Here's what I wondered: why would someone carving it into her face carve the "B" backward? Writing a little backward requires a bit more than the usual mental effort. If this was a quick crime, would he have stopped and thought to carve it backward? That's not a natural way to write.

Didn't her account say something like "it is so fun for a girl to lie"? I can't pull it up because it says "loading" and is taking forever.

shadiness

Um regardless of what she got "beat up" for it's wrong and if it is politically motivated it is even more insidious.

i think that is the main question. if she was beat up at all?

Of course updating her status about the lying on her twitter is only circumstantial. She could have been talking about lying to a boyfriend or a friend. That doesn't really prove anything. Just makes the whole thing more suspicious.

Truth or hoax, I wonder what the fall out of this will be. Will it have an effect on the election? I am already leading comments from articles on the internet claiming all Obama supporters are crazy and that if McCain wins, we can expect violence from his "followers". Also have read so horrible and disheartening racial comments.

WOW! It's a shame that this is even a story! I am curious as to what happened and why the B? This just doesn't make sense to me. Just let me know when the polygraph results are in will yah?

As several people mentioned on the other thread about this, it's also possible the B is upside down.

Cover it as a reported crime that may be a hoax - report what the media knows about the story, preferably using factual information from the police. And don't be so quick to jump on a potentially sensational story.

Cover it as a reported crime that may be a hoax - report what the media knows about the story, preferably using factual information from the police. And don't be so quick to jump on a potentially sensational story.

Okay, I don't mean to make light, but I keep thinking, why not just make an O? Seems so much easier.

But it seems weird that she twittered after that. I use twitter, and I post a lot, but I think if I'd been mugged and attacked, I wouldn't just tweet, "Rough night!"

Either she got mugged and attacked, or she's a total sicko. Either way, sad.

Kastarte, I was wondering the same thing....if this would have any effect on the election. It's scary to me because I think that we are gonna see some serious racism surface if Obama wins. We already see it bubbling under the surface....... I am very concerned about which way this country's racial ethics may turn if he makes office (if that makes any sense).

Also, impressive punctuation, Citizen. Dig that colon-semicolon-semicolon punch!

True Song, I thought about that too!! Why not just make an O? Also I thought, well it depends on which way the guy was standing when he made that B...... Honestly, I also thought that she and maybe a friend set the whole thing up and she had that B when she started.....lol! But I guess that would be a bit far fetched but you never know. It is a sad thing indeed.

One more thing. I think you're a little mixed up on the campaign comments. The Obama campaign issued a statement:

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the young woman for her to make a speedy recovery, and we hope that the person who perpetrated this crime is swiftly apprehended and brought to justice.”

From the article you linked, it looks like the McCain campaign is who said basically no comment:

"The McCain-Palin campaign also released a statement saying, 'The McCain campaign is aware of the incident involving one of its volunteers. Out of respect, the campaign won't be commenting. The campaign also confirms that Senator McCain and Governor Palin have both spoken to the woman.'"

ladeemahogany, I worry about that as well, if Obama becomes president. There have already been plenty of incidents during this election that have brought race back into major play. I know people who even before it got into full swing were making threats against his life and family, referring to him as the "n-word" and things. What they didn't want to say is because there's strong residual bigotry and racial prejudice...especially when they say "I just don't feel comfortable with him" and "he's not like us".

As for this story: I don't understand why you would take the time to MARK somebody like that if you were in the middle of robbing them. Especially that neatly..and *backwards*. If this *is* a hoax, whatever the reason she did it, she seriously needs some psychiatric help.

What's the difference between and upside down and backwards B?

i am going to withhold further comment on this until we know more facts.

Jenni, I think some have suggested he may have held her face from the other side. So, it would have been written the right way from his perspective, but upside down when you face her.

JJ, they obviously look the same, but few people would carve a backwards B. If you were looking at someone's face from above, there's a good likelihood you would carve an upside down B.

lilkimbo - At first I thought about it possibly being upside down too but then someone at Wonkette pointed out a snippet from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

"Ms. Todd told police during at least five hours of questioning last night that her attacker said to her, 'You are going to be a Barack supporter.' She told police the man then sat on her chest, pinning both her hands down with his knees and used what she believed was a dull knife with a roughly 5-inch blade to carve the B."

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08298/922489-470.stm

Which supports the upside down theory. If he was sitting on her chest, he would be looking down at her face.

