Opinion
Olbermann: McCain, Latest Pander Plan
Tuesday 14 October 2008
by: Keith Olbermann, MSNBC Countdown

The GOP ticket is inciting supporters to violence against Barack Obama.
Transcript
1:25 PM Eastern Time, today, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. During the warm-up act by a Red Meat Congressional Candidate aptly named Chris Hackett, Hackett mentions Obama and a Palin audience member shouts "Kill Him."
And Gov. Palin, as usual, does nothing about it says nothing to these thugs and psychos. She may not have heard this one. It is impossible to believe that by now she has not heard about the other ones. Her silence is deafening. Just as, Sen. McCain, you have done nothing when violence has been asserted. Correction. You have done one thing.
Asked why in real time you do not repudiate this hatefulness you act as if you are the victim. Speaking today to our NBC Station in Washington.
McCain: "Sure and I repudiated it as I have on several occasions. Unfortunately, Congressman John Lewis is an American hero who I admire who made the worst, most unacceptable statement a couple days ago that I have ever heard. He accused me and Sarah Palin of being involved in segregation, George Wallace and even made reference to a church bombing where children were killed. Senator Obama has not repudiated that statement. Senator Obama should do so immediately. Its the most outrageous thing that I have heard since in politics…it is disgraceful."
Disgraceful?
Obviously, Senator, you haven't heard your own speeches, and Gov. Palin's, and what people shout during them. And you haven't heard your state GOP Chair in Virginia, Jeffrey Frederick, giving talking points to 30 of your field-operatives heading out to canvass voters in Gainesville, Virginia. With a reporter present, telling them to try to forge a connection between Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden to emphasize bombings and terrorism. And you haven't heard those volunteers, your volunteers Sen. McCain, shout back "and he won't salute the flag" and "we don't even know where Sen. Obama was really born."
Sen. McCain, these people are speaking for you! And how dare you try to claim Congressman Lewis was linking you to Gov. George Wallace's segregation. He was linking you, aptly, to Gov. George Wallace's lynch-mob mentality.
"As public figures with the power to influence and persuade," said Congressman Lewis, "Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are playing with fire, and if they are not careful, that fire will consume us all."
Sen. McCain, your supporters, at your events, are calling Obama a terrorist and traitor and are calling for him to be killed. And yet you keep bringing back these same rabid Right Wing nuts to deliberately stir these crowds into frenzies. And then you take offense when somebody who remembers the violence in our political past, calls you on it. You, sir, are responsible for a phalanx of individuals who are shouting fire in a crowded theatre. There are some things to respect and honor about you, Sen. McCain.
But on this, you're not only a fraud, Senator but you are tacitly inciting lunatics to violence. If you want to again grand-stand and suspend your campaign here's your big chance. Suspend your campaign now, until you, or somebody else, gets some control over it and it ceases to be a clear and present danger to the peace of this nation.


Comments
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Colin Powell hammers
Tue, 10/21/2008 - 17:09 — Anonymous (not verified)I watched in amazement when
Tue, 10/21/2008 - 05:01 — anyfreeman (not verified)The reason is clear. If
Mon, 10/20/2008 - 08:16 — Anonymous (not verified)Thank you Keith Olbermann
Mon, 10/20/2008 - 02:56 — MWD (not verified)McCain has NOT lost his
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 22:17 — Anonymous (not verified)I bet we'd hear all kinds of
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 14:45 — Anonymous (not verified)Thank you Keith! Most of us
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 11:38 — Stefan Albrecht (not verified)Everything I'm reading here
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 07:25 — Anonymous (not verified)Thank you, Mr. Olbermann.
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 01:13 — Anonymous (not verified)We are the answer. Here in
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 10:04 — Nab (not verified)While I would never accuse
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 07:13 — deathbymagoomba (not verified)I have studiously read all
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 05:36 — Anonymous (not verified)KEITH OLBERMANN is so very
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 03:37 — Anonymous (not verified)No one has so far mentioned
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 03:36 — Anonymous (not verified)Strange. We've been used to
Thu, 10/16/2008 - 00:00 — Sam Hatch (not verified)I live in Ohio; right now, I
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 23:26 — rradiko (not verified)Thanking and agreeing with
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 23:10 — Lib (not verified)Once again Olbermann is
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 23:06 — Anonymous (not verified)I daydreamed receiving the
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 22:03 — MV (not verified)Can we talk about real
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 21:46 — anglohistorian (not verified)McCain ("son of Cain in
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 21:40 — pissed off Bishop (not verified)This is Orwellian in its
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 21:34 — Anonymous (not verified)I am repeating a
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 21:18 — S.D. Conti (not verified)Let’s just call it what it
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 21:10 — Anonymous (not verified)Of course, Olbermann is
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 20:46 — Disappointed and Disturbed (not verified)Why doesn't the President
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 20:33 — Anonymous (not verified)They're not "decent human
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 20:16 — Anonymous (not verified)I thought I would pass this
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 20:01 — norman markowitz (not verified)As one who was present,
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 19:58 — granny (not verified)The news media have a policy
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 19:42 — Don Ray (not verified)As usual, Keith Olbermann is
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 19:33 — Michele (not verified)That moment when I heard
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 19:32 — imhotep (not verified)Thank you, Keith Olbermann.
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 19:11 — Anonymous (not verified)Olbermann is right on with
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 19:07 — DJNoll (not verified)Dividing and conquering with
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 18:47 — Anonymous (not verified)Olbermann is right. The
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 18:23 — Anonymous (not verified)