Wash. Times reported McCain claim about Obama's response to Lewis statement without reporting what Obama actually said
SUMMARY: The Washington Times quoted Sen. John McCain saying of Rep. John Lewis: "Here, a guy I admire and respect, a hero of the civil rights movement, saying, making a statement that somehow [Governor Sarah] Palin and I are involved in segregationist behavior, I mean, is beyond reason. In the debate the other night, Barack Obama refused to repudiate those remarks." But the Times did not quote Obama's actual comments during the final debate: that Lewis "inappropriately drew a comparison between what was happening" at McCain-Palin events and "what had happened during the civil rights movement."
In an October 23 Washington Times article, White House correspondent Joseph Curl and reporter Stephen Dinan wrote that in an interview with the Times, Sen. John McCain "took great umbrage at comments by Rep. John Lewis, Georgia Democrat, who compared the atmosphere at recent Republican rallies to those of 1960s-era segregationist George Wallace." Curl and Dinan then quoted McCain saying of Lewis: "Here, a guy I admire and respect, a hero of the civil rights movement, saying, making a statement that somehow [Governor Sarah] Palin and I are involved in segregationist behavior, I mean, is beyond reason. In the debate the other night, Barack Obama refused to repudiate those remarks." At no point did Curl and Dinan quote any of Obama's actual comments about Lewis' remark during the October 15 presidential debate. During the debate, Obama said that Lewis "inappropriately drew a comparison between what was happening" at McCain-Palin events and "what had happened during the civil rights movement." Obama also noted that days earlier, his campaign had "immediately put out a statement saying that we don't think that comparison is appropriate."
From the RealClearPolitics transcript of the October 15 debate:
OBAMA: I mean, look, if we want to talk about Congressman Lewis, who is an American hero, he, unprompted by my campaign, without my campaign's awareness, made a statement that he was troubled with what he was hearing at some of the rallies that your running mate was holding, in which all the Republican reports indicated were shouting, when my name came up, things like "terrorist" and "kill him," and that you're running mate didn't mention, didn't stop, didn't say "Hold on a second, that's kind of out of line."
And I think Congressman Lewis' point was that we have to be careful about how we deal with our supporters.
Now --
McCAIN: You've got to read what he said --
[crosstalk]
OBAMA: Let -- let - let --
McCAIN: You've got to read what he said.
OBAMA: Let me -- let me complete --
BOB SCHIEFFER (moderator): Go ahead.
OBAMA: -- my response. I do think that he inappropriately drew a comparison between what was happening there and what had happened during the civil rights movement, and we immediately put out a statement saying that we don't think that comparison is appropriate. And, in fact, afterwards, Congressman Lewis put out a similar statement, saying that he had probably gone over the line.
The important point here is, though, the American people have become so cynical about our politics, because all they see is a tit-for-tat and back-and-forth. And what they want is the ability to just focus on some really big challenges that we face right now, and that's what I have been trying to focus on this entire campaign.
From Curl and Dinan's October 23 Washington Times article:
Mr. McCain took great umbrage at comments by Rep. John Lewis, Georgia Democrat, who compared the atmosphere at recent Republican rallies to those of 1960s-era segregationist George Wallace.
"Here, a guy I admire and respect, a hero of the civil rights movement, saying, making a statement that somehow [Governor Sarah] Palin and I are involved in segregationist behavior, I mean, is beyond reason. In the debate the other night, Barack Obama refused to repudiate those remarks. I've repudiated every time there's been some inappropriate comment by a GOP operative anywhere."
Mr. McCain called that failure to repudiate Mr. Lewis' comment "certainly something that I don't think is acceptable."
Barack Obama needs to re-emphasize his REPUDIATION of these comments. Even though McCain's supporters shout that they want to kill the Democratic presidential nominee, Obama needs to recognize and point out that these are the only true, patriotic Americans left in this country.
Obama supporters are unAmerican, they live in big cities and want to pay taxes, which makes them unpatriotic. Why can't he just own up to that?
Grampy and his doofus running mate should apologize to Lewis for lying about what he actually said. And while they're at it, they should apologize to Joe Biden for lying about what he actually said.
Maybe Grampy and Doofus should just issue a blanket apology to the nation and retire to Alaaaaaaaska.
Maybe Grampy and Doofus should just issue a blanket apology to the nation and retire to Alaaaaaaaska.
You betcha!!! :-)
Just found this through Google:
I don't care who you are... that's funny!
There is no question that the Grampy/Twit Bullsh*t Express has aroused a lot of hatred and racism among some voters, not to mention all the anti-Obama hysteria among the Glossolaliacs who think Palintwit is a modern Joan of Arc. I wonder how these nitwits will respond if Obama wins.... after all, Palintwit proclaimed to James Dobson that the outcome of the election is "in God's hands."
So, if Obama wins, will they think it was "God's will", or will their tiny brains just explode?
I lived in Alaska for 7 years and my wife used to go to Palin's church and everyone up there loooooooves Palin without knowing what she stands for. They are coo-coo for cocoa puffs there in the valley and the entire state is waaaay to fundamentalist christain for my taste.
I think there may be a solution there; we could let the Alaska Independence Party have its way. Alaska secedes, Grampy and Palintwit can be its co-Presidents, and all the disgruntled Fundamentalist Troglodytes from the lower 48 could move up there and wait for Jeeeeeezzzzzzzuuuuussssss to return. They could rename their new country The Real America.
Nerz, I think we've already suggested that annex of the wingnuts, and my vote is for Konservistan.
They could colonize KY or TN as a vacation spot.
I vote for Tennessee.... that way my house would go up in value, then I could sell it and move to Vermont. There, I would retire and hobnob with my fellow pointed-headed Liberals at the local Starbucks.
The usual fine, balanced reporting we've come to expect from the Washington Times...
I wonder why Murdoch didn't buy these guys? Oh yeah, he doesn't need to.
Kyle is just joking, isn't he?
"Here, a guy I admire and respect,
LOL
For all that "admiring and respecting" McCain has for John Lewis, you'd think McCain would at least try to establish a relationship with Lewis. Hell, Lewis has served in Congress for 22 years.
John Lewis was simply reminding McCain and Pailn that the worst nightmares of the civil rights era, began with toxic politics that sometimes ended with an assassin's bullet. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ring a bell?
Palin may be clueless, but McCain cannot pretend that he doesn't remember Wallace's fiery speeches against school integration and the rioting and bloody fights that erupted. McCain can't pretend to forget September 1962 at the University of Mississippi, two people were killed and more than 150 federal marshals were injured when the first black student enrolled.
McCain heard the audience member yell, "terrorist", just watch his facial expression. Yet McCain said nothing. McCain mouth didn't open until his audience members started attacking the press and the press wrote about it.
McCain and the GOP shouldn't hold their breathe waiting for an apology, it's not coming anytime soon.
It hardly matters, everyone knows that what Rep. Lewis said was 100% correct. There's no need to apologize or for Obama to distance himself from a true statement.