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Saturday, October 11, 2008
John McCain equal to George Wallace? Barack Obama says ‘no,’ and John Lewis says he’s been misunderstood
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Name-calling in the 2008 presidential campaign took a highly serious turn on Saturday morning.
By Saturday night, everyone had backed away.
It began when, about 11 a.m., U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Atlanta) issued a statement on the recent tone of the John McCain campaign, declaring himself “deeply disturbed.” Lewis compared recent Republican rhetoric to violence-spawning talk by George Wallace during the Civil Rights era.
That was matched about 3 p.m., when McCain declared the comparison “shocking and beyond the pale.” He called on Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to repudiate Lewis’ comments, which he said they were designed to shut down debate in the final 24 days before the Nov. 4 election.
Obama later issued a statement saying he didn’t buy the comparison — but that Lewis had a point. And Lewis issued a statement saying he didn’t intend a direct comparison between McCain and Wallace.
The whole exchange is strange, given that it comes as the McCain campaign was racheting down the rhetoric of the previous few days. See a related article here.
Remember that only two months ago, at the Saddleback Church session, McCain named Lewis as one of the three people he’d consult with should he become president.
McCain is featured prominently in Lewis’ official congressional biography as an We offer all of Saturday’s developments in order.
Said Lewis:
“What I am seeing reminds me too much of another destructive period in American history. Sen. McCain and Gov. [Sarah] Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse.
“During another period, in the not too distant past, there was a governor of the state of Alabama named George Wallace who also became a presidential candidate.
“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.
“Because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed on Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama.
“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.”
Here’s the statement from McCain:
“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 call on Senator Obama to immediately and personally repudiate these outrageous and divisive comments that are so clearly designed to shut down debate 24 days before the election. Our country must return to the important debate about the path forward for America.”
Here’s the statement from the Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton:
“Senator Obama does not believe that John McCain or his policy criticism is in any way comparable to George Wallace or his segregationist policies.
“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.’
“As Barack Obama has said himself, the last thing we need from either party is the kind of angry, divisive rhetoric that tears us apart at a time of crisis when we desperately need to come together. That is the kind of campaign Senator Obama will continue to run in the weeks ahead.”
And here’s this final word from Lewis, posted late Saturday on his campaign web site:
“A careful review of my earlier statement would reveal that I did not compare Sen. John McCain or Gov. Sarah Palin to George Wallace. It was not my intention or desire to do so. My statement was a reminder to all Americans that toxic language can lead to destructive behavior.
“I am glad that Sen. McCain has taken some steps to correct divisive speech at his rallies. I believe we need to return to civil discourse in this election about the pressing economic issues that are affecting our nation.”
Photo credits: Rick McKay/Cox Washington Bureau, Associated Press
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