Lewis, A Lazy Media, And Their Race Cards

The only question I have for Congressman John Lewis is, "What took you so long?" The McCain campaign was apparently caught off guard by the the race card salvo, while many of us knew this day would officially come.

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For Immediate Release Saturday, October 11, 2008 ARLINGTON, VA — U.S. Senator John McCain today issued the following statement: "Congressman John Lewis' comments represent a character attack against Governor Sarah Palin and me that is shocking and beyond the pale. The notion that legitimate criticism of Senator Obama's record and positions could be compared to Governor George Wallace, his segregationist policies and the violence he provoked is unacceptable and has no place in this campaign. 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. "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 ."

Okay, let's take off the gloves. While Senator McCain and Governor Palin have to show some public civility, those of us often on the receiving end of liberal racist hate do not. What set this off? Reports from a biased mainstream media of hate speech directed at Barack Obama. As I know the rules of journalism; something some in the mainstream may learn once they achieve first grade industry status, one should not report stories they can't back up. So far innuendo has been reported as fact to further a rumor they've failed to substantiate. Where's the videotape of McCain supporters screaming "Kill him!", referring to Senator Obama? YouTube? Liveleak? I'm waiting to see something, anything backing up the careless and irresponsible reporting by so-called journalists. Where's the first hand accounts and quotes with attribution. This is pure rumormongering, exploited by a civil rights era-has been-United States Congressman doing what Democrats do best: squelch speech by any means necessary. The race card has always been their nuclear option, and a lazy, complicit press is their convenient conduit. It's ironic that Congressman Lewis cites Alabama Governor George Wallace… a segregationist, racist DEMOCRAT. Senator McCain and Governor Palin must be striking a nerve.

"Congressman John Lewis' despicable attack on Senator McCain and Governor Palin gives us insight into his bitter partisan heart, and exemplifies the lengths that the far left will go to for a win. Barack Obama's surrogates continue to play the race card. Obama should denounce Lewis' statements immediately but his history tells us otherwise." — David Webb, Host of The David Webb Show

McCain/Palin supporters are angry. Now, when liberals are angry they can (and will) freely call Republicans things that can't be printed in most newspapers or repeated on any broadcast medium. That's what they call "free speech". Liberals (white and black) free free to call black Republicans anything they can come up with, the more blatantly racist the better. McCain and Palin have done NOTHING to stoke any racial animus towards Senator Barack Obama. However, the standard operating procedure from the left is to shout down any criticism deemed damaging to their Messiah. The issues now being brought up are valid. Despite the conventional wisdom offered by the media elite, the American people are intelligent enough to absorb the still-unresolved issues surrounding Barack Obama. Bringing up these issues is not racist. Those who play the card (to stop the questions from being asked) are.

"The idea that Congressman John Lewis would compare Senator McCain and Governor Palin to George Wallace demonstrates his willingness to “cheapen our democracy.” "His blatant use of the race card is pure folly on his part. Clearly, he has forgotten the racist he himself mentions is a member of his own party. The irony is the Democrats, who gave us the KKK and Jim Crow laws, are the same party, which routinely takes up one smear campaign after another– aimed at Republicans. If the Congressman wants to remind us of the Democrats racist past; please, be our guest. Next time, he may want to acknowledge the likes of Benjamin Travis Laney (Arkansas Governor); Fielding Wright (Mississippi Governor); Frank M. Dixon (Alabama Governor); William H. Murray (Oklahoma Governor); Mills E. Godwin Jr. (Governor of Virginia); and Orval Faubus (Governor of Arkansas during the Little Rock Nine crisis)—just to name a few. Next time, we’d be glad to list the former Senators if the Congressman decides he wants to play the race card!" — Eric M. Wallace, PhD, Publisher, Freedom’s Journal Magazine

The Republican candidates' criticism aren't stoking hate as Lewis says. Obama's dodging of the facts are prompting the anger as many feel a genuine mystery man could steal the presidency. Barack Obama has failed to come clean on his simple qualification to be President of the United States (provide a certified birth certificate). A constitutional crisis may be Obama's fault. Not the result of racism. Barack Obama has failed to come clean on the extent of his relationship with William Ayers, ACORN, and new revelations are coming out seemingly every day. Barack Obama has failed to release his medical records, and we know how much hell would be raised if John McCain did the same. Granted, Bill Clinton declined to do the same, but that doesn't mean precident should be one-sided. Obama, like most liberals, is supposed to be smarter than the "ordinary" American, yet he won't release his college transcripts. Barack Obama's activities with the Kenyan elections and Christian prosecution aftermath has been blown off by the media, probably because black people dying isn't considered news unless given awareness as some ditzy Hollywood celebrity's pet project. The fact that Senator McCain and Governor Palin is doing a lazy, partisan media's job at informing the public about the one the world's been waiting for. If Obama would come clean, these issues could go away. Bringing up these issues is politics, not racism.

"It should come as no surprise that Congressman John Lewis is playing the race card in order to intimidate Americans into voting for Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic Party's far left-wing radical socialist presidential candidate. Every election cycle, Democrats use this race-bating strategy for partisan political gain. "Despite the Democrats' socialist policies that run counter to the best interest of black people, black Americans keep voting for Democrats because Democrats preach hatred against Republicans and get blacks to cast a protest vote against Republicans and not a vote for Democrats. Deliberately, Democrats keep blacks poor, angry and voting for Democrats. Any black person who becomes self-reliant and prosperous is denigrated as a "sellout." With this reprehensible strategy, Democrats have built their power base on the backs of poor blacks. Democrat demagogues get away with this tactic because Democrats have hidden their racist past and sold Socialism to blacks, a system that sounds good but has proven to be devastating to black communities." — Frances Rice, Chairman, National Black Republican Association

Instead of McCain having to answer Congressman Lewis' third rail allegations, a responsible media (no pun intended) would be asking Lewis to cite specifics. Ask the congressman when he heard these murderous shouts during McCain/Palin rallies. Ask the congressman to be specific on what racially incendiary statements either McCain or Palin made equivalent to the actions of Democrat George Wallace. Congressman Lewis can throw out baseless race accusations and the media can report them as fact. Both are lazy, increasingly irrelevant, and they both know it.