"i am going to withhold further comment on this until we know more facts."

That is wise, YY. I think I am going to join you.

Maybe it's a crazed Red Sox supporter?

Roar was she wearing Yankee paraphernalia?

I'm going to join you two, as well, yy and kas. Before I do, I'll just say, it's fully possible that she did this to herself. It's also fully possible that her story is true. I'm not necessarily saying her story is true. I'm just saying that we shouldn't assume it isn't. I mentioned this on the other post, but it really bugs me that people are saying her story isn't true because she refused medical attention, or because she may not have fought back. Everyone reacts differently in trauma.

True, but even if you are writing it from your hand being in an upward position, the lines are pretty smooth and not jagged at all.

Anyway, I mostly agree with you and others that there are things to support it being either real or hoax. Just have to let the police do their investigation.

From the linked story it states that "Now police say that evidence from the ATM that she reportedly visited did not match her account. And then she changed her story, admitting that her assailant did not see a McCain bumper sticker on her assault, and adding to he account a sexual assault and losing consciousness."

I think the story should be covered but it seems that some want to sensationalize it for their own benefit. The press and the public should let the police do their job and stay out of it until the facts have been determined.

Maybe she was, she could have had a Y on her car, who knows?

"Which supports the upside down theory. If he was sitting on her chest, he would be looking down at her face."

He would be looking down on her face, but from the wrong angle. The upside down theory really only works, if he was positioned above her head.

[True, but even if you are writing it from your hand being in an upward position, the lines are pretty smooth and not jagged at all.]

Really? The lines you CARVE INTO SOMEONE'S FACE are usually smooth of you're looking at them rightside up? That's silly.

I really hope she didn't do this to herself. But it's stacking up to look like she did. She needs some real help.

lilkimbo - in regards to your last comment, I completely agree. I notice that alot on this blog (whether it has to do with this woman or with a woman who claims she was raped in the military). I find it difficult not to give a victim the benefit of doubt, but I do understand that there are some people who lie for their own interests. I hope this woman isn't one of them, because her story needs to bring attention to those who are acting absolutely irrationally and lashing out in completely unacceptable ways (on BOTH sides). We should debate and argue, but not attack on ANY level.

chatondeneige - that's not what I was saying. I said "even if" meaning in any position the lines in the letter are still pretty smooth for a violent attack.

I feel for her and I hope she's ok.

"Todd, who is white, now says she was knocked unconscious and doesn't remember being cut. She now says she only discovered the wound later.
No arrests have been made."

www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D940VEM01&show_article=1

I'd be willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, but those Twitter entries just really look suspicious...

She's confessed to making it all up.

http://kdka.com/

consider this...if you were looking in a mirror and used that as a guide to "draw" a letter on a convas....the letter would actually be backwards on the "canvas". just food for thought...

This entire election has just gotten disgusting, and there is so much wrong with this story that I don't even know where to start.

To me the bottom line is this: We live in America where we are free to make our own choices about who we vote for and why. I personally don't care if you decide to support John McCain or Barack Obama, it's your decision, as long as you VOTE!

Should we as a nation have healthy conversations about the future of our economic and social growth? Absolutely, but I don't think it should involve, a) name calling or smear campaigns or b) physical acts of violence.

This post needs two updates:

One, she has confessed to making it up.

Two, the wrong statement is still attributed to the Obama campaign.

Yes, please update the post.

Aren't there cameras at every ATM? I always thought there were.

BUWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH hahahahha

Yeah and the cameras caught nothing because she made it up.

http://kdka.com/

Dayum..and I thought I had my crazy days..she takes the cake!

Wow, kas. Interesting that Fox News VP had this to say yesterday:

"If Ms. Todd’s allegations are proven accurate, some voters may revisit their support for Senator Obama, not because they are racists (with due respect to Rep. John Murtha), but because they suddenly feel they do not know enough about the Democratic nominee.

If the incident turns out to be a hoax, Senator McCain’s quest for the presidency is over, forever linked to race-baiting."

http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/10/23/jmoody_1023/

That is a pretty strongly worded quote. Did this woman just lose the election for McCain?

That's sooo sad.

This reminds me of that story where that lady killed her kids and blamed it on some random black person.

Well -- I glad she was found out!!

That would be Susan Smith, Dream.

this is seriously making my day. i hope she has to pay back the city for the waste of police time.