Halloween display depicts KKK McCain

CATHERINE, N.Y., Oct. 15 (UPI) -- A New York man known for his often controversial Halloween displays has erected a model of John McCain in a KKK outfit chasing Barack Obama.

Ron Havens of Catherine, a staunch backer of Obama's bid for the White House, created a display in his front yard featuring a mannequin resembling the Democratic Illinois senator appearing to flee a mannequin mocked up to resemble Obama's Republican rival, Sen. McCain of Arizona, dressed in a Ku Klux Klan hooded robe and toting a baseball bat, the Elmira (N.Y.) Star-Gazette reported Wednesday.

Havens said the display, which he expects to be "equally offensive to everyone," represents how he feels Obama has been unfairly treated by McCain and his campaign.

"McCain has been rabble-rousing, calling Obama a terrorist and a Muslim. The McCain campaign has gotten so ugly. That's what the message is. I can see how people could take this the wrong way. I'm not advocating anything. It's sarcasm," Havens said.

Georgia Verdier, president of the Elmira-Corning Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said after being shown photos that she is less concerned about the display than about the "fear and hate that have entered the campaign."