Legal Commentary

John Lewis Warns Against Hostile Tone of McCain Campaign

By TChris

Since John McCain named John Lewis as one of the three wise men from whom he would welcome advice if he were president, McCain should heed this:

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. What I am seeing reminds me too much of another destructive period in American history. 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.

Rep. Lewis reminds us that "George Wallace never threw a bomb" or "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." Evoking the memory of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, Lewis cautioned that "Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are playing with fire, and if they are not careful, that fire will consume us all."

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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.

Instead of listening to one of the wisest men he knows, John McCain accused Lewis of playing the George Wallace card and scolded Barack Obama for letting him do it. McCain said:

"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.”

The Obama campaign's response:

“Senator Obama does not believe that John McCain or his policy criticism is in any way comparable to George Wallace or his segregationist policies," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton. "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.’"

Nate Silver suggests that Obama should repudiate Lewis, agree that the campaigns should return their focus to the important issues, and challenge McCain to do the same whenever he brings up Bill Ayers. The repudiation of the George Wallace comparison seems sufficient to let Obama benefit from that strategy.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on October 11, 2008 (boomark / email).