Wash. Post- The Trail
Although McCain and his Republican running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, have toned down their rhetoric against Sen. Barack Obama in the past day, Lewis warned of "another destructive period in American history" if the negative attacks from both the candidates and their surrogates don't cease.
"As one who was a victim of violence and hate during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, I am deeply disturbed by the negative tone of the McCain-Palin campaign," Lewis said in a statement. "Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse."
He warned, "As public figures with the power to influence and persuade, Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are playing with fire, and if they are not careful, that fire will consume us all. They are playing a very dangerous game that disregards the value of the political process and cheapens our entire democracy. We can do better. The American people deserve better."
McCain responded that this was a character attack!
McCain hit back hard with this statement: "Congressman John Lewis' comments represent a character attack against Governor Sarah Palin and me that is shocking and beyond the pale. The notion that legitimate criticism of Senator Obama's record and positions could be compared to Governor George Wallace, his segregationist policies and the violence he provoked is unacceptable and has no place in this campaign. I am saddened that John Lewis, a man I've always admired, would make such a brazen and baseless attack on my character and the character of the thousands of hardworking Americans who come to our events to cheer for the kind of reform that will put America on the right track.
I personally can't believe that Senator McCain had the gall to respond to Rep. Lewis with such disrespect. McCain seems to be losing his way, lashing out at anyone who dares to criticize either him or Palin. Lewis was absolutely right, the Palin-McCain campaign has been infusing their speeches with coded phrases and appeals to prejudice and anger. This is the kind of demagoguery associated with the KKK, the kind I thought we no longer tolerated in this country. Thank you Rep. Lewis for speaking up. Shame on you Senator McCain.
2 comments:
Sarah Palin, who is becoming less and less able to tell the truth about anything, has led increasingly rabid supporters at rallies. A mere mention of the NY Times even drew a huge chorus of boos. Her attacks on Obama for his connections to William Ayres, Rev. Wright and Mark Rezko are unrelenting, when she ignores her own connections to the AIP whose founder was killed in a deal over plastic exposives, to Dave Bricker and Thomas Murthee and all the other Anti-Semites and
"witchcraft" believers at her Wasilla and Juneau (on the infrequent occasions when she goes to the capital) churches. She got 11% of her contributions from VECO in 2002, and McCain got $112,000 ($200,000 in today's dollars) from convicted bank embezzler Thomas Keating with whom he jetted around North America. The Senate found him to have acted unethically in connection with his support for Keating.
McCain takes thousands in repeated contributions from the convicted burglar G. Gordon Liddy, appears on his radio shows and refers to him as "my friend." Liddy has advised people to shoot FBI or ATF agents "in the head" so as to avoid flak jackets or kevlar vests.
McCain's spiritual advisors until recently included anti-Semites such as John Hagee and Rod Parsley, and Pat Robertson who told him "700 Club" dupes that we should assassinate Hugo Chavez. He's even kissed and made up with Bob Jones from the epynominous segregatiionist "Bible" college.
Post a Comment