MURFRESSBORO, Tenn. — The Republican headquarters in Murfreesboro was vandalized, and workers there said they have received threats.
The Republican Party in Rutherford County is planning a rally Tuesday night, where hundreds of people are expected and singer Aaron Tippin is slated to perform. Police believe these vandals may have been trying to draw attention away from the event.
Overnight, the Republican Party’s office on the courthouse square in downtown Murfreesboro was attacked. A large brick with a symbol for anarchy written on it was thrown through a window, taking out the entire glass front.
Nothing was taken, but workers said it may cost $3,000 to replace the glass.
Party leaders said this comes after weeks of threatening phone calls, with one person threatening to “tie them up,” and other vandalism, like the spray-painting of doors and stolen campaign signs.
“I was shocked,” said Lou Ann Zelenik of the Rutherford County Republican Party. “I hate someone would resort to this, that would want to empower themselves, and we have our event tonight. Police say that might have had something to do with it. We don’t know.”
“People that are so threatened that he’s going to win, to do something like this is ridiculous,” said Janice Martin of Murfreesboro.
Police were investigating Tuesday afternoon and said they had a couple of leads. They also said they will have extra security at Tuesday night’s political concert in Murfreesboro.
The wave of vandalism targeting supporters of presidential candidate John McCain isn’t just limited to South Carolina, as we experienced last weekend when thugs sprayed graffiti all over the York County GOP headquarters, nor is it limited to Republicans.
At some point during the wee hours of the morning, supporters of opponent Barack Obama attacked a private home in Prince George’s County, Md., defacing the house, an RV, a truck cover, and a two foot by eight foot yard sign. Apparently, the home owner was a registered Democrat and the local Obama fans were none to pleased with his decision to back McCain.
“I understand that in every election there are incidents where campaign signs on both sides are removed, torn down and defaced,” said Mykel Harris, Republican Central Committee Chair for Prince George’s County in a statement to the media. “But rarely do the perpetrators proceed to deface your home and personal property in your yard.”
Harris called on elected officials, law enforcement, and appointed election officials take matters like these seriously and demanded that “persons found violating the civil rights of others via sign vandalism, voter registration fraud, or political intimidation pay a terrible price.”
Authorities apparently have no leads as to who who committed the crime, although the motive seems quite apparent.
“It appears that the current climate is moving us towards a new level of political intolerance,” Harris said, but promised, “The darkness will never prevail so long as someone leaves the light on.”
http://www.palmettoscoop.com/2008/10/20/anti-mccain-vandalism-hits-maryland/
Just think what’s going to happen when Obama does not get elected.
They’ll come back with pitchforks, battering rams, and torches.