20 year old McCain volunteer attacked in Pittburgh

[luckystar112]

YUP! She made it up!

She confessed. She''s now facing charges.

 

[E B]

McCain Campaign Worker Admits Making Up Story

Less than two weeks, less than two weeks....

ETA: Lucky beat me to it!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 10/24/2008 2:08:07 PM
Author: luckystar112
YUP! She made it up!

She confessed. She's now facing charges.

OMG.

There are words for people like her, but it's against PS rules for me to say them here.

ETA: I've heard it said that the election hinges on Pennsylvania. I guess this was a misguided effort to sway more Pennsylvania voters to vote for McCain. As someone who lives in Pennsylvania, I'm not amused.

 

[luckystar112]

Date: 10/24/2008 2:09:54 PM
Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 10/24/2008 2:08:07 PM
Author: luckystar112
YUP! She made it up!

She confessed. She''s now facing charges.

OMG.

There are words for people like her, but it''s against PS rules for me to say them here.

ETA: I''ve heard it said that the election hinges on Pennsylvania. I guess this was a misguided effort to sway more Pennsylvania voters to vote for McCain. As someone who lives in Pennsylvania, I''m not amused.

Not to mention Murtha calling western PA a bunch of racists. Thanks for the help, Ashley!

Some are saying she did it because Sean Hannity was going to be in town? I''m sure she did it for a bunch of reasons, but mostly because she''s a freaking lunatic.

Found this pic, thought it added a *little* humor. What a joke.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Date: 10/24/2008 2:09:54 PM
Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 10/24/2008 2:08:07 PM
Author: luckystar112
YUP! She made it up!

She confessed. She''s now facing charges.

OMG.

There are words for people like her, but it''s against PS rules for me to say them here.

ETA: I''ve heard it said that the election hinges on Pennsylvania. I guess this was a misguided effort to sway more Pennsylvania voters to vote for McCain. As someone who lives in Pennsylvania, I''m not amused.

DH''s family lives in PA. His youngest bro has been undecided, up until now... this news pushed him over the edge.

He''s decided to vote for Obama.

Before anyone goes to flame him, I can vouch for the fact that he did do his homework!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 10/24/2008 5:36:31 PM
Author: ChargerGrrl

Date: 10/24/2008 2:09:54 PM
Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 10/24/2008 2:08:07 PM
Author: luckystar112
YUP! She made it up!

She confessed. She''s now facing charges.

OMG.

There are words for people like her, but it''s against PS rules for me to say them here.

ETA: I''ve heard it said that the election hinges on Pennsylvania. I guess this was a misguided effort to sway more Pennsylvania voters to vote for McCain. As someone who lives in Pennsylvania, I''m not amused.

DH''s family lives in PA. His youngest bro has been undecided, up until now... this news pushed him over the edge.

He''s decided to vote for Obama.

Before anyone goes to flame him, I can vouch for the fact that he did do his homework!

YAY for your BIL, ChargerGrrl! I''m glad to see that this girl''s messed-up little stunt is BACKFIRING!!!

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Date: 10/24/2008 5:44:10 PM
Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 10/24/2008 5:36:31 PM
Author: ChargerGrrl


DH''s family lives in PA. His youngest bro has been undecided, up until now... this news pushed him over the edge.

He''s decided to vote for Obama.

Before anyone goes to flame him, I can vouch for the fact that he did do his homework!

YAY for your BIL, ChargerGrrl! I''m glad to see that this girl''s messed-up little stunt is BACKFIRING!!!

Now we just have to work on my FIL- he thinks that Palin is the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 10/24/2008 5:53:54 PM
Author: ChargerGrrl

Date: 10/24/2008 5:44:10 PM
Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 10/24/2008 5:36:31 PM
Author: ChargerGrrl


DH''s family lives in PA. His youngest bro has been undecided, up until now... this news pushed him over the edge.

He''s decided to vote for Obama.

Before anyone goes to flame him, I can vouch for the fact that he did do his homework!

YAY for your BIL, ChargerGrrl! I''m glad to see that this girl''s messed-up little stunt is BACKFIRING!!!

Now we just have to work on my FIL- he thinks that Palin is the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[luckystar112]

I had a feeling it was going to backfire, and people can vote for whoever they want, but I have to say I just don''t understand that reasoning.
You spend all your time researching both candidates and can''t make a decision...and then you base your decision on a random stranger who does something psychotic?

