I WONDERED Where I Had Seen This Before

She played upon every western Pennsylvanian's fears, but where could she have thought up this dastardly plot?

We all know about Ashley Todd’s pathetic attempt to bring sympathy to the McCain campaign by telling Pittsburgh authorities that she was attacked by a 6-foot-4 black man/Obama activist Wednesday night.

After allegedly robbing her, the big, scary black man threatened “to teach her a lesson for being a McCain supporter,”  She said he then sat on her chest, pinned her hands down with his knees and scratched a backward letter “B” into her face using what she believed to be a dull knife.

After conflicting stories by this “plumber’s helper,” she was subjected to a polygraph, and subsequently confessed that she made the whole thing up.

My burning question over the last few days was where had I seen this before; Tawana Brawley?  Susan Smith?  Morton Downey Jr?

Justin Zatkoff-The originator of the student victim of liberal hatecrime. Truly, a man ahead of his time.

The answer comes from two years ago.  Back in 2006, a Michigan College Republican named Justin Zatkoff claimed to have been beaten senseless by blacks and/or violent homosexuals. His photo showed a nasty black eye and he was certain the culprits were either militant blacks or militant gays. He just couldn’t remember which ones did it.  Surprise, surprise. The Ann Arbor police finally revealed, that Zatkoff was just beaten up by his high school buddies. Insert gasps of shock and disbelief.

That answers it folks.  Here is Ashley Todd’s mentor and inspiration.  A note to any copycats thinking about pulling another stunt like this; if it didn’t work the first two times, chances are, it won’t work a third time.  So knock it off young Republicans!

Fear and Extreme Loathing in Las Vegas

Over the last month or so, McCain and especially Palin have been on the offensive to showcase Barack Obama’s “guilt by association” to Ayers, ACORN, and anything else that they could find.  In addition, the GOP candidates have highlighted the differences between “real America,” and “fake America.”

The following are two videos of a recent GOP rally in the Henderson section of Las Vegas.  Notice those poor “real Americans” for McCain being forced to shout those epithets at the mean “fake Americans” for Obama.  I mean, they really didn’t want to shout “Anti-Americans!” or “Communists!,” but what are McCainiacs to do when they see Obama supporters?  Those brave, brave real McCain Americans had to defend themselves, you know.  Here you are America.  Here is “real America” as McCain and Palin see it:

The people in this Vegas suburb are indicative of this hateful insurrection that is festering throughout the US thanks to the incendiary campaigning by both McCain and Palin.  Their rhetoric has had an opposite effect on me.  Sorry folks, but I can’t take hate speech.

Earlier this year, I was actually leaning toward McCain after the Democratic Primaries were over.  I initially thought that this was the John McCain that I remembered from 2000 when he ran against George W. Bush.  My leanings are moderate, very moderate.  Although I’m a registered Democrat and like to stay just left of center, I do have the ability to reach across party lines if for example, a moderate like Senator Arlen Spector of Pennsylvania was running.  I was under the childlike belief last summer that the John McCain of 2008 resembled the John McCain of 2000.

What a difference eight years makes.  As opposed to the campaign of 2000, McCain’s campaign this year is just plain mean.  Both he and his VP pick, as well as their surrogates have been playing into “real-America’s” most primal fears, perpetuating the myth that Obama and his supporters are “Socialist,” “Communist,” and “Anti-American.”  Thanks to the campaign of pointing out the opponent’s “otherness,” the right-wing weirdos, wackos, nuts, and conspiracy-theorists have come out of the woodwork to sing to the chorus of intolerance.  If there is any guilt by association, it would be McCain and Palin associating themselves with the worst of intolerant people.  Oh John McCain, what happened?  Did you honestly think that pandering to the most extreme base while ignoring and shutting out everyone else would get you the electoral votes that you desperately need?

I only need to look at those who are supporting McCain and Palin to know that I have made the right decision in supporting Obama and Biden.  When I looked at thoughtful, intelligent people like Christopher Buckley and Colin Powell crossing over to support Obama, I really knew that I was backing what I feel is the best candidate for the job.  As a good friend of mine can attest to, it was not an easy decision in the beginning.  After a deliberate process of fact-finding and thought, I chose my candidate.  The people supporting each candidate served only to validate my decision.

To be fair, I am just as turned off by those in the far-left as I am to those on the far-right.  Extremism on either side of the political spectrum is never a good thing.  Thankfully, Obama and Biden’s campaign have been more inclusive.  These are guys who believe as I do that there is no “pro-America” or anti-America,” but simply America.  From the biggest cities to the tiniest town, like it or not, we are in this together.

