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

[SolarPowerGuy]

Holy Reichstag Fire, Batman!

This story stunk from the first moment it broke. My gut told me there was a hoax involved, I'm delighted to see I was right.

[Girlforaction]

They should not be allowed to run away from this. If the Repubs want to start hatred, they can not try to run away from hatred.

[JessWonderin]

She coud'a pulled it off !!!!!. . . the McCain Backup Staffers running Alaska, were racing down with a story that it was a "200lb black DYSLEXIC man" . . . put she 'fessed up before the plane landed . . . .

[FatherWolf]

a 200 lb black LEFT-HANDED DYSLEXIC man

[Sardonica]

The College Republicans are running away from Ashley Todd.

Republican politicians are running away from George W. Bush.

And the American people are putting on their gym shoes getting ready to run away from the National Republican Party! YAAAAHOOOO!!!!

[loki]

She did this herself. The B is backwards, She is another stupid rethug. She couldnt even figure out that looking in the mirror to do this and that it was a reverse image LOL What a dip.. Im sorry, what an intelligent republican LOL

[timmmahhhh]

And look at how nice and neat the backwards B is, with no broken skin yet. 'Nice' of her to sit still so the big 'black man' could nicely execute his calligraphic carving. What a friggin joke...hey­, just like the Republican Party.

I was chaning the radio dial and unfortunately heard two minutes of Hannity's radio show. Of course he was ranting on what an outrage this was. I didn't listen tonight but I'm going to guess he said very little about this, if anything at all.

False flag revealed, facist facade crumbles all that much more.

OBAMA / BIDEN 2008 / 12

[loki]

Just think if she had pulled this off. It could have turned the election with indy voters. Luckily, she didnt, but I would bet everything I have that the GOP supporters will now either make her a hero in their eyes, or , they will try to find a way to pull similar stunts off but not get caught. They are insane.

[kenrynne]

PA and federal law enforcement should investigate college republicans asap and enjoin them from approaching voters or voting places or telephones or sharp objects til Nov 5. Let em vote absentee.

The CRs gave us Donald Segretti, Lee Atwater, Karl Rove and their spawn including pathetic B girl.
Except for B girl, who could star in the awesome film Idiocracy, a clear and present danger to our democracy.

[yathink]

Yeh, Rove and Atwater and Segretti, you betcha. It is time for enforcement of the laws we have for fair elections, fraud, and civil rights. I have had it with this crap. The Democratic party needs to bring a class action suit against all parties connected with this behavior.

Today, in New Mexico (see TPM) there is a report, and a complaint has been filed with the state and the FBI, concerning the intimidation of voters accused of "voter fraud" by a "PI" hired by Republican party operatives who were also involved in the firing of the US Attorney in 2006. All of this is illegal.

When will somebody go to jail? Pelosi, Reid, Dean? Your call. Time to do something. The thugs are out of control.

[Nightbender]

Don't forget Ralph Reed...pal of Pat Robertson and Jack Abramhoff and Indian gaming protectionist racketeer.
Grover Norquist, another slug extortionist.

These are truly the worst of the worst. they make ugly merely homely.

These are evil people. Do not excuse them. They need to be driven from society...­erased.

[ndifference]

I'm going to be Ashley Todd for Halloween.

[Sardonica]

That is an awesome idea!! You should carry a campaign sign with something clever on it - - like, oh, I dunno, "I'm CUCKOO for McCain!" or something.­.. lol

[anti-ignorance]

Me too!!! Replete with a McCain registration clip board AND a wanted sign of an unidentified 6'4 dark skinned man on my back. Brilliant!

[wahooligan]

My favorite is her now locked myspace page where her headline is:
"Lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her cloths (sic) off, but its better if you do."

She's working for the right campaign.

[Scoppertop]

Ashley the Loser.

[YouDisgustMe]

LOL

[cariosity]

A fake assault in 2006 and another one this year...isn­'t it funny how the ReTHUGlicans always try to make themselves look like the victims when the entire country under their rule is the REAL victim? Hmm...

[stanjz]

You can still feel bad for the young lady, but you have to look at how quickly the McCain campaign and the media accepted this as fact. This still is an insidious attempt to race bait and the McCain campaign tried to exploit it. The McCain campaign now has ads out that try and scare people into voting for him.

Senator McCain has demonstrated himself to be a man with no moral boundaries. There is nothing he won't distort or say to get elected. It is very sad.

[yathink]

Amorality should not be apologized for. They are amoral. They think they are right if they don't get caught. They are deluded and evil.

[brokerthanu]

Maybe she was off her psych-meds when it "happened". I do hope that she used mascara instead of punching herself... (or do I?) I guess they're getting increasingly desperate. This story is funny but at the same time sad. Lucky for her that guy didn't try to run her down.

[Papasgirl]

This was the second attempt of inciting racial tensions as a distraction in one week. How quickly have some forgotten the staged Muslim incident earlier this week at a McPalin rally. That got squashed quickly when someone with half a brain realized that if they supported Muslims, half their base would revolt and not make it to the polls. That and the fact that they don't really support or welcome Muslims of course.

[Xenopus]

Unfortunately, this young woman is the personification of the hate-baiting rhetoric the McCain-Palin stump speeches have produced. You take someone looking for attention or slightly off center, fill them with that smear tactic crapola, and this is what you end up with. She is just one incident out of many that have been the result of the low road campaign John McCain has allowed and thrived on.

[ContraEgoiste]

The standard republican values.

[sasidechick]

Exactly.

"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."

SHE WAS THE BEST YESTERDAY!! Look at the rats scurry today!!