Ok, NOW there is credible evidence that she made it all up. Someone from the Pittsburgh Police department has told KDKA, Pittsburgh’s CBS affiliate, that Ashley Todd has admitted to making up the story.
NOW everyone feel free to pile on this liar. NOW we have good evidence that she did, in fact, make this up. NOW AND ONLY NOW.
Michelle Malkin’s first instincts were correct on this one (and Ace and Allah too) but I still disagree with people’s first reaction to this story and some of Malkin’s implications. The fact that Ashley Todd turned out to be a liar changes nothing. While it shows that Malkin has good instincts for hoaxes, it doesn’t make me feel much better about the way she conducted coverage of this story.
I do not regret giving the benefit of the doubt to these claims. I need convincing evidence reported by credible sources before I am comfortable with piling on somebody. Whenever somebody reports being attacked I will give them the benefit of the doubt as it is the right thing to do.
But, with that said, I think we can all agree that what this woman has done is disgusting and horrible. Her actions have served to hurt any future victim of any assault, political in nature or not. The only thing she has done with this sick act is add to the doubt that people inherently face when reporting crimes. Thus more and more pressure and criticism will be heaped on people who are telling the truth about being the victim of crime (not to mention those who defend their reports).
Ashley Todd has now been proven to be the lowest level of scum.
UPDATE: What the police News Conference today revealed:
“In a news conference on Friday, police said Todd told them she doesn’t know why she lied. She said everything started snowballing.
Police said there was no robbery or suspected mugger. However, Todd did tell police she does not know how the “B” got on her face, but suspects she might have done it to herself.
Police said Todd came clean after returning to the station so police could draw a composite sketch.
Police are conferring with the District Attorney’s Office on the issue. At the very least, Todd could be charged with filing a false police report.
Although police said they did find out that the woman has a history of mental problems.”
UPDATE: You know what the second worst part of all of this is? (the worst part being the drop it will cause in benefit of the doubt towards people who report being attacked) The Kos kids are going to feel like their instinct to crucify anybody on the right who reports a politically motivated crime right off the bat is completely justified. Awesome job, Ashley Todd, thanks for all the *#$@ you’ve pulled.
UPDATE: Ashley Todd has been charged with filing a false police report and shes saying some pretty insane things but they just sound like more lies to me. In fact it now sounds like she started making things up from the beginning and simply hasn’t stopped… Thanks again Ashley Todd for making anybody who gave you the benefit of the doubt, including me, look bad. I just hope they can figure out a way charge you with more than filing a false police report.
Uh… so we have to believe every half-baked story that we hear even if it’s as unbelievably fishy as this one was from the very start?
No thanks.
At the end of this I know that I was on the right side of the argument because if she was right it would have been worse to have spoke against her. We all look at the evidence and decide accordingly. I just made the mistake by thinking otherwise. I wasn’t the only one so I don’t feel too foolish. Just a little. Hey, I admit when I’m wrong.
I understand your line of thinking Patrick. But the circumstances and points of her story were fishy to start. I’m not saying a black guy wouldn’t rob a white woman at an ATM. But he wouldn’t carve a B on her face AFTER he got her money and then take more time to beat her (and risk getting caught) because of who she’s voting for while wearing a tank top in 40 degree temps at night. And for the record, I’m black and I had suspicions of deceit when that black dancer in NC accused the 3 Lacrosse players. You hate that this stuff happens because real victims are at risk.
There was very good evidence from the start, that she was lying. You used twisted logic to dismiss it. You then implied that anyone who doubted her was a jerk. Jerk.
I simply can’t wait to hear the left (including the media) start to talk about how dishonest conservatives are.
How about we just say how stupid certain conservatives were for assuming what she said was fact.
who did not think this fool was lying from the beginning? In the end all this accomplished was hurting the campaign she insanely thought she was trying to help. Just dumb!
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Political Disgust
Bush screwing up EVERYTHING he touched for eight LONG years hadn’t given Democrat voters quite the level of intensity to come out voting in MASSIVE numbers, so McCain campaign gave us that little kicker of a PHONEY racist scare story.
NOW we have just the correct amount of INTENSITY to stand in line 12 hours (if need be) to get you all OUT of our government.
I suggest Democrats go to the polls with a backwards Mc drawn on their cheeks, it will be great psy-ops for Republicans, and make that tedious exit polling UNNECESARY
Response to Mark: One thing Bush HASN’T screwed up is a nation untouched since 9/11 by a single terrorist attack on the mainland– an accomplishment nearly superhuman considering that you, me and every other American citizen assumed that we would most assuredly suffer subsequent attacks, just as scores of other nations across the globe have been and continue to be attacked. Perhaps you should meditate on what a TRULY screwed up nation would look like– i.e. America suffering city-destroying bombs, poisoned water supplies that kill hundreds of thousands…stuff like that. None of it happened under Bush, though it may under Obama, given his tradmark Leftist inability to distinguish clearly that the USA is not the world’s enemy but it’s greatest hope. This profound failing of his will have a kind of “trickle down” effect on our foreign policy, as weakness rather than strength becomes the mode of handling myriad threatening situations. Bush would have been blamed in hoarse screaming accusations from the Left had we been seriously attacked post 9/11; try to find the guts and intellectual honesty to recognize and admit that he likewise deserves massive credit for the attacks that did NOT happen.