My first clue that this was a hoax was the fact that the letter "B" was carved into her face backwards (as though it were done in a mirror), and that the cuts were not deep enough to cause permanent scarring. Of course, the "scary black man" aspect of the report was enough to make me throw up.
Go to Joe.My.God. and check out the horrible Freeper comments... they'll do or say anything to link this to some horrible Obama conspiracy rather than admit that this was just a plain old hoax from a very troubled young woman. Or maybe it was because she was in Pittsburgh. As Auntie Mame famously said, "When you're from Pittsburgh, you have to do something." (To be fair, Todd is originally from College Station, Texas.)
From the Pittsburgh paper:
Police: Campaign Volunteer Lied, Injured Self
Ashley Todd told investigators today she "just wanted to tell the truth" -- and was neither robbed, nor attacked. Todd, 20, is now facing charges for filing a false report to police.
Police say a campaign volunteer 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; now she's facing charges.
At a news conference this afternoon, officials said they believe that Ashley Todd's injuries were self-inflicted. Todd, 20, of Texas, is now facing charges for filing a false report to police. Todd initially told police that she was robbed at an ATM in Bloomfield and that the suspect began 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.
Investigators asked Todd to return to the police station today for more questioning and to help them release a composite sketch of the suspect. When she did, police say she admitted that she made the whole thing up and that it snowballed out of control. Todd told investigators today that she "just wanted to tell the truth" – adding that she was neither robbed, nor attacked. "She indicated that she has prior mental problems and that she does not remember how the backward letter B got on her face," Pittsburgh Police Spokeswoman Diane Richard told reporters today.
Todd told police that while she did not remember how the backward "B" got on her face, she may have done it herself since she was the only one in the car. According to police, Todd said she thought of Barack Obama when she saw the "B" in her rearview mirror.
Officials say they do not believe any other people were involved; and Todd's friends believed the story about the attack – encouraging her to call police.
