Once again it comes back to race…Ashley Todd is a pathetic human being. Playing on the racial tension that lies within’ this election and to quote the video below, handing the people standing over the tinderbox the match they are looking for.

In case you missed this story, in a horrible, despicable display, the McCain/Palin campaign staffer claimed she was attacked at an ATM machine by a black man who put a knife to her throat. That he beat her, violated her and once he saw the McCain/Palin sticker on her car, held her down, carved a B in her face and said he was going to “teach her a lesson.” Authorities found so many inconsistencies in her story that within a day, she broke down and admitted to making the whole thing up. Memos from John Moody, Fox News’ Executive Vice President surfaced, showing him ready to jump on the story and exploit these racial angles as best they could. He also noted that if it did turn out to be false, McCain would forever be tied to race-baiting. Well, there’s your answer, Moody. You said it yourself.

The plotting and scheming to exploit any underlying racial tension there may be in these final days of the election is disgusting. It is unconscionable to think that somehow stating that an assault by a black man would presumably shame Barack Obama, simply because he too, is black. And to see someone like Moody, the Executive V.P., a member of the media who is supposed to be “fair and balanced” salavating over a story like a rabid dog, just waiting to pounce should not only be grounds for immediate termination, but grounds for him to never set foot in any broadcast journalism medium again.

I turn once again to the wisdom and eloquence of Keith Olbermann. His campaign comment about this story last night was superb. With a plea that I think we can all agree with…for John McCain to step up, show that he is a leader and put an end to these horrible tactics. Win or lose, if John McCain wants people to view him as a leader, he needs to speak up, take charge of the situation and lead!! Speak directly to the people, denounce this behavior as absolutely unacceptable and show us that you are not only above it, but 100% intolerant of it.

Ashley Todd claims “mental illness” and while that seems like a cop out, anyone who would try something like this is, in fact, mentally ill.

This isn’t her first stunt either, she was banned from another campaign for similar tactics, explained here:

“In March, Ms. Todd was asked to leave a grass-roots group of Ron Paul supporters in Brazos County, Texas, group leader Dustan Costine said. He said Ms. Todd posed as a supporter of former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and called the local Republican committee seeking information about its campaign strategies.

“She would call the opposing campaign and pretend she was on their campaign to get information,” Mr. Costine said last night. “We had to remove her because of the tactics she displayed. After that we had nothing to do with her.”

About a month earlier, he said, Ms. Todd sent an e-mail to the Ron Paul group saying her tires were slashed and that campaign paraphernalia had been stolen from her car because she supported Mr. Paul. “She’s the type of person who wants to be recognized,” Mr. Costine said.

This is no longer about the election. This is about horrible people preying on what they hope are deep seeded fears within’ the people in this country. This is desperation at it’s worst. This is beneath even the lowest of dirty campaign tactics and is rooted in pure hatred.

I have lost any inkling of respect I had for John McCain. He’s proving himself to have lost whatever “maverick” qualities he may have had in trade for being a cowardly puppet who won’t stand up to anyone anymore, much less his own party.