March 12th, 2010 // comments (0)
ROBERT FEDER’S GIMMICK
- Shawn WassonMarch 9th, 2010 // comments (0)
FOX/CNN/MSNBC DISSECTED
- Shawn WassonMarch 8th, 2010 // comments (0)
ROY ASHBURN: “I’M GAY”
- Shawn WassonMarch 8th, 2010 // comments (0)
BETTY WHITE TO SNL
- Shawn WassonMarch 8th, 2010 // comments (0)
PETA TARGETS SEAWORLD
- Shawn WassonMarch 7th, 2010 // comments (0)
ADAM GADAHN CAPTURED
- Shawn WassonMarch 6th, 2010 // comments (0)
NYT ON SCIENTOLOGY
- Shawn WassonFebruary 23rd, 2010 // comments (0)
PHOTOS: TOYOTA HEARINGS
- Shawn Wasson
October 24th, 2008 // comments (0)
McCain Staffer Attack Was A Hoax
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― 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.
Ashley Todd, 20, of Texas, initially told police that she was robbed at an ATM in Bloomfield and that the suspect became enraged and started beating her after seeing her GOP sticker on her car.
Police investigating the alleged attack, however, began to notice some inconsistencies in her story and administered a polygraph test.
Authorities, however, declined to release the results of that test.
Ashley Todd is now facing criminal charges herself…
I admit it, I bought the story once I laid eyes on the photo. The backwards ‘B’ wasn’t enough to throw me off because the story could have made sense with a simple explanation. I couldn’t think of anything that would possess a 20-year-old woman to do this to herself. She clearly has some mental issues and she should be ashamed of herself — which I’m sure she is at this point. She has deleted her MySpace, Facebook and Twitter accounts (how’s she going to get a hold of Rick Sanchez!) and Ashely has faded into the shadows. I’m guessing she will be charged with filing a false police report and the McCain campaign will want nothing to do with her.
Shfelby, Wildofski, RJ, Jordan, Flip and the rest of you in the comments threads who took me to task; YOU were right and I was wrong. There’s a danger to jumping out in front of shocking stories, the danger that you could be wrong or misled. I don’t see that as a fault on my part because my job is to cover explosive and interesting news as it develops, that’s what I do. From time to time I am bound to be wrong. I have you folks to thank for providing readers with additional information and alternative theories — that’s the point of this website. I won’t hide behind my remarks and switch the narrative like others. I’ll admit the mistake and move on. It just seems so bizarre to me that someone would do this to themselves. It seemed so far out of the realm of possibility that I had to side with someone who I looked at as a victim. A victim, she is not.
On another note, let’s remember how the media treated rumors of McCain/Palin fans screaming out ridiculous things at rallies. They didn’t question the story because it fit in with their belief system, it followed the narrative. I have no narrative other than interesting content. When the Secret Service investigated those rumors and found them to be false, the media did nothing. They created a disaster and left the rumor, then proven false, to be considered as fact. Therein lies the real problem with today’s media. A problem that I strive not to replicate.
To those of you that helped debunk this story, job well done.
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STUPID TRAILER TRASH WHORE .. ALWAYS BLAME THE BLACK MAN .. WOW MCCAIN SUPPORTERS ARE REALLY DESPERATE .. JUST AS DESPERATE AS THEIR CANDIDATE .. REPUBLICANS ARE GOING DOWN .. HA HA HA HA HA .. ENJOY THAT B BITCH BECAUSE BARACK WILL BE YOUR NEW PRESIDENT ..
Shawn,
When you say this:
“On another note, let’s remember how the media treated rumors of McCain/Palin fans screaming out ridiculous things at rallies. They didn’t question the story because it fit in with their belief system, it followed the narrative. I have no narrative other than interesting content. When the Secret Service investigated those rumors and found them to be false, the media did nothing.”
You refer to the two young kids arrested after the Dem Convention in August. That is quite different from all the things yelled out at McCain rallies in recent weeks by the hardcore Republican base. Things like “Terrorist”,”Traitor”, and “off with his head” have all been shouted in the last couple weeks, and its my understanding that there are been two investigations of “Kill Him” being shouted, one of which is ongoing, and one, as I think you noted, has been debunked.
All that may be fine with you, but to the independents and centrist Republicans and Democrats who are making up their minds right now, that kind of extremism makes them inclined to vote against McCain and Palin.
[...] now know that Ashely Todd’s allegations were, indeed, a hoax. The quote above comes from John Moody, the Executive Vice President of Fox News. But what did the [...]
FM, have a look at this. I think it speaks to Shawns point more directly.
Self mutilation is an illness. She poses a danger
to the self and others. I think that she should
be Bakeracted !!!!!
When I first saw the photo, I thought it was real too. Couldn’t believe someone would do that to themselves. Now that is what I call devotion.
I was calling the case “Pat-a-cake, Baker’s Man” but now I am calling it the “Scarlet Letter.”
Hey, thanks for admitting you were wrong.
The thing of it is, as Michele Malkin noted on her blog, these kinds of fake attacks have happened in the past. Often enough that the default position should be disbelief rather than unquestionable belief.
These are the retards that go to McCain/Palin rallies
Typically when the word, “hoax” is used, it’s thought of as a joke done only for someone’s amusement. This, more or less, was particularly malicious in nature. The act was specifically designed to impune the character of Obama/Biden supporters; and ultimately reflect upon Senator Obama himself.
Fortunately she failed. If she was a little bit smarter about pulling this off, we as a nation would be even more divided as a result.
Also, anyone who truly calls himself “a patriot” and claims to put his “Country First,” should definitely be one of THE LAST people seeking to slander a fellow-Patriot, as a terrorist. He basically sold his soul to the worst of this nation and as a result, I’ve lost nearly all measure of respect for him.
