McCain volunteer claims attacker cut 'B' into face | AP Texas News | Chron.com... - The Diigo Meta page

• 24 Oct 08
  

  Clay Burell

  We have to ask if this is a Willie Horton variation. See below for the annotations of the fishy details. Annotated link http://www.diigo.com/bookmark/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chron.com%2Fdisp%2Fstory.mpl%2Fap%2Ftx%2F6075377.html

  elections08 racism mccain obama

  • PITTSBURGH  — A campaign volunteer for John McCain told police she was robbed at knifepoint at an ATM and knocked down by a man who then carved a "B" in her face after noticing a sticker for the presidential candidate on her car.

    • Question 1: CNN also covered this story, and said "after noticing the McCain bumper sticker on her car, the thief _punched her in back of the head._"
      
      This implies the assailant was _behind_ the Texas girl, since he punched her from behind. So: HOW COULD SHE KNOW HE "NOTICED HER BUMPER STICKER"?
      
      Did he preface his punch to the back of her head with a narrative statement - "Excuse me, miss, but I notice a McCain bumper sticker on your car." - BAM.
      
      For that matter, how did he know the alleged car was hers?
      
      We don't have details so far.
    Add Sticky Note
  • Police said the woman, 20-year-old Ashley Todd of College Station, Texas, refused medical attention.

    • Why would she refuse medical attention?
    Add Sticky Note
  • Todd told police she was withdrawing money just before 9 p.m. Wednesday when a man approached her from behind, put a knife to her neck and demanded money, police said. She said she gave him $60.

    • Okay, I live in Asia, where stuff like this doesn't happen often at all.
      
      So is a 9pm attack on a city street so easy to believe in Pittsburgh?
    Add Sticky Note
  • The robber then noticed the bumper sticker, punched her in the back of the head, knocked her down and used the knife to carve a "B" on the right side of her face, the woman told police.

    • See question 1.
    Add Sticky Note
  • It was unclear what the "B" was meant to symbolize, Richard said.

    • But we're all supposed to infer "Barack," surely?
      
      Or "Bigot"?

    • CNN adds: "Richard said the woman described her alleged attacker as a dark-skinned African-American, 6 feet 4 inches tall with a medium build and short dark hair, wearing dark clothing and shiny shoes."
      
      Hello, Willie Horton. A tall one, at that. Big black man - perfect.
    Add Sticky Note
  • McCain spokesman Peter Feldman confirmed that the woman is a campaign volunteer but declined to comment further.

    • What will the investigation of this woman reveal about her background? Here the whole DIGITAL FOOTPRINT angle becomes fascinating. She's going to be so scrutinized.
    Add Sticky Note
  • The Republican candidate and his running mate, Sarah Palin, called Todd on Thursday afternoon to express their concern, the campaign confirmed.

    • So McCain and Palin decide with this call to connect their campaign with what, if true, is a street crime, and make it a campaign issue.
      
      Now they've got a red herring to bring up when people mention the "kill him," "traitor," "Muslim," "socialist," "off with his head," "Arab," and other comments coming out of their supporters' mouths at rallies.
    Add Sticky Note
  • Police said no police photo had been taken of the woman Wednesday, but by Thursday afternoon a purported picture of a woman with a "B" scratched into her cheek was circulating on the Internet.

    • So the police take no photo, but a photo is circulating on the internet.
      
      Then who took the photo? Why didn't the police take one? Who decided to put it on the internet? Why?
      
      And why was the "B" scratched backwards?
    Add Sticky Note

  6 more annotations...

Public Stiky Notes

• 
  Clay Burell on 2008-10-24
  Question 1: CNN also covered this story, and said "after noticing the McCain bumper sticker on her car, the thief _punched her in back of the head._"
  
  This implies the assailant was _behind_ the Texas girl, since he punched her from behind. So: HOW COULD SHE KNOW HE "NOTICED HER BUMPER STICKER"?
  
  Did he preface his punch to the back of her head with a narrative statement - "Excuse me, miss, but I notice a McCain bumper sticker on your car." - BAM.
  
  For that matter, how did he know the alleged car was hers?
  
  We don't have details so far.
• 
  Clay Burell on 2008-10-24
  Why would she refuse medical attention?
• 
  Clay Burell on 2008-10-24
  Okay, I live in Asia, where stuff like this doesn't happen often at all.
  
  So is a 9pm attack on a city street so easy to believe in Pittsburgh?
• 
  Clay Burell on 2008-10-24
  See question 1.
• 
  Clay Burell on 2008-10-24
  CNN adds: "Richard said the woman described her alleged attacker as a dark-skinned African-American, 6 feet 4 inches tall with a medium build and short dark hair, wearing dark clothing and shiny shoes."
  
  Hello, Willie Horton. A tall one, at that. Big black man - perfect.
• 
  Clay Burell on 2008-10-24
  But we're all supposed to infer "Barack," surely?
  
  Or "Bigot"?
• 
  Clay Burell on 2008-10-24
  What will the investigation of this woman reveal about her background? Here the whole DIGITAL FOOTPRINT angle becomes fascinating. She's going to be so scrutinized.
• 
  Clay Burell on 2008-10-24
  So McCain and Palin decide with this call to connect their campaign with what, if true, is a street crime, and make it a campaign issue.
  
  Now they've got a red herring to bring up when people mention the "kill him," "traitor," "Muslim," "socialist," "off with his head," "Arab," and other comments coming out of their supporters' mouths at rallies.
• 
  Clay Burell on 2008-10-24
  So the police take no photo, but a photo is circulating on the internet.
  
  Then who took the photo? Why didn't the police take one? Who decided to put it on the internet? Why?
  
  And why was the "B" scratched backwards?

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