graffitigate

The New York Times has more on the (faux) controversy over the graffiti backdrop at the NY Dean rally:

As he watched Howard Dean's rally in Bryant Park on Tuesday night, Councilman James Oddo, a Staten Island Republican, grew increasingly angry about what was behind Dr. Dean: a backdrop purposefully covered with graffiti. "Offensive," "narrow-minded" and "anachronistic" were some of the words that Mr. Oddo used in a letter sent to the Dean presidential campaign yesterday.

So I guess Councilman Oddo must not have found much to disagree with in Dean's comments since it was the graffiti backdrop that got him most upset? I'll leave it to the artist who painted the backdrop to respond:

And Keo, also known as Blake Lethem, 36, rejected being tagged as a vandal. "The vandals were an ancient tribe that used to run through countries, plundering and pillaging," he said. "I don't do that. That's what the Republicans are doing. I try to beautify my surroundings. I may fall short of that goal, but at least I'm trying."