Aug. 21, 2008

McCain Office Mailed Threat, White Powder

Letter's Return Address Listed A Colorado Inmate; Second Letter Deemed False Alarm

    • Hazmat crews entered the building shortly after 4:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008. Photo

      Hazmat crews entered the building shortly after 4:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008.  (KCNC)

    • John McCain's campaign headquarters in Centennial, Colo. Photo

      John McCain's campaign headquarters in Centennial, Colo.  (KCNC)

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(CBS/ AP)  A threatening letter containing an unidentified white powder was received at John McCain's campaign offices in Denver, Colorado, CBS News has learned.

A second letter sent to a McCain campaign office in New Hampshire initially was reported to contain a white substance. Authorities said that was a false alarm and there was no powder in that envelope.

At least 19 people were examined at hospitals or were quarantined outside the Colorado office while authorities tried to determine whether the powder was hazardous.

Andy Lyon of Parker South Metro Fire Rescue Authority said the return address on the envelope listed the Arapahoe Detention Center and the name of an inmate. He didn't release the name.

Lyon said the first line of the letter used threatening language, but he refused to give any details.

McCain's campaign had said the letter sent to the Manchester, N.H., office also contained a threatening language and white powder.

But Malcolm Wiley, a Secret Service spokesman in Colorado, said there was no powder in the New Hampshire envelope. He said he did not know about the content of the letter.

Wiley said the letter had a Denver return address, which alarmed staffers in Manchester because they had heard about the Colorado incident.

Jim Barnett, McCain's New England campaign manager, said it's unusual for the New Hampshire office to get a letter from Denver.

"That was really the only suspicious thing about the letter, and our national headquarters advised, out of an abundance of caution for our staff and volunteers, that we have the authorities check it out," he said. "We did and it was deemed safe."

A government official familiar with the investigation said the New Hampshire letter was a false alarm. The official said authorities believe the Denver letter was a hoax because it appeared to have been sent from a jail.

Both the New Hampshire and Colorado offices were evacuated.

Lyon said about 40 people were evacuated from the Colorado building, but it contains several offices and businesses, and he did not know how many people had been in the McCain office.

Seven people drove themselves to Sky Ridge Medical Center, but none showed any symptoms of exposure to a toxic substance, hospital spokeswoman Linda Watson said.

Twelve people were quarantined outside the Colorado office, including three police officers, two firefighters and seven civilians, Lyon said.

He said Park South Metro firefighters found very little powder when they arrived.

"There were maybe a couple of grains of something inside an envelope and they had to kind of work to get a sample," he said.

Bruce Williamson of the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Department said a hazmat team was searching the building. He said authorities believe the substance was confined within the structure.

Williamson said authorities took the incident "very seriously" because the Democratic National Convention begins Monday in Denver and McCain is the presumed GOP candidate.

Postal Inspector Jo Jan Henderson said agents from her office were at the scene. FBI officials did not immediately return calls.



©MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Add a Comment See all 303 Comments
by blancadebree August 21, 2008 5:58 PM PDT
Sounds like Cindy is finally getting her revenge for all of McCain''s cheating.
Reply to this comment
by govtdr August 21, 2008 6:04 PM PDT
Denver office, huh? I guess some Dems arrived in town early for their convention. Is desperation setting in?
Reply to this comment
by mainedoggie August 21, 2008 6:09 PM PDT
But, how can this be? Didn''t this guy die last week?
Reply to this comment
by govtdr August 21, 2008 6:11 PM PDT
"Sounds like Cindy is finally getting her revenge for all of McCain''''s cheating.
Posted by blancadebree at 05:58 PM : Aug 21, 2008"

NO WAY. Give up a chance to be First Lady? No more than Hillary would have tried to get 1992 revenge for Bill''s dalliances while Governor (remember Paula and Gennifer?)
Reply to this comment
by mcv57 August 21, 2008 6:11 PM PDT
Sounds like Cindy is finally getting her revenge for all of McCain''''s cheating.
---------------------
Posted by blancadebree

