PITTSBURGH -- A Pittsburgh city councilman said he is upset with the way Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign handled last week's alleged attack of a supporter, which later turned out to be a hoax.

The Rev. Ricky Burgess said a McCain-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin official was pushing a version of the story that was far more explosive than what was confirmed at the time.

"I don't know why the campaign decided to push or publicize this story, but it did have the effect, I believe, of insulting Pittsburgh as a whole and also, perhaps, trying to polarize this region by accusing an African-American male of a dastardly deed," said Burgess.

Ashley Todd, 20, went to police with two black eyes and a knife-carved "B" on her face after she said she was brutally attacked in Bloomfield on Wednesday for her political views.

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Todd initially told police a mugger, whom she described as being black, noticed a McCain-Palin bumper sticker on her car and told her he was going to teach her a lesson.

According to Todd, the attacker said, "You are going to be a Barack supporter," at which time he sat on her chest, pinning both her hands down with his knees, and scratched into her face a backward letter "B" on the right side of her face using what she believed to be a dull knife.

However, police said Todd admitted to them on Friday that she made the entire thing up.

Burgess sent a letter to McCain, saying, "That one of your campaign spokespersons would spread such an incendiary story before any confirmation of the facts is both irresponsible and runs counter to our nation's constitutional guarantee."

Burgess also asked for an apology to the city of Pittsburgh and its black community.

Police said the cuts and bruises on Todd appeared to be self-inflicted.