Ashley Todd: College Republicans Quickly Distance From Hoax Attack

The national committee of the College Republicans went into damage control mode Friday afternoon after a college-aged McCain volunteer confessed to fabricating her claim that a black assailant had carved a "B" into her face after mugging her.

"When Ms. Todd initially contacted us claiming to have been attacked, our first reaction was obviously to be concerned for her safety," said College Republicans communications director Ashley Barbera. "We are as upset as anyone to learn of her deceit. Ashley must take full responsibility for her actions."

On Thursday, the conservative website Hot Air described discussions with both Charlie Smith and Ethan Eilon, the National Chair and Executive Director of the group, in which both attested to the validity of the widely distributed photo of an injured Todd, and affirmed that the image came from her.

Eilon had also told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Thursday that Todd "was one of our better recruiters this year."

Of course, there was no way for the College Republicans to know that the photo -- which was of Todd and apparently did come from her -- was at root a fraud. But the organization's quick distancing suggests they are eager to put their association with Todd quickly behind them.

Comments

[kerry1962]

So Republicans are jumping ship. It took the ugliness of this campaign for them to jump ship? Apparently every ugly thing that has been said and done up to this point over the past (insert number of years here) has been okay? Please. Get me a hanky. Change is in the air for folks who have been desperate for it for so long. Fundamental illness - hate, disdain, or worse, silence - towards Americans requires more than a press release denouncing some sick act. Call me jaded. Tell me I should give credit where credit is due. These folks will lay in wait for the next opportunity to hate.

[Academic]

My thoughts entirely. And to those who say those woman is "mentally disturbed" I don't believe a word of it. She's as sane - if misguided - as I am. This action of hers was deliberate; she knew what the fall out would be and she calculatedly went ahead to do as much damage as she could to the Obama candidacy and campaign. And I wager you, if she'd pulled it of or the story had proved to be true we wouldn't hear the last of it from John McCain and Sarah Palin, who, unsurprisingly, are eerily silent in the wake of the facts coming to light.

Professor Dr. Stanley Collymore.

[1PALady]

I agree.

My hope is that we take it serious, because it was a serious crime. I just watched her YouTube videos, she seems quite sane.

What really makes me angry is when some people do really bad things and sometimes divisive things, some people will want to find an excuse for them. You'll hear comments like this person is really sick, they need help, I hope they get the help that they need. And that's ok, but be consistent.

Another person of a different culture could commit the same infraction and some people would say, they should go to jail and throw away the key. That person could be just as sick. I honestly believe the Duke girl was sick and needs help if she blamed those guys for doing something that they did not do. And what in the world would make Tawana Brawley do what she did? Was she not sick? That case made a lot of people hate Al Sharpton, but I believe that Al honestly thought the girl was telling the truth. Was he not suppose to help her if he thought she was telling the truth. That girl was most definitely sick!

All kinds of sympathy came out for Susan Smith when she first told her story. I believed her.

Regardless, if they did the same crime and unless proven to be sick, then the should do the same time. That's MHO.

[Academic]

Having readily and without an iota of proof believed this woman and her racist complaint even to the extent of treating her as some sort of white celebrity victim, now that she's found out to be the liar she is, out comes the white sympathy vote. She's mentally ill; she probably had a bad day - anything but face up to the truth of what she really is, as well as those who automatically and unquestionably believed her. But most sickening of all is the low key reporting of the facts now that this woman has been shown up for what she is, contrasted with the great hue and cry that was given by the media to her initial story. And if the students at her college really want to prove how objective they are, perhaps they should be exercising themselves by writing to or contacting the media outlets that hyped the story up for all it was worth to raise racial tensions, and ask them to do the decent and honourable thing, if they're capable of such that is, and give the real story the same exposure.

Professor Dr. Stanley Collymore.

[munki]

Please McCain... STOP the negative attcks....

