McCain: Lewis' Campaign Comparison Unfair

Candidate Says Vitriol Among His Supporters Is Not Comparable To Segregationist Rhetoric

(CBS/AP)  John McCain said Monday that it was unfair for Rep. John Lewis to compare the negative tone of the Republican presidential campaign to the atmosphere a segregationist fostered in the 1960s.

McCain suggested that the comments by the Georgia Democrat and veteran of the civil rights movement carry more weight than those of a Virginia Republican Party leader who compared Democratic rival Barack Obama to Sept. 11 mastermind Osama bin Laden.

"This is not just some obscure party official," McCain said in an interview aired by CNN. "And that's what's so totally unacceptable about it."

According to Time magazine, Virginia Republican Party Chairman Jeffrey M. Frederick recently told McCain volunteers in the state that Obama and bin Laden "both have friends that bombed the Pentagon."

McCain has repudiated similar past statements about Obama, but did not specifically address Frederick's comments in the interview.

"You have people in political campaigns on the outer most fringe on both ends of the spectrum," McCain said.

McCain and running mate Sarah Palin have said Obama failed to tell the truth about his relationship with 1960s radical William Ayers, and Palin has accused Obama of "palling around with terrorists," meaning Ayers.

Ayers was a founder of the Weather Underground, a radical, Vietnam War-era group that claimed responsibility for a series of bombings, including nonfatal explosions at the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol.

Ayers also hosted a reception for Obama in 1995, when Obama was beginning his political career. The two also have worked with the same nonprofit organizations in Chicago. McCain's campaign has tried to exploit those ties, even while saying it disagreed with Frederick.

"While Barack Obama is associated with domestic terrorist William Ayers, the McCain campaign disagrees with the comparison that Jeff Frederick made and believes that his comment was not appropriate," said McCain-Palin spokeswoman Gail Gitcho.

In a statement Saturday, Lewis said McCain and Palin were "sowing the seeds of hatred and division" and "hostility in our political discourse," and noted the tone that segregationist Gov. George Wallace fostered in 1960s Alabama.

"George Wallace never threw a bomb. He never fired a gun, but he created the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans who were simply trying to exercise their constitutional rights," said Lewis, who is black. "Because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed on Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama."

Obama's campaign said he doesn't believe McCain or his policy criticism is comparable to Wallace and his segregationist policies.

Lewis issued a follow-up statement Saturday, saying it was not his "intention or desire" to directly compare McCain or Palin to Wallace.

Lewis' comments followed reported examples of anger at McCain-Palin rallies that has been aimed at Obama, the first black man to be a major party's nominee for president. GOP supporters have shouted "traitor," "terrorist," "treason," "liar" and "off with his head."

McCain defended his audiences, saying most who attend the rallies are "good and decent and patriotic Americans."

"To somehow intimate that the overwhelming majority of those people, with rare exception, are somehow not good Americans or are motivated by anything but the most patriotic motives is insulting and I won't accept that insult," he said.

Several times on the campaign trail this year, McCain has praised Lewis, invoking the Congressman's name in connection with Dr. Martin Luther King and telling the civil rights veteran's story during an event in Selma, Ala.

During the primary campaigns, on Martin Luther King Day, CBS News asked all the candidates to reflect on the civil rights leader's legacy. McCain noted that he was in a prison camp in Vietnam when King was assassinated, but referenced Lewis.

"I did not know Dr King," McCain said. "But I know John Lewis, and I know what he represents. And John Lewis and I may disagree on some issues, but that's the kind of person I think are true American heroes."

In April, while in Selma, Ala. -- the backdrop for a milestone civil rights march on March 7, 1965 -- McCain commended the bravery of those who marched that day, including Lewis, who suffered a fractured skull from a beating during the protest.

In August, while appearing at a forum on faith, McCain was asked to name three "wise people" he would listen to. He cited Lewis as well as Gen. David Petreaus, head of U.S. troops in Iraq, and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, a top adviser to his campaign.

C''mon people, we understand that Lewis made no direct comparison of McCain/Palin to George C. Wallace. Palin is better looking and McCain has dropped a bomb and fired a gun, a nose cannon as a matter of fact.

Now let''s get to the nexus of this brouhaha. A climate of hate and discord killed innocent people. The climate of hate and discord was encouraged and fostered by rhetorical excesses on the part of the candidate and his surrogates. The rhetoric did not focus on record and policy. The rhetoric focused upon creating an image of the opponents that voters would mistrust, even avoid, without giving critical analysis of the premises or supporting evidence, without deliberative thought or debate and without hesitation once isolated in the voting booth. Frankly, that description of the Wallace Effect would appear to describe the McCain/Palin Effect. Lewis is accurate; McCain/Palin have been outed.