McCain has revealed that all Presential wives have suffered, some of them just don''t know. King David could not keep his peepee in his robe. Power and lust go hand in hand; and take down the flesh of men.
Reply to this comment
by zerato-2009 August 21, 2008 6:11 PM PDT
Mccain having to send powder to his own headquarters to get some airtme .
Reply to this comment
by slipsliding1 August 21, 2008 6:13 PM PDT
Just a little blow (Cocaine for you clueles libs), courtesy of Barry Hussein Obama.
Reply to this comment
by mainedoggie August 21, 2008 6:13 PM PDT
====================
John McCain''s campaign office in Denver, Colorado, has received a letter containing a threat and "an amount of white powder in it," a McCain campaign spokesman told CBS News'' Michelle Levi.
====================

I wonder which one of McCain''s staff brought it in.
If you just add water, a tsp of salt, a tsp of yeast, then let it ferment for 24 hours you''ll have some really nice european style bread.


Reply to this comment
by govtdr August 21, 2008 6:14 PM PDT
"Mccain having to send powder to his own headquarters to get some airtme .
Posted by zerato at 06:11 PM : Aug 21, 2008"

I heard he tried to send it to his house, but he couldn''t remember any of the 7 addresses.
Reply to this comment
by slipsliding1 August 21, 2008 6:15 PM PDT
Ol'' Barry Hussein Obama is just making sure everyone gets a fair share of the stash the DNC has stockpiled for the Pelosi orgy in Denver.
Reply to this comment
by jackmayoff2 August 21, 2008 6:16 PM PDT
don''t ask mccain because he doesn''t remember, maybe ask the staff...
Reply to this comment
by rosieod4prez August 21, 2008 6:17 PM PDT
I would expect the far left to do something like this.

They have no tolerance for competition, no tolerance for anyone speaking out against them, and least of all no tolerance for a second party.


Gee, where''s McVet when you need a seig heil ?
Reply to this comment
by aaabee-2009 August 21, 2008 6:18 PM PDT
Sure, this is a staged little act from the Karl Rove Book of Political Maneuvers, designed to soothe the anger over the killing of that Democratic chairman.

Look, see. McCain got white powder in the mail too. McCain...he is one of you.
Reply to this comment
by mainedoggie August 21, 2008 6:18 PM PDT
===================
Just a little blow (Cocaine for you clueles libs)

Posted by SlipSliding1
=======================

Only a republican pig who voted for the biggest nose-candy fanatic in history would know.


Reply to this comment
by cbs4me3 August 21, 2008 6:19 PM PDT
As a Hillary Democrat, I was concerned for Hillary too. It seems, come hell or high water, there are those who feel their guy is somehow destined to be the president. Since we have lost the opportunity to elect Hillary, this Hillary Democrat supports John McCain. We pray those who protect John are vigilant and aggressively pursue those who are, in essence, terrorists. These terrorists must be captured quickly and tried expeditiously.
Reply to this comment
by jackmayoff2 August 21, 2008 6:20 PM PDT
first you get power then the money then the woman!!
Reply to this comment
by aaabee-2009 August 21, 2008 6:20 PM PDT
(Cocaine for you clueles libs)Posted by SlipSliding1 at 06:13 PM : Aug 21, 2008

Thanks for clarifying. Us clueless libs are too busy saving the environment, starting social programs for un-aborted babies, and supporting reduction in pollution that we don''t have time for drugs.

Guess you Reps do, though. All those extra stimulus dollars at work. :)
Reply to this comment
by govtdr August 21, 2008 6:22 PM PDT
"first you get power then the money then the woman!!
Posted by JackMayoff2 at 06:20 PM : Aug 21, 2008"

Okay, he''s got the power now, and he clearly is raising the money....so are you saying the next step is he dumps Michele for a real babe?
Reply to this comment
by aaabee-2009 August 21, 2008 6:23 PM PDT
They have no tolerance for competition, no tolerance for anyone speaking out against them, and least of all no tolerance for a second party.
Posted by RosieOD4Prez at 06:17 PM : Aug 21, 2008

I bet you live alone under that rock. They...they...they: You sound like a Nazi commercial building a case against the Joos.

Seig heil, darling. Look in the mirror sometime about that intolerance bit. :)
Reply to this comment
by rosieod4prez August 21, 2008 6:24 PM PDT
mainedoggie - Happy polls to You.


Did I mention the far left lives in denial of reality ?




