It had drawn wide local and national -- even political attention, with the McCain and Obama campaigns weighing in -- but now the Ashley Todd story has fallen apart. Police in Pittsburgh have now declared the tale a hoax and the woman, who has confessed, now faces charges for her deed.
Earlier today, John Moody, executive vice president at Fox News, commented on his blog there that "this incident could become a watershed event in the 11 days before the election. If Ms. Todd's allegations are proven accurate, some voters may revisit their support for Senator Obama, not because they are racists (with due respect to Rep. John Murtha), but because they suddenly feel they do not know enough about the Democratic nominee.
"If the incident turns out to be a hoax, Senator McCain's quest for the presidency is over, forever linked to race-baiting."
He titled his posting: "Moment of Truth." Indeed.
It started yesterday afternoon with Matt Drudge screaming at the top of his site this afternoon in red type -- but no siren -- that a Pittsburgh campaign worker for McCain, age 20, had been viciously attacked and the letter "B" carved into her face, presumably by a Barack Obama fan. Her name, it soon emerged, was Ashley Todd and she had come to Pittsburgh from College Station, Texas, to help out.
It started to appear overblown (Drudge downgraded it to smaller, black type) as the police noted that it seemed to be a robbery ($60) and she did not seek medical attention. But later press reports said she would visit a hospital, Sarah Palin and maybe John McCain had reportedly called her and Obama has condemned the alleged assault, although McCain/Obama angle to story not yet confirmed.
Still later, conservative columnist Michelle Malkin, and some others, grew skeptical. For one thing, the "B" was carved a little too lightly and perfectly -- and backward, as if done using a mirror. Smoking Gun probed a too-pat "Twitter" angle and Gawker and Wonkette looked at her MySpace page.
Now police say that evidence from the ATM that she reportedly visited did not match her account. And it turns out she changed her story, admitting that her assailant did not see a McCain bumper sticker and adding to her account a sexual assault and losing consciousness. Liberal bloggers poked all sorts of holes in the story, including the fact that the attack allegedly took place in a very public place. Drudge added a link titled "B...or B.S."?
Finally, early this afternoon, came word that she had made it all up. Here is full update.
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Greg Mitchell is editor of Editor & Publisher and its hot new blog The E&P Pub. His latest book on Iraq and the media, hailed by Bill Moyers, Arianna Huffington, Bruce Springsteen and others, is titled So Wrong for So Long.
Of course, now their election main page story is "Obama's Education Groups Funded Controversial Organizations"
*sigh*
Why doesn't he talk about his plans. To me, if I were still undediced I would not vote for him because he wants to a-ttack his opponent and not the issues.
Furthermore, I agree that this should not be reflective negatively on either candidate, but the issue of the hate mongering that is going on. That this was a unfortunate thing that has happened and that the person will prosecuted. I mean could you imagine what would have happened if she had not come out with the truth. New rules need to be applied to campaigning. Also, there are a lot of homes, etc be vandalized. This needs to stop also. I take my Obama/Biden sign in when I am not home. I only put out when I am home and my front door is open (screen door is closed).
Give the rest of us a break!!!!!
HOWEVER
I WILL say this should be a HUGE impact on the right-wing MSM that took this unvertified story and RAN with it - right over a cliff. Hopefully this will once and for all prove to people that Faux News and it's affiliates are fully and wholly irresponsible, corrupt and have no credibility.
Yes, they might have reported it as unconfirmed - but they still went off and speculated, which - speculating about the impact of an uncomfirmed story is about as ignorant as you can get.
http://www.economistblog.com/2008/03/06/comparing-income-taxes-clinton-vs-bush/ or see here, theres other graphs, but just tax cuts for rich is misleading.
Foxcism is a term I made up to suggest the similarity between Fox talk show rants on radio and television, with its word twisting distortions, bullying, self certain style, and the leadership style of Hitler and Mussolini.
I was recently struck with this similarity when I was inadvertently treated to a talk radio discussion where you would have thought Obama had insulted everyone's mother, wife and the sanctity of all womanhood by making a joke about lipstick in connection with a pig. Both the host and the callers were whipping themselves into self righteous rage.
I must be missing something here. Why would this attack, if proven real (when it has already been determined a hoax) make anyone think they didn't know enough about Obama...?? somebody get me up to speed. i don't see the connection especially of a "watershed" event..
"These are his supporters? And Those are his friends? Too Dangerous!"
Peter Feldman is the one from McCain's campaign who was pushing this story of "Blacks Gone Wild".
Don't let it be forgotten!