Two held over Obama death plot

Two white supremacist skinheads were arrested in Tennessee over plans to go on a killing spree and eventually shoot Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, court documents showed on Monday.

Daniel Cowart and Paul Schlesselman were charged in a criminal complaint with making threats against a presidential candidate, illegal possession of a sawed-off shotgun and conspiracy to rob a gun dealer. The plot did not appear to be very advanced or sophisticated, the court documents showed. "We're unsure of their ability or if they have the wherewithal to carry out any of their threats," said a source close to the investigation. Obama would be the first black president in U.S. history if he defeats Republican John McCain in the November 4 election. Concerns about Obama's safety led the Secret Service to provide round-the-clock protection from early in his campaign.

The suspects met over the Internet about a month ago, said an affidavit filed by Brian Weaks, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. "The individuals began discussing going on a 'killing spree' that included killing 88 people and beheading 14 African Americans," Weaks said in the affidavit. The men stole guns from family members and also had a sawed-off shotgun. They planned to target a predominately black school, going state to state while robbing individuals and continuing to kill people, Weaks said in the affidavit. ... - reuters

Ignorant people sometimes cling violently to false beliefs and may seek to destroy evidence which proves them wrong. In this case, Obama as president would show so many bigots in this country that skin color is irrelevant.

In Daniel Cowart's photo on his MySpace webpage, why does he seem to be wearing lipstick and eyeshadow? I don't know much about skinheads, but wouldn't that be out of character?