[TonyKings]

For McCain and Palin to phone Todd immediately points only in the direction that this was a publicity gimmick by a desperate campaign to incite violence by smearing Obama. How can one say that Todd is sick and demented? If she was sick and demented, how come she was hired by McCain and was very good at her duties. She is at best a criminal and it is clear that she was egged on by the McCain Team who want to play in racial prejudices to assist them take a long shot at winning Pennsylvania State. Kudos to the Pittsburg Police. They should go further in their investigation as this is just a tip in the iceberg of what the Republicans and Team McCain have planned to foist on Americans in other to justify their agenda. They will introduce violence and intimidation across the United States in order to suppress voting and stoke racial prejudice only to say that it was the Obama people that started it first. We have seen it before but God is on Obama's side in this. Shame on McCain. By this exposure, I expect the College Republicans to break for Obama to show that they value the future of America and to immediately issue statements repudiating this act and endorsing Obama. This will deter this despicable behaviour by desperate GOP politicians.

[landoffools]

Great Teamwork, College Hitler Youth !!!

[StillAmused]

"She got caught. It's in our bylaws... you get caught, you're on your own."

[upside2themeltdown]

This is TYPICAL College Republican behavior. They do not care about anything except messing with the heads of their opponents. NOTHING. They ESPECIALLY do not care about the truth. Ask a Republican to define the word FACT and see what happens. Generally, a blank stare.
I wrote an article which was published in Counterpunch in 2005 about my 7 long years in college and law school with these amoral creatures. There is NOTHING that is out of bounds for them. They learned it all at Uncle Kkarl's knee. They are full of hate, especially towards those who suffer through no fault of their own. One of my Federalist Society classmates was discovered beating up a homeless man, with two other classmates helping him. When my friends called for him to stop, he ran over to them and knocked my friend's glasses from her face.
Do not think for a moment that they are anything other than sociopaths.

[perfecttom]

I bet you voted for Barney Frank are you related?

[stlrfan]

Hey folks, let's give it up for the Pittsburgh Police who never went for this crap in the first place.
Proud to be born and raised in the 'Burgh!

[brief candle]

The sad thing is that the republicans took advantage of a mentally ill person. They have no compassion, no morals, and no consciense.

[ZimboChick]

she is fine. the police said SHE said he is mental....­.they didn't....­she has no idea of the psychiatric tests she is about to undergo...­...gud luck trying to act crazy

[ellawensmom]

She said she'd had some issues in the past. This is about her trying to get out of taking responsibility for her actions. If it had worked, she would have been the darling of the Republican party, and she never would have said a thing about having had issues in the past.

[changeishere08]

Gutless cowards. I'm so sick of passive/aggressive types. Personal responsibility my @ss.

[Halter]

In this election, an educated republican is an oxymoron.

[ladydriver]

The girl is ill, and we need to move on. Of course the McCain/Palin bunch are going to jump on this, and all their little fake journalist­s...they have nothing else!

Another smear debunked. Next.

Ten days till OBAMA/BIDEN LANDSLIDE 2008!

[Nightbender]

College Republicans are some of the most obnoxious little turds on the planet, and always have been.

[DannyEastVillage]

"and always have been." Pathetically true for as long as I can remember. And I first went to college in 1971.

[Rover]

jmkilburn, please don't generalize about Pennsylvanians this is wrong of you and we as a state of people deserve an apology from you. I have supported the Obama candidacy since it began two years ago race has not been why.

I live in PA, Bob Cesca who writes for the Huffington Post along with a very large majority of Pennsylvanians are not racist. Please apologize.

Unfortunately you called this one so so wrong.

[jmkilburn]

So can we begin to address what Murtha was trying to tell us about Pennsylvanians?

[YouDisgustMe]

yes we can...hey, that's our slogan...y­es we can!! lol

i used to live in pa....and i can tell you that the state is pretty much, philly, pittsburgh and alabama everywhere else...thi­s todd broad is an import from texas so we shouldn't hold her stupidity against pittsburgh lol

[ellawensmom]

this girl was a Texan. One more for the Texas team, not Pennsylvania. Much as i hate to have to claim her, it's true.