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

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"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

[biglith]

What percentage of the voting public hold views similar to these troglodyte? Way too many I'm afraid.

[caseyblab]

Maybe a "separated at birth" poster of the senator Bryant and Spongebob Squarepants- there is a close resemblance.

[ErnestineBass]

ROFL!!! Perfect!

[paul15260]

don't insult spongebob like that

[bubfranks]

Oh yeah, and Marshall Meador is the guy who's running against Sen. Bryant: http://www.meadorsforstatesenate.org/

[TomJ]

I posted Marshall Meador's campaign website link to the comments section of Kevin Bryant's blog. Wouldn't you know, he deleted it. Bryant has NO sense of humor, does he?

I checked FollowtheMoney.com, and it looks like Meador could use some donations, if anyone wants to make a real statement on this 'funny picture'.

[TomJ]

that should be FollowtheMoney.org
Meador http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=103980
Bryant http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=103827

[diogeron]

So, Bryant claims not to know what religion Senator Obama practices. There are two choices in evaluating that answer: (1) he really doesn't know, so he's one of the dumbest elected officials in the United States or (2) he's a liar. I opt for the latter.

I'd also bet the farm he considers himself a good Christian. Maybe he ought to revisit that commandment about not bearing false witness against thy neighbor.

[neuron]

From the state that brought us the Civil War...

[robXdion]

Oh noooooooo, that was about "States Rights" and Suthin' "heritage". Those 14 million enslaved blacks and Lincoln's opposition to spreading it westward had nothing to do with it, unghhh, ughhh, no Siree (sarcasm).

[charleslennon]

You lost me i'm a decendant of slave African/Na­tive/Irish­. So break it down for me please.

[charleslennon]

Hey it's a good state (not as good as The Redmans land though).

But wait they also gave us W.H. Carney CMH (look him up you hippies),DR. Matilda Evans, James Brown ,Chubby Checker, Sen. Edwards, Althea Gibson, Jesse (you know who), Dizzie Gilespie, Shoeless Joe, Eartha Kit, The first slave insurrection, the first independent government formed by the original colonies..­etc.

And yes Strom Thurmond too....[da­ng it].

[UsofA]

I emailed this message to the senator at http://kevinbryant.com/contact/
Mr. Bryant,
Your Obama posting is neither satire nor "just like the New Yorker." It is, in fact, a smear. Your post-interview reveals you to be disturbingly uninformed about the very person you attack. That is called a lot of things, but statesmanlike is not one of them. Thankfully, your type of politics seems to be on it's way out, replaced with intelligence and a desire to work on America's challenges.

[obackarama]

Seriously, does this really surprise anyone?

sigh

[NeoStar9]

I get the feeling he's going to have a hard time getting reelected after this little stunt if at all.

[researcher]

it will get worst

repubs desperate

want to give americans more poverty and wars

vote mc war ie mc same for more wars and the elimination of the middle class

you will be surprised to know how many middle class will line up to vote for mc same

america the land that was now is a was not

we borrow from communists, socialists, and kings and steal all the federal pension funds to make this capitalism work and to continue our imperailism

then we brag how great our eco nomic system is

go figure

it is called paradigm paralysis

[wdw101]

we need true imperialis­m......win­ner take all......w­inner writes the history...­....loser keeps what we give them.....u­ntil then you can't claim we are using imperialis­m....... I wish you were right.....­..If we were capitalist you could not get free health care by showing up at the ER and get service...­...welfare would not be available.­......I wish we were capitalist, but socialist liberals will not allow that......­..

I will be voting for McCain....­..I know of many companies with some interesting new company policies..­.....If McCain carries OH, KY, IN a bonus will go to all employees on Jan 24, 2009. If a different individual wins the 3 states no bonus because the new taxes will kill business, leaving no money for bonuses. Rumors are also going through the companies employee ranks that health insurance might be canceled. Of course that rumor has not originated from company officials, it is just a rumor.a company can’t have rumors like these circulate for too long. So prompt correction is important that is why the meetings are scheduled so quickly. Most of the companies have employee meetings to straighten out these misdirected rumors, meetings scheduled Thursday November 6, 2008….

[BlackWidowPilot]

"wdw101:" by his own admission he's "OK with waterboard­ing."

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[charleslennon]

It's called a very long "run off' sentence.

[jvarga]

Ok photoshop experts, I expect to see all sorts of edited images of the good Senator posted on photobucket.

[wdw101]

photoshop experts???? anybody could do this..... it is easy

[likeicare]

some of us are "challenge­d."

[HHarvey]

Poor south carolina democrats. I would hate to have to pay taxes in that state and have a senator like that be so tacky. If my senator were to post something about McCain on their website like that I would think they were a left wing nut job with no credibility.

[mrfunchionrules]

As an elected official, Kevin Bryant should have thought through his consequences of posting this picture to his personal website. His actions show that he is a rash and impulsive person who is not fit for his job.

[jackieblu23]

Bryant is evil and desperate. When ya ain't got nothing, ya got nothing to lose. But this hateful slander is really sick pollitics at it's worst. What goes around comes around...
Oh, this liberal web sites been busy covering all McCains, screw ups, he's on a roll!

[Portnoy]

He he. That's some funny stuff.

[knowhelpnow]

I look at it this way if Bush had just stayed in Afghanistan and taken Osama out we wouldn't still be talking about him. Just why didn't he? Why are we fighting these wars? Something stinks.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

Why dose the Bible belt produce some of the most ignorant people in politics?

[curocat]

Is SC part of the Bible Belt ??? Well maybe they should re-read their Bibles, like the Ten Commandment; "Thou shall not bear false witness", or Proverb Chapter 6 " ....God hates lies..." and after which should consider a re-call vote...

[Obamlatina]

This video helped me understand the Kevin Bryants of South Carolina and SC in general. The stats near the end of the video are staggering. Please help the children of SC, esp those in the "Corridor of Shame."

Watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roCz929ohtM

[adamsmith]

If the turban fits, wear it........­.......

[BlackWidowPilot]

"adamsmith,"

so in your case after reviewing the content of your profile, all this proud son of a WW2 US Marine and Military Historian can say is,

if the tinfoil hat fits, wear it.

The Senator from Illinois is not a Muslim, nor is he a relative of Osama bin Laden.

Back to school for you, my son.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[indypete]

That typing time was a couple of minutes you won't get back! Common sense won't get through to him. (Have you been on vacation? Haven't seen your posts for a while.)

[ZimboChick]

and even if he was he is still an upstanding human being. I am tired of people dissing Muslims as if they are second class citizens geesh!

[wdw101]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-518585/Obama-turban-Barack-accuses-Hillary-smear-campaign-circulating-photos-dressed-Muslim.html

It looks like it well