Getting Better All The Time

McCain Campaign Pushed Hoax:

John McCain's Pennsylvania communications director told reporters in the state an incendiary version of the hoax story about the attack on a McCain volunteer well before the facts of the case were known or established -- and even told reporters outright that the "B" carved into the victim's cheek stood for "Barack," according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions.

John Verrilli, the news director for KDKA in Pittsburgh, told TPM Election Central that McCain's Pennsylvania campaign communications director gave one of his reporters a detailed version of the attack that included a claim that the alleged attacker said, "You're with the McCain campaign? I'm going to teach you a lesson."

Verrilli also told TPM that the McCain spokesperson had claimed that the "B" stood for Barack. According to Verrilli, the spokesperson also told KDKA that Sarah Palin had called the victim of the alleged attack, who has since admitted the story was a hoax.

The KDKA reporter had called McCain's campaign office for details after seeing the story -- sans details -- teased on Drudge.

-tpm

Paging Lt. Columbo

Ok, so we see how the nets - broadcast and broadband - are going to wallow tomorrow:



as they will go hogwild over this crime story as McCain Campaign talking point:

Woman Attacked At ATM, Assailant Scratches Letter Into Her Face
Woman Robbed, Attacked With Knife At Bloomfield ATM
...
Police spokeswoman Diane Richard said the robber took $60 from Todd, then became angry when he saw a McCain bumper sticker on the victim's car. The attacker then punched and kicked the victim, before using the knife to scratch the letter "B" into her face, Richard said.
...
Todd declined to comment to the Tribune. Friends said she is in Pittsburgh volunteering for the McCain-Palin campaign.

Richard said the woman refused medical treatment after the assault, which happened outside the view of the bank's surveillance cameras.

-- WTAE TV

Now color me cynical, but doesn't anyone wonder why the robber scratched the "B" backwards?

Like it was done in, say, a mirror?

Or does the Pittsburgh press routinely print all their photos in reverse?

Update:

Police: Campaign Worker Admits Making Up Story
Source: KDKA Police sources tell KDKA that a campaign worker has now 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.

Well, that was fast...

Trend Spotting: Copycat Craigslist Hoax House Ads

Same story, different victims:

Oregon:
"House Ransacked After Craigslist Hoax"


Washington:
"Cruel Craigslist ad trashes home"




Is this becoming the American version of the UK MySpace Party From Hell meme, as experienced in Belfast, Durham and Surrey?



Which has morphed into an alt.career in the antipodes: