Right Wing Terrorism Watch - Newspaper runs ad calling for Obama's assassination

The Warren Pennsylvania Times-Observer (www.timesobserver.com) published an ad today calling for the assassination of President Barack Obama.

The text of the small classified ad reads, “May Obama follow in the footsteps of Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley and Kennedy!” There is no other text and it has no attribution. The ad may be viewed here http://morrillmajority.org/warrenad.pdf

Keystone Progress called the Times-Observer for comment and got a return call from John T. Elchert, the paper’s publisher. Mr. Elchert was extremely apologetic and wanted to make it clear that the ad did not reflect the paper’s policy.

“It is unfortunate that it made it to press,” said Elchert. “The person who took the ad didn’t recognize the significance of the names. We cancelled the ad and turned the information over to the authorities.”

Mr. Elchert said that he contacted the local police who were forwarding the information to federal authorities.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/5/28/736354/-PA-newspaper-runs-ad-calling-for-assassination-of-Obama

"The person who took the ad didn't recognize the significance of the names." Does Mr. Elchert hire 11-year-olds to take classified ad copy? Or is it outsourced to some overseas call center where they don't know the difference between Whitey Ford and tighty whities?

I'm glad he recognizes the "unfortunate" nature of the ad. I'm guessing that the person who placed it is untraceable.

Newspapers are busy operations and no one wants the job of proofreading the flippin' classified ads. You see "Obama follow in the foot steps of Lincoln" among 600 other ads you proof in a day and you send it to the printer. Critical analysis is helpful, but outright skepticism is unwarrented. There's no reason to believe the editor of this small town publisher wasn't sincere in his embarrassment & horror.

By the way, I very seriously doubt the Secret Service will accept "untraceable" as a conclusion over who this customer was.

The ad copy proofer probably didn't put together that all those presidents were assassinated - my initial thought would be that there were all, well, presidents.

And, if I was proofing a million lines of copy for spelling and punctuation errors (and, yes, I've done it before - I was a reporter in a former life), I might not take the time to note context, but rather spelling, only.

Oh yeah. As usual, I blame the Republicans.

The issue is that whoever took the ad was likely the product of underfunded American classrooms.

We need better Civics Education!

:sarcasm:

I mean, WTF?

ugh :dunce:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren,_Pennsylvania <== Warren, Pennsylvania: population 10,000

My guess is that the classified ads staff is neither very large nor made up of college graduates.

http://www.mondotimes.com/1/world/us/38/2202/5410

One may assume that's either of Nov. 30, 2008 or March 30, 2009, depending on how current Mondo Times is with Audit Bureau of Circulation reports.

One may also assume that a paper of that size has a classified ad staff of two or three people, none of whom are scholars.

(Sez the former small-paper city editor.)

NuttyYahoo and his Likud friends took out their own Prime Minister (Rabin) when he threatened to get in the way of their warmongering agenda. And he can't be happy the way Obama's standing up to his ass right now. (If only he was doing the same to the rabid right wing warmongers in THIS country)

What is he thinking going over to that powder keg next week?

I am very worried about his upcoming trip. I really think he should stay state side since he has already took a big trip oversees back in April.

to head to Egypt next week.
Still real men 'don't play coward'.

pretty whacked out.

The South does not have a lock on racism.

:eyes:

Mississippi had NOTHING to do with this.

(or Kentucky or pick another) in between. Once you get too far from those two urban areas, it is as racist and backward as any southern area.

Wow, George Bush must have needed a little extra income. (Because NOBODY else could be that fucking dumb.)

Fucking monsters.

I seriously doubt 3 in 10 could name McKinley and Garfield in answer to the obvious question.