SoCal McCain supporter removes bloody Obama effigy

A Los Angeles-area McCain supporter has removed a Halloween effigy of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama hanging from her balcony with a giant butcher knife through its neck.
   
Lisa Castaneda of Redondo Beach put up the blood-covered figure on Wednesday. A placard read “Nobama.“
   
Castaneda included the effigy in a larger Halloween display and says she didn’t mean to be racist or offensive. But the display drew immediate criticism and she took it down Wednesday night at the request of a McCain campaign representative.
   
Weeks of similar criticism prompted a West Hollywood man on Wednesday to remove an effigy of McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin, hanging by a noose.