Heh-heh.
Reply to this comment
by deacon20081 August 21, 2008 6:25 PM PDT
Terror Alert ! What a crock.
Reply to this comment
by aaabee-2009 August 21, 2008 6:27 PM PDT
Heh-heh.
Posted by RosieOD4Prez at 06:24 PM : Aug 21, 2008

Last time I checked, you Republicans paid the same price in gas as us liberals...what, don''t your party have special pumps for you Bush/McSame lackies?

No?

heh-heh
Reply to this comment
by aaabee-2009 August 21, 2008 6:28 PM PDT
obama hussein will stop at nothing to get elected, even sending ricin to gop headquarters
Posted by ndpindent-ru at 06:25 PM : Aug 21, 2008

Is that anything like gop tampering with hillary''s plane before she let Obama use it?

That same sort of tin-foil hat 51 thinking?
Reply to this comment
by August 21, 2008 6:29 PM PDT
Typical anti-American Marxist radical left-winger responses. Your Boy, NO-BAMA has NO chance, unless he finds a way to revive his hero Karl Marx from the dead. Hey, now there''s a ticket for you guys...
No-Bama/Marx 2008!! Change you can believe in Commrades!! All I''ve heard is HYPE and very little HOPE
Reply to this comment
by allurfears August 21, 2008 6:29 PM PDT
I guess someone in the McCain campaign thought Obama was getting too much press.
Reply to this comment
by rosieod4prez August 21, 2008 6:30 PM PDT
AaaBee - and whose fault would that be ?

Your brilliant speaker of the house didn''t even want to talk drilling, and even Barack now disagrees with her.


Drill Now!
Reply to this comment
by aredee1-2009 August 21, 2008 6:30 PM PDT
So the nut cases are going after the GOP, too. The shootings at the AK dem headquarters, the Unitarian Church, plus vandalism at Obama HQs can cut both ways. It''s too bad it''s come down to this.
Reply to this comment
by govtdr August 21, 2008 6:31 PM PDT
"Last time I checked, you Republicans paid the same price in gas as us liberals...what, don''''t your party have special pumps for you Bush/McSame lackies?"
===============================

Yes, we pay the same price, but it''s no big deal to us. We''re rich, you fool. What''s $4/gallon when we can reap the benefits of tax breaks and own 7 houses?

It''s a wealth thing; you wouldn''t understand.
Reply to this comment
by allurfears August 21, 2008 6:32 PM PDT
"The easiest way to gain control of a population is to carry out acts of terror. - Joseph Stalin

So who does "acts of terror" advantage? Right.
Reply to this comment
by aaabee-2009 August 21, 2008 6:33 PM PDT
Posted by Huskrcrt at 06:29 PM : Aug 21, 2008

Poor babe. Don''t froth at the mouth quite so much, you smog up the monitor.

When are you types ever going to get on board with ANYONE? Combative, suspicious, uncooperative, with tunnel vision. This country has operated over 200 years with a democratic two-party system and just because YOU were born with a chip on your shoulder about being forced to tolerate other views, doesn''t cancel out what makes this country great.

Freedom, pal. The freedom that allows you not to be like me is the same freedom that allows me not to be like you. Sorry you don''t like it. Maybe you should try Russia. I hear they are a one-party system over there.
Reply to this comment
by govtdr August 21, 2008 6:34 PM PDT
"No-Bama/Marx 2008!! "

Oh c''mon now. Groucho Marx would be a great choice, but he''s older than McCain and deader than Cheney.
Reply to this comment
by shoebox119 August 21, 2008 6:34 PM PDT
McCain''s seven homes must consume a lot of energy. I wonder why the Republicans aren''t harping all over him the way they did Gore for owning one very large home?

What hypocrites.
Reply to this comment
by haoli25 August 21, 2008 6:37 PM PDT
If there is ''white powder'' involved, Bush will probably investigate this personally.
Reply to this comment
by erichsh August 21, 2008 6:37 PM PDT
Posted by shoebox119 at 06:34 PM

Ah, go take your gripe over to the relevant story. This story is about some far-left nut job trying to take McCain out.
Reply to this comment
by aaabee-2009 August 21, 2008 6:37 PM PDT
Drill Now!
Posted by RosieOD4Prez at 06:30 PM : Aug 21, 2008

Drill what, darling? Drill the leases the oil companies already have and aren''t using? That sort of drilling?

