# White powder found in letter in McCain office... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 21, 2008, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861 "2008-08-21T22:24:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861/21 "2008-08-22T01:43:30Z")
[QUOTE=Biggirl] [It was protein.](http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/21/mccain.powder/index.html?iref=mpstoryview) [/QUOTE] [Ricin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricin) is a protein. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861/22 "2008-08-22T01:51:23Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] [Ricin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricin) is a protein. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but the fire department said it was harmless, so I don’t think it’s ricin. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861/23 "2008-08-22T14:29:49Z")
OH and I’m sure Obama hasn’t recieved one threatening letter. Yet the media will play this one up for a few days. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861/24 "2008-08-22T14:39:08Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] The Obama campaign now has no alternative except to stage a phony assassination attempt to counter this unfair advantage. [/QUOTE] Mr. President, we must not allow a martyrdom gap! ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861/25 "2008-08-22T15:26:20Z")
FWIW, no one seems to be playing this up, and I am deeply grateful. Much as I want McCain not to win, I do not want him to lose by being assassinated! ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861/26 "2008-08-22T15:28:48Z")
[QUOTE=Oy!] FWIW, no one seems to be playing this up, and I am deeply grateful. Much as I want McCain not to win, I do not want him to lose by being assassinated! [/QUOTE] Yeah, it’s barely a blip in any media source. Which is a very, very good thing. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861/27 "2008-08-22T15:38:19Z")
Fear not. If they make an arrest in the case, it might make more waves in the news services. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861/28 "2008-08-22T15:40:44Z")
I guess it’s hard to generate much more than laughter by touting the fact that somebody sent you an envelope with jizz in it. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861/29 "2008-08-22T15:57:04Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] I guess it’s hard to generate much more than laughter by touting the fact that somebody sent you an envelope with jizz in it. [/QUOTE] That’s what he gets for answering Craigslist ads. Okay, that’s silly. McCain probably doesn’t even know what Craigslist is. After all, it’s on the intertubez. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861/30 "2008-08-22T16:06:37Z")
[QUOTE=xtisme] I think we all know exactly what this ‘white powder’ is. FWIW though McCain didn’t inhale… [/QUOTE] And now, Eric Clapton for Senator John McCain: “If you wanna hang out You’ve got to take him out, McCain. If you wanna get down, Down on the ground, McCain. He don’t lie, he don’t lie, he don’t lie: McCain!” ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861/31 "2008-08-22T16:20:34Z")
FWIW, the letter was sent by a prisoner in a Denver-area jail who has a history of writing threatening letters. [The 39-year-old has been in jail since September, unable to post the $350,000 bond on charges of felony charges of menacing, harassment and assault on a peace officer, according to the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office. “He is a prolific writer of threatening letters,” said U.S. Secret Service Agent Malcolm Wiley.]([Inmate mailed powder to McCain – The Denver Post](http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_10270423)) ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861/32 "2008-08-22T16:29:42Z")
I wonder what the powder was, that it was identified as a protein. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861/33 "2008-08-22T16:46:16Z")
[QUOTE=Oy!] I wonder what the powder was, that it was identified as a protein. [/QUOTE] [He’s telling McCain to bulk up?](http://www.hastingsgnc.com/imgrep/Image/Whey%20protein.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861/34 "2008-08-22T16:54:18Z")
Oh god, my brother drinks horrible stuff like that! (He works out) (No, he’s not in Denver) ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861/35 "2008-08-22T17:03:19Z")
[QUOTE=mlees] Fear not. If they make an arrest in the case, it might make more waves in the news services. [/QUOTE] Just like this Obama assassination threat arrest did. [http://www.fox40now.com/explorepolitics/?feed=bim&id=26390734](http://www.fox40now.com/explorepolitics/?feed=bim&id=26390734) ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861/36 "2008-08-22T17:08:58Z")
[QUOTE=5-4-Fighting] Just like this Obama assassination threat arrest did. [http://www.fox40now.com/explorepolitics/?feed=bim&id=26390734](http://www.fox40now.com/explorepolitics/?feed=bim&id=26390734) [/QUOTE] Hmm. Or maybe it won’t. 😃 The dude in your article threatened both Obama _and_ Bush. Nobody likes an political assassin that can’t make up their mind. Pick a side already! ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861/37 "2008-08-22T17:19:53Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Or something more . . . valuable . . . [/QUOTE] Maybe it was in a note of incuradgement from Dubya? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861/38 "2008-08-22T20:53:59Z")
[QUOTE=Oy!] I wonder what the powder was, that it was identified as a protein. [/QUOTE] They’re now saying it wasn’t a powder, just a “substance” that tested positive for protein. The translation is that it was probably semen. The “white powder” thing was just typical media inaccuracy and sensationalism. ---
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861/39 "2008-08-22T20:56:49Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] There’s nothing to worry about, the FBI drove the Anthrax killer to suicide a couple weeks ago. [/QUOTE] They drove him to where the body was found, anyway ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861/40 "2008-08-22T20:58:33Z")
How exactly do you get semen into powdered form? There’s got to be some joke here about McCain being so old that is semen is powder instead of liquid, but I’m not feeling it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-powder-found-in-letter-in-mccain-office/460861.md?page=3)