Salon's Joan Walsh: Eric Cantor phony victim story makes him the Ashley Todd of 2010

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Friday, Mar 26, 2010 18:01 EDT

Eric Cantor's phony victim story

His false claim of office gunshots functioned as the Ashley Todd tale of 2010, distracting from right-wing violence

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/sarah_palin/index.html?story=/opinion/walsh/politics/2010/03/26/phony_eric_cantor_story

By Joan Walsh



Did House GOP Whip Eric Cantor just become 2010's answer to Ashley Todd, the white McCain supporter who claimed she was assaulted by a black Obama backer in October 2008?

You remember the story: A 20-year-old McCain-Palin volunteer told Pittsburgh police that a black man robbed her, and then, when he saw a McCain bumper sticker on her car, he beat her and carved a B – for "Barack" -- into her cheek, and told her she better support the black Democrat. Days later, the clearly disturbed Todd confessed that she made up the attack, and apparently mutilated herself to provide "evidence." But for a few days, the right wing insisted Todd's attacker was the Democratic equivalent of the menacing crowds at Sarah Palin rallies shouting "Kill him!" and "Terrorist!" about Obama. Drudge and Fox News hyped the story, with Fox news V.P. John Moody even claiming the attack might lead some voters to "revisit their support for Senator Obama."

No one's accusing Cantor of shooting up his own office, but from the minute he made his claim -- also implying he was targeted because he was Jewish -- it was almost certain to be untrue. In the very first AP report on the incident, the Richmond police said the bullet had been fired into the air, not through Cantor's window. Two photos in Salon show that the nondescript office building is unmarked, with no signs indicating Cantor or his staff have one of the suites inside. Friday Richmond police confirmed the bullet was a stray: Neither Cantor nor his office was targeted, and in fact the bullet didn't even land in his office. A spokesman for Cantor told reporters he was "very happy" his story turned out not to be true.

But just as Ashley Todd's tale interrupted a narrative of right-wing menace and near-violence about Obama, briefly letting commentators tsk-tsk about extremes on both sides, Cantor's claim interjected the same kind of false equivalence. On CNN Thursday night, Gloria Borger insisted not only should tea partiers rein in their members, but "Move On too" (h/t Greg Mitchell). It's crazy time.

[Kingofalldems]

1. He's much worse

Ashley Todd is just a kid volunteer.

[Ichingcarpenter]

2. DU's HooptieWagon has this picture he/she found.....LOL!

saw it yesterday on a thread

[SpiralHawk]

5. "He's so cool. I just luvs him." - Ashley Todd (R)

"I mean, he is the Uber-republicon with his sterling record of chickenhawkery, and now this blatant, manipulative lie. Oooo. He is the Compleat Republicon Homelander, the kind of guy we RepubliGals totally go for. Sigh."

- Ashley Todd (R)

[BlancheSplanchnik]

6. Perp walk's only for little people, though...

I'd like to see Cantor's face here!

[mindwalker_i]

8. I hadn't seen this picture, and quite frankly

it seemed like the most obvious thing to do. In fact, when I saw this thread, I was getting all worked up to post something demanding a photoshop. Fortunately, here is the picture. I can calm down now :)

[malaise]

3. No one's accusing Cantor of shooting up his own office

Really now - that was my first thought and he can neither shoot nor spin straight.
Poor Cantor - everything is up in the air just like the balloon boy's daddy.

[NNN0LHI]

4. This Cantor must be one conflicted fellow

His base of voters is made up of neo-Nazis, skinheads and other assorted racist loons.

Wonder if he ever thinks about that?

Don

[Happyhippychick]

7. EC = "Bullet Boy"