When the man decided to take a woman''s McCain sign and beat her with it I didn''t hear any undecideds saying that was the straw that broke the camel''s back. It''s not like McCain or Obama or their policies have anything to do with it.

Anyway...can you believe this girl?

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_595052.html

"She just opened up and said she wanted to tell the truth," Bryant said. "She was upset with the media for blowing this into a political firestorm."

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Date: 10/24/2008 5:36:31 PM
Author: ChargerGrrl

Date: 10/24/2008 2:09:54 PM
Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 10/24/2008 2:08:07 PM
Author: luckystar112
YUP! She made it up!

She confessed. She''s now facing charges.

OMG.

There are words for people like her, but it''s against PS rules for me to say them here.

ETA: I''ve heard it said that the election hinges on Pennsylvania. I guess this was a misguided effort to sway more Pennsylvania voters to vote for McCain. As someone who lives in Pennsylvania, I''m not amused.

DH''s family lives in PA. His youngest bro has been undecided, up until now... this news pushed him over the edge.

He''s decided to vote for Obama.

Before anyone goes to flame him, I can vouch for the fact that he did do his homework!

Okay, sorry, but this is hilarious to me. WTF? If this were my BIL I would have the right to make fun of him for at least 6 months.

"You know, BIL, I was thinking of buying you an iPhone for Christmas, but then I saw a bruised apple at the grocery store and went for a tie instead. That makes sense, right?"

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 10/24/2008 6:01:27 PM
Author: luckystar112
I had a feeling it was going to backfire, and people can vote for whoever they want, but I have to say I just don''t understand that reasoning.
You spend all your time researching both candidates and can''t make a decision...and then you base your decision on a random stranger who does something psychotic?

When the man decided to take a woman''s McCain sign and beat her with it I didn''t hear any undecideds saying that was the straw that broke the camel''s back. It''s not like McCain or Obama or their policies have anything to do with it.

Anyway...can you believe this girl?

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_595052.html

''She just opened up and said she wanted to tell the truth,'' Bryant said. ''She was upset with the media for blowing this into a political firestorm.''

Lucky, I didn''t hear of any either, but there probably were some. I agree that random acts of violence committed by supporters of either candidate shouldn''t be the deciding factor for an undecided voter. But, like you said, people can vote for whomever they choose, and everyone makes that decision in a different way. Like Chargergrrl said, her BIL did do his homework and is familiar with the candidates'' policies. Maybe he was leaning toward Obama in the first place, and this event just solidified his decision?

 

[luckylux]

Date: 10/24/2008 6:22:55 PM
Author: NewEnglandLady

Date: 10/24/2008 5:36:31 PM

Author: ChargerGrrl

Date: 10/24/2008 2:09:54 PM

Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 10/24/2008 2:08:07 PM

Author: luckystar112

YUP! She made it up!

She confessed. She''s now facing charges.

OMG.

There are words for people like her, but it''s against PS rules for me to say them here.

ETA: I''ve heard it said that the election hinges on Pennsylvania. I guess this was a misguided effort to sway more Pennsylvania voters to vote for McCain. As someone who lives in Pennsylvania, I''m not amused.

DH''s family lives in PA. His youngest bro has been undecided, up until now... this news pushed him over the edge.


He''s decided to vote for Obama.


Before anyone goes to flame him, I can vouch for the fact that he did do his homework!

Okay, sorry, but this is hilarious to me. WTF? If this were my BIL I would have the right to make fun of him for at least 6 months.


''You know, BIL, I was thinking of buying you an iPhone for Christmas, but then I saw a bruised apple at the grocery store and went for a tie instead. That makes sense, right?''

This seems a bit disrespectful to me. This is her BIL, not some random news bit.

 

[AprilBaby]

The backwards bit was a tipoff from the beginning..unless the attacker was dyslexic?

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 10/24/2008 8:12:43 PM
Author: AprilBaby
The backwards bit was a tipoff from the beginning..unless the attacker was dyslexic?

Not only the backwards bit, but really if you were going to carve your candidate''s initials into someone''s face (or a tree or anywhere else really), wouldn''t you do an O for Obama rather than a B for Barack? It just makes no sense.

 

[Ellen]

Once I saw the pic of her, I wasn''t buying it. What a sad person.

 

[iheartscience]

Apparently a McCain campaign aide pushed the story pretty hard. link

"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."

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Date: 10/24/2008 6:41:40 PM
Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 10/24/2008 6:01:27 PM
Author: luckystar112
I had a feeling it was going to backfire, and people can vote for whoever they want, but I have to say I just don''t understand that reasoning.
You spend all your time researching both candidates and can''t make a decision...and then you base your decision on a random stranger who does something psychotic?