Mr. Lewis, do not be deceived by the flatterer who shows you his smiling face by day and his hooded countenance by night. Remember, a pretty face can hide an evil mind. You might listen to the lyrics of "smiling faces," just to get the full idea. Did you really believe John McCain actually would have picked you as a mentor, a wise person to whom he would turn for advice? C''mon, it was a beauty contestant question and he was advocating world peace. Go on CBSNews and see the video of the cherubic white smiling guy with the sock monkey and Obama sticker. It says it all. Keep the faith, do not despair, McCain is soon to be the answer to an embarrassing trivia question.

[harbinger09]

After all it was the conservative evangelicals, when working on the structure of the new republic, who insisted that there be a separation of church and state. They feared government intervention the most. And they were correct to do so considering the history of prejudice toward different religions big and small.

Posted by dmgenet at 05:04 PM : Oct 14, 2008

It was not government intervention that they feared. They were primarily from England and knew the potent mix of religion and government. England prior to becoming Anglican, was Catholic--it was Henry that twisted the religion so that he could continue his string of marriages and behaviors and dev the Church of England. What the founding fathers knew and we often forget is that by invoking God--leaders can take people from rationality to zealotry and fanaticism. To do that with a nation would be very destructive--and to do it with the wrong leader in charge would/could corrupt and destroy the nation. because religion requires blind obedience, fervor and belief (called faith) but government requires thinking, analysis and checks and balances. The two are almost mutually exclusive. When a country becomes a religious government, dissent, challenge and thinking is subjugated to the proclaimed will of a person who claims to be a channel or servant of a God.

[harbinger09]

I can understand why McCain thinks Lewis''s comparison is unfair--from McCain''s perspective it is. But I also can understand how Lewis can see the seedlings of hate in the McCain campaign and imagine it blossoming into full blown racism--it is all about perspective.


Anyone who says Lewis cannot compare the 2 misunderstand that Lewis sees everything not from a politically correct position on what occurred but on the very subjective and birdseye view of someone who experienced it. Maybe... to him it is similar--that is not for any of us to say--we can say only how it looks to us--because ugly racism and mob mentality does not start with torches, pitchforks and screaming--it begins with ugly rhetoric, unchecked messages and reactions from the crowd then an egging on and a sense that as a mob, the feelings are justified...so is Lewis right? Or wrong?

He''s right to himself. I don''t think it was that bad--but I certainly can see how it could go from this bad---to that bad if no one will stop the madness.

If you don''t want those kinds of criticisms McCain--then check your crowds--when they get rowdy--calm them down and remind them that their behavior is not appropriate---if you rile a beast--expect snarling and snapping--and expect anyone who ever has been ravaged by a beast to expect and see the worst.

[dbaecht]

The thing that impresses me the most about Obama, is with his name and ethnic background(african american) that he had the guts to take on the great white political machine and appears to be winning.
The other thing is his calmness, he doesn''t get flustered when they question his honesty and his heritage. As a Native American it fills good to know that someone besides the good ole boys can live their dream.
It will be a turning point for the better when Obama wins, it will be a long road but we will get there.

[dbaecht]

"We are the great melting pot and Hussein is a good name---remember King Hussein of Jordan? He was close with America and married an American girl. To use the name Hussein to imply untruths is not worthy of anyone professing to be a Christian. Obama did not change his name and he is not a Muslim. He is a loving Christian who will serve us all well. As far a the Christian Right issues of Abortion and Gay marriage. You cannot stop abortion--you can legislate against it and create a black market---but you won''''t stop it. To stop it takes alot of love, time and patience---not Bible thumping. Gay marriage?---live and let live---don''''t do it if you don''''t think it is right. Christians need to work on themselves---forgiving, being peaceful and not fearing. Christ said many times to "judge not."

Posted by Dibs977 at 06:22 PM : Oct 14, 2008"

Impressive post(both of them) I assume you are a Christian, although I''m not, I can live with Christians like you.

[dibs977]

Obama and Biden will serve all of the people and they will be leaders we can love. They are both good Christian men.

[dibs977]

We are the great melting pot and Hussein is a good name---remember King Hussein of Jordan? He was close with America and married an American girl. To use the name Hussein to imply untruths is not worthy of anyone professing to be a Christian. Obama did not change his name and he is not a Muslim. He is a loving Christian who will serve us all well. As far a the Christian Right issues of Abortion and Gay marriage. You cannot stop abortion--you can legislate against it and create a black market---but you won''t stop it. To stop it takes alot of love, time and patience---not Bible thumping. Gay marriage?---live and let live---don''t do it if you don''t think it is right. Christians need to work on themselves---forgiving, being peaceful and not fearing. Christ said many times to "judge not."