Sadly, McCain’s campaign has yet to figure this out.

Arrested Development

Ashley Todd shows off her wounds from an alleged attacker/Leonardo da Vinci Impersonator. Now it might be time for her to truly take her lumps.

Pittsburgh Police said student, Ashley Todd, of College Station, Texas, who is white, told them she was attacked by a 6-foot-4 black man Wednesday night.

Admittedly, that story in and of itself is unremarkable.  The details of her story however, had me suspicious.  As a result, I held off on writing about it until the facts came out.

Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Diane Richard divulged the woman’s account to the media.

From The Huffington Post:

In Todd’s initial account, she attempted to use the ATM when the man approached her from behind, put a knife with a 4- to 5-inch blade to her throat and demanded money. She told police she handed the assailant $60 and walked away.

Todd told investigators that she suspected the man then noticed a John McCain sticker on her car, became angry and punched her in the back of the head, knocking her to the ground and telling her “you are going to be a Barack supporter,” police said in a statement.

She said he continued to punch and kick her while threatening “to teach her a lesson for being a McCain supporter,” police said. She said he then sat on her chest, pinned her hands down with his knees and scratched a backward letter “B” into her face using what she believed to be a dull knife.

In the subsequent discussions with investigators, according to the police statement, Todd said she was accosted as she approached the bank and fled her attacker, fell to the ground and the assailant began beating and fondling her.

Police Cmdr. Larry Ross, who is in charge of the police precinct where the attack was first reported, said Todd’s story has continued to change.

“I guess she elaborated more when she went down to the bureau headquarters. She added other things to it that we didn’t have at first, that she didn’t tell the initial officer,” Ross said.

The 20 year old McCain campaigner subsequently failed a polygraph test, then confessed to making up the story, telling investigators today that she “was not robbed and there was no 6’4″ black male attacker.”

This “October Surprise” leaves me shaking my head and wondering what is wrong with people this election season.  It has me asking, “Is this what this election has come to?”

Has this heated Presidential race left certain McCain/Palin supporters so desperate to want their candidate to win that they would do whatever it takes in a sort of twisted Machiavellian philosophy that the ends justify the means?  I’m not implying that very many McCain supporters would go to this extreme, but following the smears, innuendo, and subsequent yells of “Terrorist!” and “Kill Him!,” I suppose that this misguided attempt to bring sympathy to the McCain campaign was almost the inevitable next step by a twisted supporter.

What happened to good old fashioned American political discourse?  This is the ninth Presidential election that I have been witness to, (I first became interested during Ford/Carter ’76) and I have never seen ugliness that nearly matches what I have seen in the last few months.  From the top down in the GOP, the brazen racism, anger, smears, and fear-mongering are unprecedented.  So much for the promises of American unity after the tragedy of September 11.

So where do we go from here as a nation?  The immediate priority is for Americans to stop this Tawana Brawley, Susan Smith style of race-baiting, and agree that although Democrats and Republicans have fundamental differences with regard to this country, each platform is valid and must be respected.  Case in point:  I’m not a huge fan of George Will.  I disagree with almost everything he says, yet I respect him as a thoughtful, conservative journalist.  A person may even disagree with a member of his or her family, but there is no plank in either platform that says that person should not agree to disagree.  After all, this is America.

Instilling hatred and fear in the electorate is an unhealthy recipe.

What we need right now as Americans is the opportunity to be united as a country.  The last thing we need is race-baited fear-mongering.

The Ultimate Campaign Insult

I wrote on October 5th in my post, Palin Called “Fluffy Bunny” Her Comments, “Racially Tinged” that the final month of the election was going to get ugly.  October is usually the month that the campaigning gets heated.

I had no idea what I was in for.

This election has had some extreme ugliness in it.  Much of it is unprecedented.  There has been racism and sexism by both sides of supporters.  I was appalled at some of the things that have surfaced.

There was the woman at McCain’s campaign stop who addressed McCain about Obama’s “otherness.”  “I don’t trust Obama,” she said. “I have read about him. He’s an Arab.”

