Morning UPDATE:  False story! Shame.

Overnight UPDATE:

Not a good sign:  conflicting story details…polygraph test to be administered

Scroll down for updates…”Police planned to administer a polygraph test to Ashley Todd, 20, because her statements about the attack conflict with evidence from the Citizens Bank ATM where she claims the incident occurred, police said”…and more below on following her MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook trails…

FYI: Todd’s MySpace page has been turned private, but cached links are here.

Her Facebook profile has been deleted, but the cached front page is here.

UPDATE VIA HOTAIR:

Here’s a video report on the attack from KDKA-TV (via the Newsbusters).

I spoke with two executives at the College Republicans on the record about this story.  Charlie Smith, the National Chair, and Ethan Eilon, the Executive Director, both say the photo is legitimate and that it came from Ashley Todd, the victim in this case.  The attack began at 8:50 pm ET and Ashley called the police at 9:30 PM ET. Initially, she was robbed, ran away after the robbery, and the robber followed her to her car.  At that point, he became enraged at the bumper sticker and began beating her and scratched the ‘B’ into her face. Ashley went to the hospital early this morning after initially refusing medical attention last night, and had an MRI and/or a CAT scan. Doctors believe her cheek will heal fully.

Eilon spoke with her personally today about the incident and confirmed the above with me.  He first met Ashley in June, when she came to DC for training with the College Republicans.  She works for them as a contract employee.  She does not work for the McCain campaign.  Both Eilon and Smith expressed revulsion over an attack on a young woman just getting involved in politics, but they consider this the act of a lone lunatic.

I’m not going to blame people for keeping a healthy skepticism on this case, but so far, the two media reports appear to check out.

A John McCain volunteer says she was robbed at knife point Wednesday in a violent area of Pittsburgh by an attacker who cut a ‘B’ into her face after noticing a McCain bumper sticker on her car.

Richard said the robber took $60 from the woman, then became angry when he saw a McCain bumper sticker on the victim’s car. The attacker then punched and kicked the victim, before using the knife to scratch the letter “B” into her face, Richard said.

The woman who was attacked has identified herself as Ashley Todd, who is a College Republican field representative.

The Republican presidential nominee has since called the volunteer, 20-year-old Texas resident Ashley Todd, and spoken with her and her family.

Be afraid, women. Be very afraid. If you think having Barack Obama for president will be a good thing for you, you are a fool. This has been a misogynist’s campaign since Day One and far too many of his male followers feel empowered to harm women. Do not imagine that this is not the effect of Barack Obama himself. It is. It’s Enabling at its worst.  Today, it’s a McCain sign–tomorrow it’s whatever it is you did that didn’t set right.

You are not respected. you are NOTHING in a Marxist society. You are nothing to Barack Obama but a broad whose vote he wants. Don’t take my word for it. Get the point when it’s too late. I could do hours of examples for all of you, but you know what? You have a right to screw up your own lives. Don’t expect sympathy later.

As for the B carving, if she were on her back, her head held by the attacker’s left arm below her chin, her head between his legs as he scratched — she’d be upside down as oriented to him.

According to a campaign spokesperson, after seeing her bumper sticker supporting McCain, the suspect said, ‘Oh you’re with McCain, you’re with the McCain campaign?  I’m going to teach you a lesson.’”

The suspect ran off after the attack; but police are hoping that footage from bank surveillance camera may help lead them to the suspect.

In an official statement the McCain campaign says: “We’re shaken up by this. It’s sick and disgusting.”

Governor Sarah Palin reportedly spoke with the victim by phone.

Meanwhile, late this afternooon, the Obama-Biden campaign released a statement, saying: “This is a horrendous act of violence. Our thoughts and prayers are with the young woman for her to make a speedy recovery, and we hope that the person who perpetrated this crime is swiftly apprehended and brought to justice.”

Ashley Todd