State Senator Kevin Bryant Posts Osama-Obama Photo

South Carolina State Senator Kevin Bryant has removed a classy photo from his website showing Osama Bin Laden next to Barack
Obama with text claiming the difference between them is "just a little B.S."

Update: Interview with Bryant added below.

The photo was highlighted by Wonkette and The Hill, among other sites, and when I tried to access the blog post in question at 3PM ET, it had been removed from Bryant's website.

Wonkette captured a screen shot:

Bryant appears to have been a longtime McCain supporter, having posted a Draft McCain press release all the way back in August 2006.

UPDATE: The blog post now appears to be available again.

UPDATE II: I just got ahold of State Senator Bryant over the phone, and asked him whether he thought the image was appropriate.

Story continues below

"It was meant tongue in cheek," he said, adding, "I've got some questions about Senator Obama's ties to -- such as his comment that we should negotiate with Iran. Iran's a country that would like to destroy Israel, that bothers me. But is this picture appropriate? I don't know." He let out a loud laugh. "It's gotten a lot more attention than I would have expected."

Does he think Obama is actually has terrorist ties? "I don't think he's tied to terrorists, no. I do think he's probably more sympathetic to nations that allow terrorism than I would prefer. And that's why I posted it. Am I saying that him and Osama work together? No, I'm not saying that at all."

And what religion does Bryant think Obama practices? "That's a good question. I don't know."

Bryant says he's supporting John McCain for president, and that he is trying to figure out how to remove the Osama-Obama image from his website. "I may put it back up, I may not," he said. "I just thought I'd take it down and think about it."

He added: "You know, blogs are for satire and whatnot and, um, that's why it's up. It's similar to the New Yorker picture. Maybe that's why this has gotten so much attention, because of that thing that came out a couple days ago."

UPDATE III: South Carolina's Senate Democrats just sent out a release hammering Bryant:

Senate Democrats Call Bryant's Actions Classless

Columbia, SC - The South Carolina Senate Democratic Caucus today called state Senator Kevin Bryant's posting of a photo of Osama Bin Laden next to presidential candidate Barack Obama classless. The photo, with a caption claiming the difference between them is "just a little B.S.", has been removed from Bryant's official website.

Senate Democratic Caucus Political Director Phil Bailey issued the following statement:

"Senator Bryant's posting of this offensive photo is classless and it has no place in politics. Bryant should be more concerned about serving his constituents, who pay his salary, than posting garbage like this on his website. The voters of Anderson County deserve a state Senator with better judgment."

Comments

[xenophon]

This is another reminder of the cowardly, unscrupulous petty minded Rovian attitudes of Republicans who pretend to wrap themselves in the flag, make a vicious statement claiming to be based on patriotism, and then when they are called on it, duck for cover like cockroaches in a dark room running for cover when somebody turns on a light.

The Republicans are the people who ran advertisements in a recent campaign against Sen.Max Cleland, a war veteran who lost both legs and one arm to an enemy land mine in Vietnam, that depicted the senator's photo juxtaposed between photos of Saddam Hussien, and Adolf Hitler.

The add comparing bin Laden to Obama was not honest, or honorable., It was disinformation of the most cynical kind based on Sen. Bryant's low opinion of the integrity of the voters.

November is America's big opportunity to get rid of dishonest liars like Sen. Bryant, I urge everybody to use that opportunity to the fullest.

[luvienne]

Votrs in SC find out who your people in office are and their views and when elections are.Start taking action now.

[Keith52]

Every day Republicans become more like children. Seriously. Look at this Osama / Obama poster. It's like they are in second grade. And that ad about the media's love affair with Barack...? This is what the Republican campaign has been reduced to? Next week the republicans will be making potty jokes and saying things like "did sooo, did not, did so, did not.... Does anyone else see how stupid they have become? Now I miss Ronald Regan... And that is saying a lot for me!

[AlexisAshley]

Love this poster!!

[Sixtwo]

All radicals love the poster!

[AlexisAshley]

Love this!!

[wmholt]

"I've got some questions about Senator Obama's ties to -- such as his comment that we should negotiate with Iran. Iran's a country that would like to destroy Israel, that bothers me."

And Bush is now negotiating with Iran. Even if this guy doesn't use the Internet for news, I'm sure it's been in the papers by now. It was announced sometime last week. Sheesh!

[Fritzi]

How do you contact this guy? I tried going through his website under "Contact Us" but failed both times.

[NanNevadaDem]

Good luck. I was successful in getting onto his website and scrolled down to a date and the word "picture" and added a reply at the bottom....but it was censored (!) by a man who says on his own website: "I refuse to cower to the cultural police who evermore seek to censor our political discussion." What a hypocrite! I've written back to him with a promise. If he censors my non-abusive comments again I will contribute to his opponent (Marshall Meadors-Dem.) AGAIN and continue to contribute every time he censors my comments. I hope you will help ($$) his opponent too.
And as you can tell, I don't even live in South Carolina and Bryant is only a STATE senator!
http://www.meadorsforstatesenate.org/donate.html

[NanNevadaDem]

4th try:
This is the 4th time I've tried to reply to Frtizi...I see my comment pending, then posted, then it disappears!_Fritzi try to contact Bryant again. Look for calendar dates on Bryant's website then scroll down to "Obama", scroll down to "reply" and give it a try. Only problem: they keep censoring most negative, but non-abusive comments. So I sent them another reply and said if they keep censoring my comments, I'll continue to contribute to his opponent Marshall http://www.meadorsforstatesenate.org/donate.htmlnate.html

[pakaal]

What cracks me up is that his defense included "well, people make fun of Bush too, so there."

I guess in this case, two wrongs made a right (winger).

[kara1018]

Classy... I am absolutely repulsed that someone so disgusting could ever get elected into office in any state in our nation. gross!

[CrittersRTasty]

Me too! Oh...wait, you're not talking about Obama?
Nevermind

[doctorwang]

are u from S.C., too?

[BlackWidowPilot]

Critter,

care to comment on the following list of over seventy (70) GOP hotshots and their performance record as part of the "party of Christian family values:"

http://www.armchairsubversive.org

This should be good....

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[DrDemon]

I think Kara was referring to Bryant & McCain!

"Obama the Great" in 08' !

suckerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

[NanNevadaDem]

Obviously Kara 1018 is referring to Bryant, who needs to lose his state senate seat. Bryant's democratic opponent won't win that easily against an incumbent without some help. I suggest that everyone who reads this can "put their money where their mouths are" and go to Marshall Meadors website (He's Bryant's opponent) and donate!
http://www.meadorsforstatesenate.org/donate.html

[Raymondf]

Great Poster.

[ouroborous]

The best thing for us (liberals and progressives) to do is just let the fools expose themselves with nonsense like this, and trust the nation to be smart enough to know that it's just blathering and hot air.

It's like trolling; what the troll wants most is a reaction, so *don't give it to them*.

[AdobePhsyko]

Look at this guys photo. Nuff Said ?

[HamletsMill]

This guy is right out of "O Brother Where Art Thou?" What a country we have!

[Economike]

This is the equivalent of putting up a Confederate flag with the caption "United We Stand"

[Beka13]

Maybe it should read...Republicans try to make a link btween Obama and Osama is a BUNCH OF BS.

[L.J.]

Yeah, it is pretty funny. It's funny just how desperate the republicans look right now! First McCain's whiny commercials, now this!