From FoxNews…
Georgia Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights-era icon , invoked segregationist Gov. George Wallace of Alabama in accusing John McCain and Sarah Palin of fanning the flames of hatred at Republican campaign events.
"What I am seeing reminds me of too much of another destructive period in American history," Lewis said in a statement released to FOX News. "Senator McCain and Governor Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse."
"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," Lewis added. "Because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed on Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama."
He then accused McCain and Palin of "playing with fire" in a way that "disregards the value of the political process and cheapens our entire democracy."
McCain immediately responded, calling on Obama to denounce Lewis' statement.
"Congressman John Lewis' comments represent a character attack against Governor Sarah Palin and me that is shocking and beyond the pale," McCain said in a written statement. "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."
What does Obama say...
Shortly after, Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton released a statement on the Lewis comments.
Georgia Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights-era icon , invoked segregationist Gov. George Wallace of Alabama in accusing John McCain and Sarah Palin of fanning the flames of hatred at Republican campaign events.
"What I am seeing reminds me of too much of another destructive period in American history," Lewis said in a statement released to FOX News. "Senator McCain and Governor Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse."
"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," Lewis added. "Because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed on Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama."
He then accused McCain and Palin of "playing with fire" in a way that "disregards the value of the political process and cheapens our entire democracy."
McCain immediately responded, calling on Obama to denounce Lewis' statement.
"Congressman John Lewis' comments represent a character attack against Governor Sarah Palin and me that is shocking and beyond the pale," McCain said in a written statement. "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."
What does Obama say...
Shortly after, Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton released a statement on the Lewis comments.
"Sen. Obama does not believe that John McCain or his policy criticism is in any way comparable to George Wallace or his segregationist policies," Burton said. "But John Lewis was right to condemn some of the hateful rhetoric that John McCain himself personally rebuked just last night, as well as the baseless and profoundly irresponsible charges from his own running mate that the Democratic nominee for president of the United States 'pals around with terrorists.' "
Is Obama turning on his own party for a favorable view in the court of public opinion? How does he really feel behind closed doors? Thoughts..
Is Obama turning on his own party for a favorable view in the court of public opinion? How does he really feel behind closed doors? Thoughts..
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5 comments:
I consider myself a progressive - I am vehemently against attempts to paint the varied people of this nation into just two camps, liberal or conservative. It seems to me that there are so many issues we could solve that we all agree on, and instead we just attack each other at the urgings of talk radio, etc.
I don't think John McCain is a racist, I don't think Obama thinks he is either. I believe Obama is being genuine when he defends him against the George Wallace comparison. There is definitely racism in America though, and McCain is in a tough spot going negative - even if he is just going negative on issues, he's going to touch a chord with the people that can only see the color of Obama's skin.
I'm interested in hearing opposing viewpoints, not in baiting anyone. I have a question about why you feel McCain is of such great character and Obama is not. I read McCain's book and have admiration for him on certain levels. But he has a long history or temper issues, adultery, leaving his first wife for his mistress, being passed over for flag rank by the Navy, accused of poor judgment by the Senate Ethics committee in the Keating scandal (not to mention the long association with Keating personally, a convicted felon). And he has selected a running mate already involved in an ethics and abuse of power issue after a very short time as governor. And her and her husband have been aligned with a radical secessionist group for years.
I don't know the truth behind Obama's associations with Rezko, Ayers, and others. He is a self made man who married for love and seems to genuinely adore his family. My question to you is, given the history of the two, how can you not overwhelmingly favor Obama if you are basing your opinions on who the two have associated with in the past? Keating alone would disqualify McCain after the billions that he defrauded out of the American public.
Again, this is not meant to rile anyone up - I have a genuine curiosity about other people's views. If you had anything to add about your concerns that McCain might continue what appear to be the catastrophically failed policies of the current administration, I'd be interested to hear that too.
cheers
I appreciate your post and candor. I also believe that neither one of these men are racist and also agree that unfortunately there is still racism in America. I agree and so does McCain that his adultery was ‘his greatest moral failure’, and he has asked forgiveness for that. However; that doesn’t completely dismiss him as President; I mean Bill Clinton was a SITTING President when he ‘didn’t have sex with that woman’; I guess oral sex isn’t sex. Should he have been impeached for that? If so why wasn’t he?
