Federal officials skeptical about alleged plot to kill Obama

Posted on Monday, October 27, 2008 5:19 PM ET
Filed Under:

By Pete Williams and Jim Popkin, NBC News

Senior federal officials tell NBC News that the Feds are skeptical about whether there ever was a well-conceived plan to attack Sen. Barack Obama by two alleged neo-Nazi extremists in Tennessee. The officials say that there is no evidence at this early stage of the investigation that the two men, Daniel Cowart and Paul Schlesselman, had ever taken the plan beyond the talking stage.

Federal officials arrested the men Thursday in Tennessee, and unsealed an arrest complaint about them today.

According to the court documents, Cowart, 18, and Schlesselman, 20, are white supremacists who met on the Internet a month ago and began discussing a violent plot to kill African Americans, including Sen. Obama. 

Investigators say the men admitted to discussing "killing 88 people and beheading 14 African Americans." They wanted to generate money for their plot by robbing houses and a local gun dealer, to get weapons for a "killing spree." A law-enforcement official says the two described themselves as Nazis and had swastikas and other Nazi-related symbols painted on their car.

The men were in possession of a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun, the complaint states. And they had discussed using a .308 caliber rifle "to facilitate their attempt to assassinate Obama," the document adds.

Comments

Well, Bidden screwed up and hinted about this
bogus attempt, ahead of time.  So, who didn't know
this faked attempt at sympathy and to create
racial strife was in the works.  Obamas continued
racism, trying to stir it up among Americans, to pit them one against another, along racial lines, is so lame.  And so obvious, to all who even try to see what is happening. Shaving a libs head, and painting a swastika on their car, is just too lame. Too Obaminoid.

Gun control now!!!
Kudos to the ATF.  Right wing hate loonies killed John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy.  Thanks, ATF, for helping to keep Senator Obama alive.  The country needs him.  Please, Senator Obama, take care.  I won't be offended if you shield yourself against snipers when campaigning.  
There will be riots in the street if any of these terrorist thugs ever do anything to Obama. RIOTS.
Man, this is why i left the south and didn't look back. The racism is astronomical. I mean what could bring two little boys to the point of wanting to go a killing spree and an assassination of a great man wanting to change the country for the better? I hope these little kids get thrown in jail for the rest of their worthless lives!!
It is close to the end of a very tough race for
the presidency of the United States...and it is not over until the 4th of November when all the votes are counted. I am surprised that they waited this long to spring something like this.
This is still America and every vote counts...please go vote.
Chief McCurry
USN retired
John McCain, Sarah Palin, and their supporters have elicited these racial divides.  We have stepped back twenty years over this election just as we have the opportunity to advance Americas status as all inclusive.

While I do not look at the Republican party as being outwardly racist, I do recognize that if I were a white supremacist, neo-nazi, or just intolerant of others not like me, I would definitely not vote for the democrat.  Although the GOP doesn't flaunt its racism, given the choice, racists would vote for the republican candidate.  Sorry if the truth hurts.
I read that Gen Colin Powell's wife discouraged him from from running for president for fear of assassination. While that assessment is a bone-chilling and mind-numbing one, it is also, sadly, a realistic one. Should Obama become president, we hope that he borrows the popemobile for his public appearances. As for those kids, their hatred is barbaric.  One can only hope this abberation remains an anomaly among the hate groups.  
Whether these wackos were a real threat or not, I'm glad to see that the Secret Service and FBI had their top "game on". Good job!
A myspace search comes up with an account for Cowart: www.myspace.com/daniel_wp_88 , but it is set to "private". It also shows today as the last time someone logged on to it.

"wp" and "88". What a goon.
That's HORRIBLE.


Can't we move past issues or race already!?
I am curious to discover just how the law can handle this level of degenerate behavior.  Here we are on the eve of a possible transcending of race relationships-despite the fact that Obama is equal parts AA and Caucasian-and these lowest of buffoons offer this up for all to see.  Looks like some people never learn.  I for onw would hope that the measure of the law is such that they can do some serious time.  
Lets take a poll!
Should we as a nation deport all skin heads neo nazis?
Deport to where?  humm no takers?
When is the next space launch?
One would think or at least want to think and believe that here in the 21st century all this race crap and religous fighting would be well on it's way to being behind us. Our collective intelligence is much more advanced than Our emotional Advancement. There shouldn't be so much random violence,murders,starving people and       children there should be no unwanted homelessness:What the hell is really going on with the morality of the Human species. As for these 2 clowns I don't buy the hype that they were going to Kill all the way to Obama, they have less than half a Pea between them for a brain, thats pretty obvious. Yes it was a good thing that the CIA and FBI were on it, tho' I wonder about the reason for letting such story out to the Media.There is more of a story in the
Motivations of the Peoples that allowed this to become more than I'm sure it truly is. These 2 lunatics could not of found Obama let alone harm him I'm sure,but to make light of it would certainly be unresponsible.But the fact that it has been limelighted so much, to me there's a dirty,no good reason for all the Media about it and very little is about 2 losers looking for 15 min. Seems like,,,It just don't seem right to always be mistrusting of almost everything these
days....JUST THINKING IS ALL...........RAZZ
Does anyone remember one of the "terror plots" the government "foiled"? It involved a bunch of middle-aged guys who hadn't bought the plane tickets, didn't have access to bombs or weapons and hadn't done anything more than talk about how they wanted to hijack a plane. THAT was taken seriously.
How sad to see comments like Graham's from Chicago. Spouting his racist comments about the South. Mr. Graham you are a pathetic person with nothing in your life to be proud of except for your own predjudice. Get a life buddy!
I'm convinced that Republicans need to split their party into several different parties. Many countries have 4,5 or 6 parties instead of our two party system. The first party would be the so-called "Christian Conservatives" who cannot accept anything in the USA but narrow-minded, bible-thumping Christians who want to remove a woman's right to choose. The second party would be led by "BIG OIL", pharmaceutical companies, big telecom and "DEREGULATORS" like McCain. War profiteers like VP Cheney could join this second group also. The third group would be filled with racists, low-information-voters and those clinging to their old ways, guns-n-bibles including those who hang on the words of divisive UN-Americans like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Michael Savage. Republicans DO NOT have a clear agenda people can believe in and rally behind. Wake up & vote for Obama. Or, start looking for another country to ruin. Republicans have nearly ruined the USA.
Boredwell, here's a clue:

The Pope would NEVER lend his popemobile to someone who is PRO-ABORTION!!!  

Yes, that means the Pope would NEVER vote for NObama UNLESS there was a stronger EVIL THAN NObama!!!  Oh, that means you shouldn't vote for NObama either.

You Betcha!!!


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Deep Background is NBC News’ investigative blog. It covers national security, terrorism, spies, Iraq, and politics, as well as government waste, fraud and abuse. It is edited by NBC News Senior Investigative Producer Jim Popkin.

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