Every time you put that expensive gas into your car, try not to suk the GOP propaganda hose, girl. It isn''t pretty.
Reply to this comment
by briannorwood August 21, 2008 6:38 PM PDT
That "white powder" was probably just the makeup he uses to hide those cancer growths on his head!
Reply to this comment
by briannorwood August 21, 2008 6:39 PM PDT
"if your wife was rich, you''d own 7 homes too"--ndpindent-ru

Yeah, but I sure would know how many!
Reply to this comment
by govtdr August 21, 2008 6:40 PM PDT
"I wonder why the Republicans aren''''t harping all over him the way they did Gore for owning one very large home?"

Uh, probably because he never positioned himself as God''s gift to the environment. Someone who does that while jetting around and owning an energy-drain home is an example of "hypocrite". Not people who criticize the savior/user, and don''t criticize the non-savior/user. Context is everything, as Obama would say.
Reply to this comment
by rosieod4prez August 21, 2008 6:44 PM PDT
AaaBee - what don''t you understand about not enough supply ?


Haven''t you noticed the direct correlation between reduction in supply or increase in demand and the rise in price.


Grow a brain liberal. This is very elementry economics.
Reply to this comment
by rrauch1 August 21, 2008 6:52 PM PDT
Huskr as in Cornhusker? Is it true the "N" stands for "nowledge"?
Reply to this comment
by pvperson August 21, 2008 7:05 PM PDT
Was it addressed to Cindy? Maybe it''s her drugs?
Reply to this comment
by momof2or August 21, 2008 7:05 PM PDT
All this is, is another pathetic attempt by the republicans to control the media. Just like when the Mrs. supposedly sprained her hand or whatever when a supporter shook it. Oh heavens...now if that isn''t an emergency I don''t know what is. I think she just did it to get more pain pills. She''s probably taken up her old pill habit to cope with the stress of the campaign.
Reply to this comment
by closethippy1 August 21, 2008 7:06 PM PDT
Ah, go take your gripe over to the relevant story. This story is about some far-left nut job trying to take McCain out.
Posted by erichsh at 06:37 PM : Aug 21, 2008

Or, possibly, this story is about some right-wing
Morongelical Christian nut job trying to take McCain
out.
Posted by cbs3200 at 06:53 PM : Aug 21, 2008

Or maybe this is about some McCooCoo people trying to make it look as if they just got attacked in the same way two rightwing whackos attacked Democratic campaign offices in New Hampshire and Arkansas.
There''s something fishy about this story and I think the whole thing was a set up.
Reply to this comment
by pvperson August 21, 2008 7:06 PM PDT
My friends, snort, snort, oh, I''m sorry Cindy, did I open your package?
Reply to this comment
by momof2or August 21, 2008 7:06 PM PDT
All this is, is another pathetic attempt by the republicans to control the media. Just like when the Mrs. supposedly sprained her hand or whatever when a supporter shook it. Oh heavens...now if that isn''t an emergency I don''t know what is. I think she just did it to get more pain pills. She''s probably taken up her old pill habit to cope with the stress of the campaign.
Reply to this comment
by tgh86 August 21, 2008 7:08 PM PDT
False flag. Wouldn''t put it past the GOPee, especially given the huge "McCain''s houses" gaffe that erupted today. This is a Karl Rove WMD (Weapon of Mass Distraction).
Reply to this comment
by beboldin09 August 21, 2008 7:08 PM PDT
This is to be expected being that McCain is running against the "Messiah".
Reply to this comment
by erichsh August 21, 2008 7:09 PM PDT
.Posted by closethippy1

Yeah, you think it''s fishy, right hippy? I guarantee you''d be frothing at the mouth about those dam Repugs if it happened to Obama, right? C''mon, admit it!
Reply to this comment
by mainedoggie August 21, 2008 7:15 PM PDT
fyi friends... FoxNews is posting: "Threatening Envelope Received at Another McCain Campaign Office"

Another? I''m sorry, did I miss the others?

Reply to this comment
by hawksprings August 21, 2008 7:15 PM PDT
If possible anthrax had been sent to an Obama office, it would be the biggest story of the Month.
But since it''s a Republican, it''s just ''ho-hum.''
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