personally, I'm not sure you got my post and you went right back to name-calling. Why are you so afraid to let the facts speak clearly? Don't you want to convince others of the logic behind your thoughts. That's how you win people over... and as an attorney you know that!
If you want to change the national dialog, do it. Otherwise, in 4 years we will be back to silly season -- because so-called "progressives" contribute just as much to it as people on the right.
October 25, 2008 5:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Your right of center friends respond to facts and logic? Wow. Lucky. I had a right wing friend who was responsive to facts and logic once, but his wife got a job in another state and he had to move.
October 24, 2008 9:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
LOL!!
I guess the Fox News VP knew what he was talking about.
October 24, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes Kash, you called that one.
October 24, 2008 5:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was totally envisioning a McCain ad being made had this gone the way they planned it - imagine this. November 1-4th, an ad as follows would have ran on every network:
Ashley's "beaten" face. Dissolve to another girl, a "B" etched into her face...the camera backs up slowly to reveal thousands of young females with "B" etched into their cheek.
ALL of them wearing McCain/Palin t-shirts and carrying a candle.
NOW, looks like the plans and bought air time for that ad are now in the crapper, eh?
Pathetic!
October 24, 2008 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe I'm missing something here:
Did Todd go to the police first, or to McCain's camp (notwithstanding an inside job...)?
When was the police call made and when was the TV interview? Sorry if this was already amswered somewhere else....
October 24, 2008 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
This story is starting to have a "what did you know and when did you know it" quality to it.
October 24, 2008 5:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, when there's a crime, there is an investigation. Wonder if McCain will send his plumbers (Joe?)to try and thwart *this one*?
Punters...
October 24, 2008 5:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
McPain does not even know a plumber
October 24, 2008 8:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Absolutely. And I have a feeling it has long distance legs as well. Race baiting while your oponent visits his ailing White grandmother, Not good.
October 24, 2008 5:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Do you know Dan Riehl? (not personally, of course)
Here's what Riehl said about Obama and his grandmother:
October 24, 2008 6:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
O. My. God.
October 24, 2008 6:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Jesus. I don't know the guy unpersonally either. But Wow!!!
October 24, 2008 6:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is this true??????? Who is this guy and where did he say this?
October 24, 2008 6:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, sadly, it's true. He's a wingnut blogger. Here's the permalink (H/T Andrew Sullivan). Be warned: you may need disinfectant after reading.
Dan Riehl on Obama and Obama's grandmother. Hint: it isn't pretty.
October 24, 2008 6:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks. Wow, kind of glad I didn't know who he was. Don't you wonder how someone could think that let alone put it into print? What kind of sick mind does that take?
October 24, 2008 6:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Guys haven't we grown some thick skin by now? I would think that we wouldn't get shocked by crap like this by now.
October 24, 2008 6:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Speaking for myself, my skin has gotten considerably thicker of the last several years, but every once in awhile, the sheer depravity of some mainstream writers on the right still manages to sting.
As Amelie says, what kind of person even thinks this way?
October 24, 2008 6:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sad to say this is tame compared to a lot of crap on FreeRepublic.
October 24, 2008 10:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
yeah. And Obama doesn't have to say a thing about it. This one's going viral.
October 24, 2008 6:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
How in the world was he pushing the story even before Drudge had the details? This shit looks odd indeed...
October 24, 2008 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
There was a scene in the movie "Mean Girls" where the REALLY stupid, comically stupid even, character makes the same mistake with a necklace.
Now I'm not saying that there aren't any masochistic dyslexic muggers who like to carve, but my guess is it is much easier to find stupid McCain supporters than it is to find thieves with such predilections. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure "Stupid McCain supporter" is a bit redundant. If not for stupid people would there even be a Republican party? Think on it over the weekend…
When I first heard this story I didn't believe it. Then I saw the picture and thought, "Well, maybe they just reversed the negative and printed a transposed version of the photo." When that didn't pan out I knew the story was bs.
I think the punishment for making this story up should be sterilization. We just don't need her swimming around in the gene pool.
October 24, 2008 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can think of many problems that some selective sterilizations might have solved. I wish Barbara Bush had been spayed, for example.
October 24, 2008 6:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Stay classy, McCain camp.
October 24, 2008 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think its about time that McCain packs up and gets the hell out of my state-
Imagine how fix news would report on a retaliation against any of the mccain offices for attempting to incite a race riot.
11 days.
October 24, 2008 5:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ms. Todd hails from a dairy farm in Blossvale, NY. I doubt the place has "wrong side of the tracks" or any people of color.
She was born in 1983, so she's 25.
October 24, 2008 5:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
An unstable McCain supporter??? WHODATHUNK!
And here, I thought all of the unstable McCain supporters had messy blond hair, wore red t-shirts and thought Obama was a...a....a...a...Arab.
October 24, 2008 5:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you for leaving out the "n."
The missing "n" is so important. It's the most beautiful part of that sound bite.
He's a Arab.
October 24, 2008 6:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ms. Todd hails from a dairy farm in Blossvale, NY. I doubt the place has "wrong side of the tracks" or any people of color.
She was born in 1983, so she's 25.
October 24, 2008 5:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
The stupidest part is that she likely used a mirror when carving the "B" on her face. Result is a backwards B. Reminds me of the time a friend decided to make block-print Christmas cards. They all said "LEON."
October 24, 2008 5:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Tena,
I feel bad for ya with the weather and all. With all the snow, I just hope you don't start seeing two twin girl ghosts in the hallways saying "Hello Tena!" in British accents OR you start typing "All work and no play makes this Obama supporter a dull girl" over and over again on your computer! :-)
October 24, 2008 5:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's not snowing. It's been cold but clear. The snow I was talking about this AM is mad-made - they've started laying down a base up at the Ski resort. It's nice outside right now - probably 70 and sunny. It's just that once the sun goes down it will get cold and my heat is partly electric - the heat up front where I need it most.
Thank god everything else is gas - PNM hasn't fucked me over - yet.
October 24, 2008 5:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's been a long day, so I want to make sure that I am not missing the subtext of this. When I first read Greg's piece, my reaction was not that this guy was inappropriately fanning the flames, but rather that he had been in on the hoax from the start, and was now doing his part to push it. It seems kind of like the person who knowns details of a crime about which only the guilty person could have known. Does anyone have a good timeline of when and where this guy got his information?
Pennsylvania is supposedly McCain's last stand. Not that I'm worried or anything, but if it could be shown that this was more than just the actions of a seriously misguided young woman and that some coordination existed with at least the state campaign, that would just be a real gift.
October 24, 2008 5:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Has there been an uglier incident in presidential politics since 1968?
October 24, 2008 5:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Joe the Plumber is considering running for congress in 2010?!?! Is this for fucking real?
October 24, 2008 5:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mr. $250,000 a year plumber does realize he'd have to take a pay cut, right?
October 24, 2008 5:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think he only makes $40,000 per year. The guy is a total moron.
October 24, 2008 6:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wait - are you saying you think people who make $40,000 a year are total morons. You elitist!
October 24, 2008 6:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well I'm Ben the UNION plumber and I make at least 80 grand a year. There is no way that I will ever vote for a piece of crap republican, and for everybody's info I happen to have a lot of rape uclians ( not mispelled) who are friends in offices.
October 24, 2008 8:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good Work TPM. I'm waiting for Huffpo to pick it up.
October 24, 2008 5:47 PM | Reply | Permalink