Intuit: I’ve heard the word HOAX used in many non humorous situations such as Roswell, any one of numerous archeological findings, numerous medical “findings” … the list goes on.
I much prefer the word … LIE or phrase COMPLETE FABRICATION.
When I saw the story, for a moment, I bought it but quickly realize that there are many reasons people do what they do with CRAZY being one and THAT gave me reason to question. By the time I saw the pic, I had read someone else’s remarks about how the eyes looked like makeup.
My wife and I both said, “Surely, the cops would try to check that before going much further…”
I guess we over estimated them since they wasted countless man hours on this
Thanks for sharing Hawk. The typical American views UFO and related incidents in pretty much the same way as sasquatch and ghost sightings. For the purpotrator, planting even an “archaelogical finding” can be for their own amusement. The acts themselves weren’t designed to cause harm. Only to trick. Ultimately these acts weren’t designed to slander anyone or cause genuine harm and therefore aren’t really serious in nature.
If the act, (planting an archeological finding,) was done with the intent being, for monetary profit, it is then referred to using the term “fraud.”
While there are *always* exceptions for the most part, no one labeled Susan Smith or Crystal Magnum using the relatively innoculate word, “HOAX.” Their transgressions were specifically aimed at a group of and specific individuals.
This gap ultimately, I think quietly points to some sort of internal bias.
Regarding my original perception of the crime, I originally only heard the audio report of the crime and thought the report itself (not the crime) suspect. The robber was already in the act of purpotrating the crime before his intent abruptly changed from being “profit” to “malicious”; after noticing her McCain sticker. That’s not unheard-of for a Robber but is particularly unlikely given these circumstances. Robbing is a selfish act. Additional violent retribution under such circumstances is almost always only triggered by something tangible and something directed. “Support” is a cognitive viewpoint and is intagible. Non-support of Senator Obama is not an offense directed at the robber himself. Quite simply, something didn’t add up from the onset. The next day when I saw the “B” carved on her face, then I began to doubt the crime rather than just the report. The Robber would’ve had to have been dyslexic to make such a mistake.
Debs comment is beyond ridicule. It’s a self parody.
Deborah I almost wish you were a McCain supporter. AT LEAST TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
If you remove the insults… there does seem to be some accidental insight there…
Purely unintentional, to be sure. Are you referring to the racial stereotyping or the fact that this little stunt doing more harm that good to the McCain campaign?
I just read you latest post. My question is answered…
That link doesn’t seem to work…
Stupid twirl…
Secret Service says “Kill him” allegation unfounded
Sorry if I’m speaking out of turn, but this is what I immediately thought of when I read your entry and assumed it was what you were referring to.
That’s exactly what I was referring to… I linked to this report… And no one is ever speaking out of turn…
I don’t disagree with that one bit…
“On another note, let’s remember how the media treated rumors of McCain/Palin fans screaming out ridiculous things at rallies.”
It’s not a rumor if it’s recorded on audio. Maybe one of the investigations turned up nothing, but there are plenty of others that are real. Former Marine is absolutely right. It is very disconcerting to see the mob mentality and violent undertones, which does not have a parallel at the Obama rallies. I am glad McCain made the effort to counter some of the ridiculous rumormongering, but Palin is fanning the flames of fear and hatred. http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/10/04/palin-obama-pals-around-with-terroists/
Classic Rebuplican tactics: attack the opponent’s patriotism, paint him as “not one of us”, accuse them of raising taxes. Rinse and repeat.
Elections should be about policy, not personal attacks.
Show me audio of someone screaming ‘Kill Him’ and I’ll post it… There was an investigation and not only is there no evidence that it occurred… the other reporters (besides the attention hound that broke the story) heard nothing.
Wayne, I guess technically you’re correct, since this and this didn’t happen at Obama rallies.
“Kill him” no, but “terrorist” is easy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVFWahLTdUo
Your quote says “On another note, let’s remember how the media treated rumors of McCain/Palin fans screaming out ridiculous things at rallies.”
Calling Obama a terrorist is ridiculous.
This is true… but they mostly happen without any photographic evidence to weigh the story…
Thanks for the laugh! The McCain supporters have every right to march, even if they know they are going to get jeers and boos in the rudest city in the country. I support their right to free speech.
The videographers commentary is a little over the top, i.e “FACT: Islamic radicals would be more welcome on the Upper West side that American patriots.” That is not a fact, it is his opinion.
There is a huge difference between boos and middle fingers as opposed to impying someone is a terrorist.
Good of you to speak up, BIGD, but wasn’t it you who said this when this story first broke?
Whatever that was supposed to mean.
Is the terrorist thing ignorant? Maybe. I don’t think he is, but he is a close associate of a known terrorist. But, one is judged by the company one keeps. Much hay was made after 9/11 because the Bush family is associated with the Saudi Royal family, remember.
Trying to paint conservatives as hate mongers and ignoring the fact that there are people like that of all political stripes is disingenuous at best.
To say that Obama is the associate of a “known terrorist” is a bit misleading. The deeds that Ayers is accused of took place when Obama was seven years old. Terrorist acts by the American left were mainly part of the cointel program of the intelligence “community”, and the guilt by association for that can be assigned to the government at large. Considering Ayers’s reinstatement in the establishment, there’s a good chance he was part of cointelpro as well.
In any case, I’m none too pleased with either of these two puppets of the (central banker)secret government. Each has programs ready to further undermine the Constitution and diminish freedom. The near term goals include ratification of the North American Union, and the chipping of the populace, both foreseeable as outcomes of the deliberately created financial crisis. Genocide via newly weaponized Asian flu and the requisite vaccinations seem to also be on the agenda. My only hope is that Obama will turn out to be a revolutionary, and somehow avoid assassination.