Hollister (Cal.) - A political frenzy spurred by the upcoming presidential election that has commanded nationwide attention has made its way to San Benito County, with the destruction and theft of Republican presidential campaign signs. Sometime between Oct. 12 and Oct. 16 unknown suspects vandalized a large Bush/Cheney campaign sign posted in the 700 block of McCray Street, spraying vulgarities denouncing the president, according to a Hollister police report. Volunteers found the sign on Saturday, Oct. 16 and immediately took it down, said Jeannie Glass, San Benito County Republican Party volunteer. Including several obscenities splashed across Bush and Cheney's name, at the bottom the vandals sprayed the "F" word followed by the words Texas and Florida. "To combine that word with Florida and Texas, someone understood the past election and where Bush is from, which is what made it interesting," Glass said. "It wasn't just kids."
Several days later they noticed there was also a foot print on the sign, which meant someone had taken the large 4-by-8-foot sign down, sprayed the vulgarities on it and then put it back up, she said. Now the sign hangs in the front window of the local GOP headquarters on San Benito Street, with pieces of paper labeled "censored" across the swear words and "compliments of a Kerry supporter" taped to the top. Other than some signs being blown over in the wind, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) hasn't had any problems with their signs being stolen or vandalized, said Jeanie Wallace, San Benito County Central Committee chairperson. Wallace said any inference that Democratic Party volunteers could have anything to do with the vandalism is "offensive and outrageous." |