16 August 2008- John McCain at the Saddleback Forum, responding to the question “Who were the three wisest people you know that you would rely on heavily in an administration?”:
I think John Lewis. John Lewis was at the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Had his skull fractured. Continues to serve. Continues to have the most optimistic outlook about America. He can teach us all a lot about the meanings of courage and commitment to causes greater than ourself.
11 October 2008- John Lewis offers some advice:
“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 today 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.
“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 only desired to exercise their constitutional rights. Because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed one Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama.
“As public figures with the power to influence and persuade, Sen. McCain and Governor 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.”
11 October 2008- John McCain heeds the advice. Or not:
“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.”
That worked out well.
Comrade Peter J
From Mother Jones:
Seems like McCain just wants a black friend.
Conservatively Liberal
Fixed.
Wise people don’t suck, dumb people who try to leverage wise people to their advantage suck. Especially when they turn on the wise person they leaned on for support.
boonagain
Don’t those three stories tell you everything you need to know abou McCain.
Claims the high ground.
Then takes the low road to appeal to ‘da base’.
Then goes into high dudgeon mode when he gets called for dumping his principles.
Mr Furious
Yeah, and that Obama character is so out of touch with the everyday, hardworking Americans that want to hang him in a tree…
Conservatively Liberal
As long as Obama stays out of their reach then I am fine with that. One other thought that crossed my mind is that I think most AAs are safe until after the election, but if Obama wins I am expecting some retaliatory right-wingnut led attack(s) on an AA or other minority. The tone out there is nasty and that has a way of creating a feedback loop where someone is going to feel that they have been pushed to act out violently.
I really really hope I am wrong but we are a nation with far too many violent people who love to hate so the odds are against us.
Comrade Napoleon
I remember reading years ago in a review(s) for David Halberstam’s "The Children" (which I bought and have yet to read) a book on the civil rights movement whereas some, particularly Jesse Jackson, whom to his credit honestly earned his spurs in the civil rights movement (unlike, say Sharpton), were viewed as self promoting show boats, Lewis was as close to being universily loved in the movement and viewed as a sort of living saint. He is the type of guy you would jump in front of a train for and is as fair, smart, balanced a person as you could hope to meet. When Lewis drew some primary challengers this year, because he was an original Hillary supporter, I really was hoping he would survive since he doesn’t deserve that kind of end to his time on the public stage.
Meanwhile Jackson, of course, was on TV talking about cutting Obama’s @@@@s off.
Dennis - SGMM
…the thousands of hardworking Americans…
Yeah, I remember back in the day when Johnny and I were both running turret lathes at one of the aerospace outfits. They were big machines, Warner and Swazey No. 5’s, and it took a lot of muscle to run ’em. We were working twelve hour days, up to our asses in metal chips and cutting oil but Johnny was always cheerful and upbeat. I knew even then that he’d go far.
That’s how I know that Johnny understands hardworking Americans. He’s not one of those do-anything-to-get-elected guys, he’s one of us.
ksmiami
Obama – Biden represent everything that is right with America, McCain – Palin represent everything that is wrong. That is my story and I am sticking with it.
p.s.: Lewis is a true American hero and Palin is a dipshit.
dj spellchecka
i have lots of problems with mccain’s response…..
first, if they are so "hard-working," what are they doing at a rally in the middle of a week day?? do they all work third shirft or somethin???
second, does this mean that ALL hard working amercians , given the chance will stand in a public place and yell "traitor," "[email protected]," or "kill him" about someone running for office??? can’t imagine the campaign meant to imply THAT….
third…what about the NOT hard working americans???? i’m only working part time and I’M not happy [i rarely anger]
fourth…how about the unemployed??? don’t they come to the rally??
aren’t they angry???? wtf….
another indicator that the mccain campaign can’t think ANYTHING through…
they simply aren’t serious…
rusty
glesslib
The hate that some people are spewing at John Lewis today is so sad. This is a truly brave and honorable man.
The McCain Campaign will now be looking for some reason to smear him, as well as Obama. They are probably digging as we speak. If they don’t find anything, the’ll just have Drudge or someone of his ilk start a rumor and then present it as fact.
Thursday
…Except that "they" don’t have to. Once the snowball is rolling, they can tut-tut the damage it does and semi-truthfully say "Hey! It was only this big when we threw it!"
Nick
I guess only racists are interested in Obama’s associations with a radical racist pastor, a corrupt fundraiser, and an unrepentant terrorist, just to name a few…
I mean its not like normal American’s have any concern at all whether a presidential candidate takes a weak stance against terrorists in this post 9/11 world we live in.
If I saw my candidate of choice being hammered on people he has chosen to associate with (until their words and actions started being publicized) and I wanted to silence the truth, I guess the logical thing to do is accuse them of inciting hate, because the truth is always hate, right?
Oh, and how dare the media actually report what is being said at the Obama rallies, the t-shirts that are being worn, and the signs that are being waved of course that’s not hate because McCain and Palin are white, after all this is apparently all a race issue.
gwangung
Yup. Because only racists will flat out lie like you did.