Ashley Todd: political victim or hoax?

A 20 year old Republican volunteer worker has reportedly been attacked by an Obama supporting mugger in Pittsburg.

Ashley Todd, 20 from Texas, alleges that she was robbed at knifepoint at an ATM and knocked down by a man who then carved a “B” in her face after noticing a sticker for John McCain on her car. The story first came to prominence from the SarahsArmy blog, then picked up by the Drudge Report who initially claimed Todd was a McCain campaign worker.

Police have told the media that they are exploring all angles, including the alleged political side.

Besides the timing this close to the election, the story raises some interesting questions. Was the attack on Todd politically motivated, or is it an elaborate hoax?

There’s are couple of strange things: like Todd not immediately seeking help after the attack (despite her visible injuries), then only later reporting the matter to police, and then only getting medical help the following day. Women who are attacked sometimes don’t act rationally due to shock, and we wouldn’t suggest that her delays were solid evidence of the hoax.

But then there’s the B. It’s backwards. Maybe the mugger was a dyslexic black Obama supporter?

The hoax question is such that even prominent right wing blogger Michelle Malkin is calling the circumstances suspicious, and warning others to think first before using this against the Obama McCain:

Malkin quoting a reader:

Notice how the “B” is backwards on the right cheek……if you were looking in a mirror and put it on your own face…it would appear backwards and would probably be on your own right cheek (due to most folks are right handed)……she put it on her own face but forgot it would show up backwards.

and another reader:

“I’m a cop – 8th year now – and this McCain supporter attack just didn’t pass the “smell test” as soon as I read about it.

At this point, I’ll guess the shiner was inflicted either by a friend willingly as part of this hoax or a boyfriend in a domestic dispute.

The “B” is far to shallow and clean to be taken seriously. Reminds me of the stab wounds that a “hero” would get when fighting off a phantom attacker – far to superficial to have been done in what is a fairly violent encounter.

Either way, I’m voting McCain

Ultimately the police will decide. Footage of the story from the local news below.

Update: turns out it was a hoax, and the injuries were self inflicted. Todd is currently is custody over the matter. The sad thing with things like this is that it hurts legitimate victims of crime.