Let’s just say for one moment that he [Obama] is an Arab which he isn’t, but let’s just say he is.  I had a couple of friends from the country of Jordan; Achmed and Kasim.  I worked with these two, and they were genuinely decent people.  We talked, we joked, we learned from each other.  From these two, I learned more about what real Muslims believe.  I can tell you that it is not the extremist fundamentalist rhetoric that is spewed but rather, a deep abiding respect for all people.  While I explained a few things about western culture to them, I learned the significance of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Mecca.  There are more Arabs out there who are moderate in their beliefs than those who are extreme.  Why don’t people hear about this?  Simple.  It’s just not sensational enough to make the news.  If Obama was indeed Muslim like Mohammed Ali and the late Benezir Bhutto, he would be in good company.  The woman addressing McCain was implying that all Arabs are extreme and not to be trusted.  There was quite a twinge of racism in that comment whether she knew it or not.  The “Arab” comment made me sad for all decent Americans who are Islamic, as well as good Arabs all over the world who are trying to break the stereotype.

A little over a month ago, I came upon this disturbing piece from “Think Progress:”

Obama Waffles: Tasty treat, or racist rhetoric?

At the Values Voter Summit this weekend, vendors sold an item called “Obama Waffles” featuring a racist cartoon of Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) on the box front — with “popping eyes and big, thick lips” — and another image of him wearing an Arab-like headdress on its top flap. Its creators, Mark Whitlock and Bob DeMoss, said it was meant as “political satire,” and sold the box for $10 from a booth at the Family Research Council event. CNN’s Lou Dobbs stopped by the booth and exclaimed, “My wife will love this!” A photo shows Dobbs with a box of the mix in his hand.

While Obama Waffles takes aim at Obama’s politics by poking fun at his public remarks and positions on issues, it also plays off the old image of the pancake-mix icon Aunt Jemima, which has been widely criticized as a demeaning stereotype. Obama is portrayed with popping eyes and big, thick lips as he stares at a plate of waffles and smiles broadly.

Placing Obama in Arab-like headdress recalls the false rumor that he is a follower of Islam, though he is actually a Christian.

On the back of the box, Obama is depicted in stereotypical Mexican dress, including a sombrero, above a recipe for ”Open Border Fiesta Waffles” that says it can serve ”4 or more illegal aliens.” The recipe includes a tip: ”While waiting for these zesty treats to invade your home, why not learn a foreign language?”

Not only does this capitalize on black stereotypes, it does so with Muslim stereotypes, reducing them to a vulgar caricature.

Sarah Palin has not come out unscathed.  Late in September, Larry Flynt-notorious owner of “Hustler” magazine, sent out an ad on Craigslist for a porn actress who looks like Sarah Palin:

Production has now begun on an adult movie titled, “Nailin’ Paylin.”  I’m not a big fan of the Vice-Presidential nominee, but this is way over the top.  To be certain, Larry Flint is acting within his First Amendment right, but I also believe that that he is displaying his usual poor taste.  My heart goes out to Sarah Palin on this one.

The most notorious of these insults came from a local California GOP women’s organization.  Its newsletter claimed that if Obama was elected, his face would appear on food stamps, rather than dollar bills like other presidents. The group then included a picture of “Obama Bucks” — a phony $10 food stamp with Obama surrounded by racist imagery:

The president of the organization, Diane Fedele, didn’t understand the charges of racism: “I didn’t see it the way that it’s being taken. I never connected. It was just food to me.” One African-American member of the club said that upon seeing the newsletter, she “cried for 45 minutes.” “This is what keeps African-Americans from joining the Republican Party,” she added.

First of all, it wasn’t “just food” to Ms Fedele.  Of all of the food out there, she just happened to use food from the four most racially-charged food groups?  No Ms. Fedele, you knew exactly what you were doing, and most likely had a good chuckle from it.  I mean, if you’re going to be flat-out racist, at least have the guts to admit it.  Indeed, items like this are what keep African-Americans from joining the Republican Party.  What a great way to show sensitivity to the Black members of your group.

Don’t think that I’m getting high and mighty on everyone.  I’m guilty too.  In recent heated exchanges with my brother who happens to support McCain, I blurted out some pretty sexist comments to him in a fit of anger.  I promptly apologized to him, and felt like a jerk.  It can be easy to go down that path, but contrition is needed, and certain amount of decorum should be followed.  Do I like politically incorrect humor?  You betcha!  There are Obama, McCain, Biden, and Palin jokes on the web that are funny as hell, and made me laugh.  I love edgy humor, but there is a really fine line though, between funny and plain insulting.  Let us please take this election back to the issues at hand, and who is best qualified to deal with them.

Only then can we move forward as a nation.

Confidential to my brother:  I apologize for my heated remarks on Palin.  I know you’re voting for who you believe is the best person to lead us in these challenging times.