WASHINGTON — Federal authorities in Tennessee announced Monday that they had arrested two alleged white supremacists who were reportedly planning a killing spree that would end with the assassination of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Daniel Cowart, 20, of Bells, Tenn., and Paul Schlesselman, 18, of West Helena, Ark., were charged in U.S. District Court in Jackson, Tenn., with the illegal possession of a sawed-off shotgun, conspiracy to rob a gun store and making threats against a major presidential candidate -- the Democratic senator from Illinois.
"They said that would be their last, final act -- that they would attempt to kill Sen. Obama," said James Cavanaugh, special agent in charge at the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Tennessee. "They didn't believe they would be able to do it, but that they would get killed trying."
Brian A. Weaks, an ATF special agent and a lead investigator in the case, said in a court affidavit unsealed Monday that the two men had hoped to carry out the assassination -- by driving their vehicle at top speed and firing high-powered rifles at Obama from their car windows -- in a grand style.
"Both individuals stated that they would dress in all-white tuxedos and wear top hats during the assassination attempt," Weaks said. "Both individuals further stated they knew they would and were willing to die during this attempt."
The two men also allegedly discussed shooting 88 other people to death and decapitating 14 African Americans, choosing those numbers because, officials said, "they have special significance within the white power movement."
The eighth letter of the alphabet is "H," and the number 8 twice signifies "HH" -- for the Nazi greeting "Heil Hitler." And 14 is the number of words in a white power slogan: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children."
Campaign officials for Obama, the first African American presidential nominee of a major party, declined to comment about the allegations or arrests. Secret Service agents began protecting Obama on May 3, 2007, less than three months after he announced he was running for the Democratic nomination -- the earliest that such protection has been authorized for a candidate.