When the man decided to take a woman''s McCain sign and beat her with it I didn''t hear any undecideds saying that was the straw that broke the camel''s back. It''s not like McCain or Obama or their policies have anything to do with it.

Anyway...can you believe this girl?

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_595052.html

''She just opened up and said she wanted to tell the truth,'' Bryant said. ''She was upset with the media for blowing this into a political firestorm.''

Lucky, I didn''t hear of any either, but there probably were some. I agree that random acts of violence committed by supporters of either candidate shouldn''t be the deciding factor for an undecided voter. But, like you said, people can vote for whomever they choose, and everyone makes that decision in a different way. Like Chargergrrl said, her BIL did do his homework and is familiar with the candidates'' policies. Maybe he was leaning toward Obama in the first place, and this event just solidified his decision?

Sheesh, i KNEW i shouldn''t have mentioned my BIL and his voting decision. How can people make such SNAP judgements without knowing background info?

Yep, Irish- you''re totally right. That''s where he was leaning to begin with...

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Date: 10/24/2008 6:22:55 PM
Author: NewEnglandLady

Date: 10/24/2008 5:36:31 PM
Author: ChargerGrrl


DH''s family lives in PA. His youngest bro has been undecided, up until now... this news pushed him over the edge.

He''s decided to vote for Obama.

Before anyone goes to flame him, I can vouch for the fact that he did do his homework!

Okay, sorry, but this is hilarious to me. WTF? If this were my BIL I would have the right to make fun of him for at least 6 months.

''You know, BIL, I was thinking of buying you an iPhone for Christmas, but then I saw a bruised apple at the grocery store and went for a tie instead. That makes sense, right?''

Oh, trust me- i''ve made enough fun of him already for not deciding earlier! That alone has provided enough material for the family.

Re: the highlighted part... gimme a break!

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Date: 10/24/2008 7:42:11 PM
Author: luckylux

Date: 10/24/2008 6:22:55 PM
Author: NewEnglandLady


Okay, sorry, but this is hilarious to me. WTF? If this were my BIL I would have the right to make fun of him for at least 6 months.


''You know, BIL, I was thinking of buying you an iPhone for Christmas, but then I saw a bruised apple at the grocery store and went for a tie instead. That makes sense, right?''

This seems a bit disrespectful to me. This is her BIL, not some random news bit.

THANKS, lucky.

 

[partgypsy]

Lest we judge her too harshly for puling a purely "political stunt" there are alot of people out there with serious mental health issues who cannot distinguish fantasy from reality. It sounds like there''s other stuff going on with this girl.

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 10/24/2008 9:42:14 PM
Author: part gypsy
Lest we judge her too harshly for puling a purely ''political stunt'' there are alot of people out there with serious mental health issues who cannot distinguish fantasy from reality. It sounds like there''s other stuff going on with this girl.

My problem is with the McCain campaign aide pushing this incendiary and (dare I say it?) racist story. I agree that this girl clearly has some mental health issues.

 

[luckystar112]

Date: 10/24/2008 8:27:32 PM
Author: ChargerGrrl

Date: 10/24/2008 6:41:40 PM
Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 10/24/2008 6:01:27 PM
Author: luckystar112
I had a feeling it was going to backfire, and people can vote for whoever they want, but I have to say I just don''t understand that reasoning.
You spend all your time researching both candidates and can''t make a decision...and then you base your decision on a random stranger who does something psychotic?

When the man decided to take a woman''s McCain sign and beat her with it I didn''t hear any undecideds saying that was the straw that broke the camel''s back. It''s not like McCain or Obama or their policies have anything to do with it.

Anyway...can you believe this girl?

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_595052.html

''She just opened up and said she wanted to tell the truth,'' Bryant said. ''She was upset with the media for blowing this into a political firestorm.''

Lucky, I didn''t hear of any either, but there probably were some. I agree that random acts of violence committed by supporters of either candidate shouldn''t be the deciding factor for an undecided voter. But, like you said, people can vote for whomever they choose, and everyone makes that decision in a different way. Like Chargergrrl said, her BIL did do his homework and is familiar with the candidates'' policies. Maybe he was leaning toward Obama in the first place, and this event just solidified his decision?

Sheesh, i KNEW i shouldn''t have mentioned my BIL and his voting decision. How can people make such SNAP judgements without knowing background info?

