SANDPOINT - Thieves and vandals appear to be targeting signs promoting Barack Obama for president.

Several landowners and Obama supporters have reported that their signs either being taken or vandalized within the last month or so.

Sandpoint resident Drew McKinnon said his Obama yard sign disappeared either late last Thursday night or early Friday morning. He toured his westside neighborhood and discovered several other signs promoting the Obama/Biden ticket were also gone.

Steve Tillberg, also a city resident, put up a large handmade sign on his property near Boyer Avenue and Schweitzer Cutoff Road around the time of the state Republican Convention. By the time of the Bonner County Fair, the 60-inch tall sign had been destroyed.

Tillberg said he purchased a costly 3-foot by 6-foot sign and installed inside his driveway. He secured it with wire, but somebody trespassed and used metal-cutting shears to swipe it.

"It didn't fall down," said Tillberg, who later put up a third yard sign, which also turned up missing.

Tillberg doubts he will be putting up any more Obama signs.

"I don't want to spend money for signs that don't last long," he said.

Laura Bry, chair of the Bonner County Democrat Central Committee, said the thefts are particularly disturbing because they're having a chilling effect on people's right to free speech.

"These are people's First Amendment rights, protected by the Constitution. That's the part that hurts me because I believe in the Constitution," said Bry, who also had one of her Obama signs taken.

Neither Tillberg nor McKinnon think the thefts or vandalism were the random acts of apolitical miscreants, partly because other political signs don't seem to be being targeted. They believe it's the handiwork of overzealous supporters of John McCain and Sarah Palin.

"I would think any responsible McCain supporter would be outraged that these thefts are happening," said McKinnon, who points out that McCain fought and suffered for the rights that are being trampled.

Bonner County Republican Central Committee Chairman Cornel Rasor said he has not heard any reports of McCain/Palin signs being damaged or stolen recently.

"They're hard to get," said Rasor, who's competing with incumbent Democrat county Commissioner Todd for the District 1 seat.

Incumbent Republican Commissioner Joe Young said local party officials recently approved an expenditure to purchase more McCain/Palin signs. Young faces former Democrat Commissioner Brian Orr for the board's District 2 post.