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Congressman says McCain is inciting hatred
Representative John Lewis, a Georgia Democrat and veteran of the civil rights movement, says the negative tone of the Republican presidential campaign reminds him of the hateful atmosphere that segregationist Governor George Wallace fostered in Alabama in the 1960s.
- AP
- Published: 20:13 October 12, 2008
Washington: Representative John Lewis, a Georgia Democrat and veteran of the civil rights movement, says the negative tone of the Republican presidential campaign reminds him of the hateful atmosphere that segregationist Governor George Wallace fostered in Alabama in the 1960s.
Republican candidate John McCain on Saturday called Lewis's remarks "shocking and beyond the pale". The Obama campaign said the Illinois senator does not believe McCain or his policy criticism is at all comparable to Wallace and his segregationist policies.
In a statement, Lewis said McCain and running mate Sarah Palin were "sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse". He noted that Wallace also ran for president.
"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."
One of the seminal events of the civil rights movement was the bombing of Birmingham's 16th Street Baptist Church on September 15, 1963. Four black girls died in the blast, which was linked to a Ku Klux Klan group.
Late on Saturday, Lewis released another statement saying it was not his "intention or desire" to directly compare McCain or Palin to Wallace. "My statement was a reminder to all Americans that toxic language can lead to destructive behaviour," he said. "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."
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Anger
Lewis's comments follow widely reported examples of anger at McCain rallies that has been aimed at Obama.
During some rallies featuring McCain and Palin, supporters have shouted "traitor", "terrorist", "treason", "liar" and even "off with his head". The outbursts came amid a harshly personal line of attack against Obama by the Republican campaign. McCain and Palin have said Obama failed to tell the truth about his ties to 1960s radical William Ayers, had a radical agenda on abortion, and was not really known to voters. Last weekend, Palin charged that Obama was "palling around with terrorists", a reference to Ayers, and that he did not see the US as others did.
McCain drew boos at a town-hall meeting on Friday in Minnesota when he defended Obama after a supporter said he feared what would happen if Obama were elected president.
He also cut short a woman who said Obama was an Arab, and he called his rival "a decent, family man".
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