Yep, Irish- you''re totally right. That''s where he was leaning to begin with...

I wasn''t trying to start a fight.

You said he was leaning toward Obama and this solidified his decision, but I don''t understand why. Don''t feel like you have to defend anything...it''s just me wondering.

 

[luckystar112]

Date: 10/24/2008 9:55:25 PM
Author: thing2of2

Date: 10/24/2008 9:42:14 PM
Author: part gypsy
Lest we judge her too harshly for puling a purely 'political stunt' there are alot of people out there with serious mental health issues who cannot distinguish fantasy from reality. It sounds like there's other stuff going on with this girl.

My problem is with the McCain campaign aide pushing this incendiary and (dare I say it?) racist story. I agree that this girl clearly has some mental health issues.

Apparently she admitted she has mental health issues. I still don't think it's right though.

As for the McCain aide pushing the story.....did he contact the media, or did the media contact him? It doesn't say in any of the articles (unless I'm missing it...I only read two, one from dailykos and the one you linked). I think that makes a huge difference, because he could have just released the information (after being asked) before it was appropriate to do so, and that could easily be spun into "pushing the story".

ETA: Ah, the media contacted him, according to this link.

The KDKA reporter had called McCain's campaign office for details after seeing the story -- sans details -- teased on Drudge.

The Obama campaign complained that complained that the McCain campaign was spinning a "racially charged" version of the story...but it was the girl herself who said the "attacker" was black...not the aide. So in my opinion he just spoke too soon and it's now being spun into something it isn't. It's also on the local level...no one in the national headquarters has released any versions of the events.

I'm finding this fascinating. I'm still looking it up...but I guess we'll see. I can't blame them for falling for it though. The Obama camp did too, hence the statement they released.

See what you did Ashley Todd!!!

 

[goobear78]

I just realized why the B is backwards...because she "carved" it in while looking in the mirror. Oh my God, that is just so so so sad. There are no words.

 

[luckystar112]

Date: 10/24/2008 11:27:02 PM
Author: goobear78
I just realized why the B is backwards...because she ''carved'' it in while looking in the mirror. Oh my God, that is just so so so sad. There are no words.

Lol goobear! I know...it is kind of sad. But it''s a little funny, right? Am I the only one with a sick sense of humor? It just seems like she tried so hard to pull this off and it was the ultimate fail.

 

[iheartscience]

I think I would find it funnier if she didn''t pull the classic "the big black man did it!" story. Just like Susan Smith et al. It''s just one more thing to add onto the pile of crazy racist crap people are busting out because of this election.

 

[luckystar112]

Date: 10/24/2008 11:47:35 PM
Author: thing2of2
I think I would find it funnier if she didn''t pull the classic ''the big black man did it!'' story. Just like Susan Smith et al. It''s just one more thing to add onto the pile of crazy racist crap people are busting out because of this election.

I agree 100%. The whole thing was completely pathetic, but the racism really took the cake.

 

[iheartscience]

And as for who contacted who, of course the media contacted the campaign! But the aide busted out with a detailed version, including the fact that the "attacker" said that he was beating her because she was with the McCain campaign.

That's not something a campaign aide should be spreading around, in my opinion. And something tells me the McCain campaign will feel the same way-who wants to bet that aide gets the ax?

ETA that the campaign aide gave out this information before the police had confirmed the story, including the quotes from the "attacker."

 

[Rhea]

Date: 10/24/2008 9:42:14 PM
Author: part gypsy
Lest we judge her too harshly for puling a purely ''political stunt'' there are alot of people out there with serious mental health issues who cannot distinguish fantasy from reality. It sounds like there''s other stuff going on with this girl.

I agree! There are people who need help and it sounds like she may be one of them. I feel a bit bad for her.

 

[luckystar112]

The story gets even weirder...............

In March, Ms. Todd was asked to leave a grass-roots group of Ron Paul supporters in Brazos County, Texas, group leader Dustan Costine said. He said Ms. Todd posed as a supporter of former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and called the local Republican committee seeking information about its campaign strategies.

"She would call the opposing campaign and pretend she was on their campaign to get information," Mr. Costine said last night. "We had to remove her because of the tactics she displayed. After that we had nothing to do with her."

About a month earlier, he said, Ms. Todd sent an e-mail to the Ron Paul group saying her tires were slashed and that campaign paraphernalia had been stolen from her car because she supported Mr. Paul.

eta:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08299/922849-53.stm/