[dmgenet]

I love when so-called Christians hate. They are so self righteous and so sure they are right. Remember even Jesus had doubts, many of them. That is why mixing religion, politics and governance is poisonous.

After all it was the conservative evangelicals, when working on the structure of the new republic, who insisted that there be a separation of church and state. They feared government intervention the most. And they were correct to do so considering the history of prejudice toward different religions big and small.

[dmgenet]

The GOP love to use code words, implications, whisper campaigns and vague insinuations. Rove''s cadre are working for McCain. The very reason I stopped considering McCain. McCain has gone to the dark side. There is no difference between this election BS and the BS spilled by Rove against McCain when ''Lil Bush was running against him in the primary. He has taken the low road no matter what HE actually says. These are the same people who tried to subvert the electoral process in New Hampshire by phone jamming the Democratic party headquarters around the state. The civil and criminal trial resulted in the Republican Party of NH being temporarily bankrupt. Low lifes no matter how you slice it.

[hpolitician]

unfair?? McCain and Palin should be stopping these remarks, not promoting them nor instigating violence and racism!

politicaladattacks.blogspot.com

Obama/Osama = Socialist/Communist - Nuf said.
Posted by proisrael
***************
All labels, all meaningless as of October 14, 2008, Day One of Socialist America. Or the United Socialist Democratic Republic of America, if you prefer. We no longer have principles to guide us, save the Clinton/Lewinsky Principle: I did what I did because I could. The Bully pulpit has been traded in for El Bully, swaggering around the planet consuming more than its share, beating others into submission and demanding God''s attention. If Obama is a socialist he is simply ahead of his time because George W. Bush nailed the free enterprise coffin shut. America now stands for torturing those who might torture us, preemptively attacking those who might be considering attacking us someday, listening in on conversations without a warrant to guarantee our freedom to speak and print our thoughts without fear of being listened to without warrants, and saving the monied class at the expense of our grandchildren''s children who also will provide the fodder for the war machine our leaders unleash in the name of peace. How much more damage can Bush do in 97 days? Don''t ask. He might get ideas.

[mitch5511]

Bottom line McCain and Palin instigated much of the hatred reflected in their gatherings. Now they want to whitewash it while trying to backpedal. However, the damage is done and there is no turning back the clock.

No, McCain deserves the comparison. He only brought it on himself.

[dbaecht]

"Obama/Osama = Socialist/Communist - Nuf said.

Posted by proisrael "

You can spin this anyway you want, you and the rest of the republithugs little nazi/ radical christian rein is coming to a end.
If you don''t like it go back to where youe ancestors came from.

[dbaecht]

McCain- Stupid, demented
Palin- Hate monger, liar
Bush- Criminally insane
Cheney- Just plain dangerous
Rove- wrote the scumbag handbook
They all equal republithugs
cristians blowing up womens clinics- TERROIST
And they are all pallin around with Terroist

[misha128-2009]

Lewis''s comments are one man''s comments, just like the numerous protesters at the Republican rallies. As McCain''s staff has made it abundantly clear they have no control over irresponsible individuals at their rallies. I fail to see why any other campaign or candidate should address the statements of an individual who has chosen to respond to his detractors and clarify his statements in a responsible manner. Is there some reason John McCain feels unqualified or unwilling to address an individual he claims to respect in a direct manner?

[caldwellptr]

Senator McCain is right. Lewis is being unfair in his comparisons. George Wallace left no doubts what he was up to. Senator McCain always leaves himself wiggle room so that he can deny it. It is called modern or Rovian politics.

[debb17055]

Sorry for the repeat posts but the site seems it could use some improvement that the post was accepted. It just tell you to wait, so I sent it again, and again, and again. Apparently I am not the only one having an issue with this.

[emily022]

The person who is unpatriotic is you, John McCain, and your running mate Sarah Palin. You get offended when you get called on your hate filled and racist remarks about an honest man who is running against you for public office. Do you intend to end a public life that previously had been ethical and moral by dividing this country with accusations you know are false, and creating a climate of hate, anger and mistrust. You yourself have a relationship with a "terrorist", G. Gordon Liddy, as well as all those right wing boards you sat on that were involved in the Iran-Contra affair, and advocated violence. Do you I think you are a "terrorist"? No I don''t. Do I think Barack Obama is a "terrorist" for sitting on education boards with William Ayers? No I don''t. So I strongly suggest you stick to the issues and stop all this negative campaigning based on lies and inuendo. I for one am sick of them, and the polls show, most Americans like myself are too.

[debb17055]

Representative John Lewis did not make these comments in the presence of (or with the approval of Barack Obama). I think there should be a clear distinction about this difference.