McCain Supporter Attacked and Cut Over Bumper Sticker?

Photo from source, TMZ

10/24/08 UPDATE: This story, as I suspected, has turned out to be a hoax. All of the frothy FReepers got horn-swaggled again. For more, go here: HOAX

An alarming story appeared this afternoon at The Drudge Report, alleging that a McCain supporting woman from Texas was robbed, beaten and disfigured while using an ATM machine, because of her John McCain bumper sticker. Drudge's headline went like this: "SHOCK: MCCAIN VOLUNTEER ATTACKED AND MUTILATED IN PITTSBURGH..."

It is shocking isn't it? Not as horrendous as it sounds, though. She was attacked, was robbed, and even had her face scratched. "Mutilated" seems a little over the top though. The wingnuts over at Free Republic, desperate for an outrageous attack from the opposition for a change, jumped on this story, even before the facts are out. They're furious, and are--from the sound of things--arming themselves to the teeth, all set for a race war or something.



Look, I don't know if this story is 100% legit or not. It has a lot of holes, but the story is still new. A few things that bother me are, that the attacker didn't "mutilate" the woman until he saw her McCain bumper sticker on her car. How did he know which car was hers? And the attack was not motivated, at least initially, by her political affiliation, as the guy apparently robbed her before he saw her sticker. Also, Barack Obama's well known symbol is an "O," so a "B" seems like an odd choice.



Still, assume all the things stated in the story are true. Would a robber/mugger be at all indicative of the average Obama supporter? The very idea is ludicrous to me. One thing is certain, the Freepers intend to make maximum hay of this issue. And we all know, even if the story turns out to be more hoax than fact, they'll hang on to it anyway.



[Excerpt]



Woman Attacked, Letter Scratched Into Her Face



A 20-year-old woman who was robbed at an ATM in Bloomfield was also maimed by her attacker, apparently because of her political views, Pittsburgh police said.



Read more at: WTAE-TV



[Excerpt]



"Politically Motivated" Mutilation - Real or Hoax?



Pittsburgh law enforcement sources tell TMZ they have serious questions about the authenticity of the alleged victim who says she had her face cut by a politically-motivated attacker. . .



Read more at: TMZ