MEMPHIS, Tenn., Nov. 6, 2008
Obama Slay Plot Suspects Plead Not Guilty
2 White Supremacists Accused Of Plotting To Kill Obama, Dozens Of Black People
-
White supremacists Daniel Cowart, 20, and Paul Schlesselman, 18, allegedly plotted to go on a national killing spree, shooting and decapitating black people and ultimately targeting Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, federal authorities said Monday, Oct. 27, 2008. (AP/Crockett County Sheriff Office)
- Stories
- "Skinheads" Reveal All On Web
Twenty-year-old Daniel Cowart of Tennessee and 18-year-old Paul Schlesselman of Arkansas spoke only to give their pleas Thursday morning in a Memphis courtroom.
They face federal charges of threatening a presidential candidate, possession of a sawed-off shotgun, planning to rob a gun dealer and taking firearms across state lines.
The seven-count indictment says the men hatched the plot for the killing spree sometime between Sept. 1 and Oct. 22. Court records indicate their scheme fell apart quickly.
Their arrests were made public Oct. 27 and they are being held without bond.
On his MySpace page, Schlesselman lists his occupation as “being racist” and writes "I’m white. I’m proud. I get angry. I like guns. I like weapons. I need money wiggers…be afraid," reports CBS News investigative producer Pia Malbran. "Wiggers" is a derogatory slang term used to describe a white person who emulates stereotypical mannerisms of African-Americans. He also posted a homemade video on MySpace in which he appears to be mocking "wiggers" and African-Americans.
On Cowart’s MySpace page, Malbran reports, there are a series of photos showing guns displayed in different positions titled “my guns.” In one photo, Cowart (left) is holding a large rifle while wearing a sleeveless shirt. A swastika tattoo, typically associated with white supremacists, can be seen on his right arm.
In another picture, he displays what appears to be an iron-cross symbol, often associated with racist skinheads, tattooed on his left chest. A message on his MySpace pages says: "Better to die quick fighting on your feet then to live forever begging on your knees." That's an ironic message from a white supremacist, given that a variation of that quote is often attributed to Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More From U.S.
Add a Comment See all 11 Comments
- oh man ofcourse theyre gonna plead not guilty..who would?? they obviously have enough evidence if there still locked up...they should just keep them in there till they get old...i mean this wasnt just against the president..they had plans on going elsewhere to kill normal people
- Reply to this comment
- I have no mercy for them or their redneck idiot friends who hide their hatred from behind the cross of Christianity. It''s time we do something besides feel sorry for them or blame their parents...
- Reply to this comment
- I really, really hope that secret service does its job well with Obama. I fear for his safety. I would almost like to see his SS entourage be all black. I''d hate to see a white SS agent get "bought out" by somebody.
I don''t mean that to be racist; I''m white. - Reply to this comment
- By wanting "Bubba" to be sure and take his viagra or to be vigilent in his floor cleaning duties we become as bad or even worse because we profess to be better or "supreme" in our conduct.
Perhaps we should be more attentive to the need to educate beyond racism and the need to strike "terror." That "Bubba" exists is a sad testiment to ourselves that in our most controlled environs we can''t protect others from themselves or from "Bubba". That we would encourage "Bubba" is an even sadder testiment.
Lets encourage working together to further understanding and learning from each other in order to perfect the establishment of this union. - Reply to this comment
- I concur. They are truely the most idiodic of Americans.
- Reply to this comment
- Bubba is waiting for you, boys!!!!!
Posted by nikosk1 at 11:09 AM : Nov 06, 2008
Hopefully Bubba is a large angry black man with a stash of Viagra. - Reply to this comment
- Seriously can you imagine how a black President must completely drive the Aryan Brotherhood nuts? There are thousands more like these two who would love to be a martyr and be a king in prison.
I hope the Secret Service does it''s job well! - Reply to this comment
- Yep....They have "ALOT OF "REAR" ADMIRALS IN THE "POKEY" ... BOYS!!! HAVE ALL THE FUN YOU CAN STAND...AND MORE! AND NO MATTER IN WHICH DIRECTION THOSE "SWASTIKAS" ARE POINTED...UP,DOWN,SIDEWAYS,BACKWARDS AND FRONT-WAYS...THEY DON''T LOSE THEIR "INPUT" OR MEANING...ALL THE SAME!
AS "PALIN"-REMEMBER HER...THE VP CANDIDATE THAT YOU WOULD HAVE VOTED FOR...WOULD HAVE PUT IT:"DRILL BABY DRILL"! YOU "BOTH" SHOULD BE SENT TO AFGHANISTAN OR IRAQ AND DROPPED OFF RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MESS YOUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF GOT US INTO...WITH THOSE SPECIAL WEAPONS/ARMS YOU WERE GOING TO USE HERE...THEY ARE A BIT MORE PROFICIENT AT LOPPING OFF "HEADS" THAN YOU.WOULD HAVE SAVED ALOT OF THE TAX PAYERS MONEY FOR YOUR JAIL TIME. WE ARE SENDING OUR PRICELESS YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN OVER THERE TO BE SACRIFICED FOR THE LIKES OF YOUR FREEDOM..."NO"! YOU ARE NOT EVEN WORTH SALT! HAVE FUN GUYS-WITH THE "BIG BOYS"...THEY ARE GOING TO BE ... "SO HAPPY" TO SEE YOU AND SHOW YOU THEIR FEELINGS! - Reply to this comment
- Lock up the idiots for the rest of their lives, and be done with it.
- Reply to this comment
- And I hope Bubba will use their smug mugs to wipe the floors. What losers!!!
- Reply to this comment
Author Thomas Friedman on Obama's Afghanistan plan and the war on terror.