For me I have to trust a candidate and to trust them I have to know them; no one is perfect (least of all me…); but if the unknown is greater then the known; that is a concern to me. To your question:
given the history of the two, how can you not overwhelmingly favor Obama if you are basing your opinions on who the two have associated with in the past?
With the Keating issue; that started long after McCain’s association with him. True; Keating went bad and McCain dealt with the ramifications of his defense of him, we all learn from our mistakes; and McCain has.
My overwhelmingly concern with Obama is the individual’s and groups who have shaped his character and ideology; and who are the people he will turn in a time a crisis; we don’t know. But this is what we do know:
1. Member of the New Party (a socialist party).
2. Part of education reform with Bill Ayers (who endorses communism)
3. His pastor for over 20 years, Rev Jeremiah Wright who spews hate and is most famous for his statement "God Damn America!"
4. Cousin Odinga of Kenya, a genocide supporter
5. Columbia Prof. Rashid Khalidi (ties to the PLO)
6. Convicted felon Tony Retzko who helped him make a shady deal on his house
7. Fannie Mae Vice Chairman Jim Johnson, an Obama Campaign fundraiser
8. Religious advisors Father Pfleger and James Meeks
9. Represented ACORN in the past and made $800,000 in contributions for the registration of voters (Now under widespread fraud investigation)
10. Received consulting and teachings from Louis Farrakhan; even being called the Messiah by Farrakhan
I would rather take the known issues with McCain, and there are some; against the unknown issues with Obama. Especially with what little we do know.
I have researched high and low for some form of political leadership on the part of Obama; a bill, a motion or anything that he has taken a leadership position on; I can’t find anything. The closest I came was in 2006 and that was the Lugar-Obama bill to keep weapons out of terrorist hands. But that was modeled after the Nunn-Lugar bill that focuses on weapons of mass destruction in the former Soviet Union, Lugar and former Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA) authored the program in 1991. With the Lugar-Obama Bill Obama was one of 26 Co-Sponsor’s; so to me since this was not an original bill and he wasn’t the sponsor; but one of 26 co-sponsors doesn’t show leadership in my opinion. Compare that to the McCain-Feingold Act which regulates the financing of political campaigns; McCain took on his party as well as the having to ‘reach across the isle’ to gain support.
Again it is a question of proven leadership; no one is perfect, but the concern of the unknown with Obama is too much for me to get past.
Thanks!
Thanks for your considered response. No denying that Obama has the thinnest resume of any presidential candidate in recent memory. I don't take issue with any of his past associations, however. We are what we repeatedly do, and he doesn't reveal any radical or ethically questionable traits. Where you find comfort in knowing McCain, I find concern. It seems to me that the wealthy and powerful have had everything go their way for the last eight years and it has nearly led our country to ruin. I don't see McCain doing anything but continuing Bush's policies, and frankly, I don't think our nation could survive four more years of wanton spending of money borrowed from foreign countries.
I appreciate your response, and I wish you the best.
I agree that the last 8 years have been not been the best in our history; the last month proves that out on the economic front.
I do believe that the whole truth about the administrations efforts to avert this crash has not been told. My latest post on this blog gives some evidence of that.
http://nebraskavoice.blogspot.com/2008/10/truth-behind-housing-meltdown.html
I understand your statements of the wealthy and somewhat agree. But what I total disagree with is Obama’s desire to ‘spread the wealth around’, this is America and everyone has the opportunity to make it; Obama is a testament to that.
Obama’s view of taxing me more because I worked my tail off to get ahead and possibly start a business; seems to me to be worse then the few bad wealthy apples we have today; because it would be the government doing it.
I do not support Obama’s view of ‘economic justice’ has he described during his NAACP speech in July, Sen. Obama repeated the term at least four times. "I've been working my entire adult life to help build an America where economic justice is being served," he said at the group's 99th annual convention in Cincinnati.
Here is the link discussing this:
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=302137342405551
You seem to be a very intelligent person; please do all the research you can before you vote and don’t let any media or polling engine influence your vote.
Thanks for your comments.
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