Olbermann "Special Comment" On Violent Rhetoric At McCain-Palin Rallies (VIDEO)

Tonight Keith Olbermann, on his show Countdown, offered a "Special Comment" on the violent rhetoric being heard at some McCain-Palin rallies.

[WATCH]

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

[dmspeech]

Keith is the original Maverick. He told the truth and called out the Bush administration when it was politically incorrect to do so.
Thanks, Keith. You are the real patriot.

[littlewing157]

I'm so grateful to journalists with the integrity and honesty to state the facts without fear. Keith Olbermann (and the wonderful Rachel Maddow) present the news in such an insightful, thought-provoking way--with humor and class.
Keith's Special Comments are becoming legendary; he says just what I would say, and, what desperately needs to be said.

Keep up the great work Keith!

[Indieguy]

Thanks to KO for having the courage to voice what many of us know is the truth when most of the media is a wasteland of mediocrity and sertitude.

[evgolightly]

Donald Trump's bloviating on CNN. Said he'd hire the REAL McCain.

I'd love to watch Trump go broke in this credit crisis. He's leveraged up the wazoo. No wonder he likes McCain.

Wow - he just said he'd trust Sarah Palin to handle our economic crisis.

Blowhard.

[greentipcove]

I heard that..now I know Trump is a jack......

[ThinkAgainMyFriend]

Palin wouldn’t even Qualify as a Contestant on the Apprentice, Who’s he trying to fool!

[DCHG]

I am registered as an independent voter and Keith did not drive me over to McCain. In fact, it had an entirely different effect. I am way more committed to voting for Obama now. More people need to stand up and shout to the Republicans - stop this dangerous behavior. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Grow up and accept it. Don't harm the country any more with this childish behavior.

[AnotherToerag]

Thank you!

[Shieldmaiden]

If it weren't for Keith this election would have driven me to the brink of madness a long time ago.

[Indieguy]

KO gives confirmation to what I believe to be right and the truth.

[PeepingTom]

That was awesome, I heard it yesterday.

But no conservative watche Keith, so he's always preaching to the choir.

[CarmanK]

But at least it gets on TV and is able to express the outrage that so many decent Americans feel about the McCain/Palin hateful rhetoric. Watching Keith and Rachel are the hilight of my day for this liberal. I hear Limbaugh, Savage etc... are so hateful-I don't listen to them, can't stand the shouting, irreverent certitude and arrogance.

Keith you were really good. I liked this commentary. As far I am concerned, I am really glad there are some real liberals in the so called "liberal media". Mediamatters of course has demonstrated that the media is really conservative. They are a great source for truth.

[tigs]

This election has brought out the best and worst in people Keith Oberllman is one of the best. reading somewhere that Todd Palin wouldnt pass secret service test for entry into government position, if in the hopefully unlikely event Mc cain did win the white house, as V P would Sarah Palins husband be banned from white house because of past associations?

[janeyu]

The only saving grace of BHO becoming president is that KO will be silenced for four years..He wont have the White House to bad mouth anymore.. Worst person in the World--you sir are it KO

[evgolightly]

Thank you thank you thank you Keith.

You took the words right out of my mouth, minus the expletives.

[Jaida]

Mr. Olbermann, you are to be commended for your courage to sit in front of a camera in the face of opposition and speak truth without spin. I've turned away from the J.S.'s of MSNBC who take truth and spin it and spin it until we don't even recognize what was originally stated. Thank you Mr. Olbermann.

[newhouse1]

The temerity demonstrated by McCain and Palin to use "projection" is breathtaking! Regular people, or those dubbed 'low-information voters,' or arm-chair psychologists, would call what they're doing reverse psychology. They call you a name, or say you are doing "x", or say you are 'pallin' around with bad guys, and then claim YOU are the one who did it to them!

The entire McCain campaign fixation on William Ayers is an insult to all Americans. McCain says someone Obama was on a community board with, and who did crimes when he was 8 years old, has credibility to Obama's character, when McCain has Gordon Liddy, Charles Keating, Jack Abramoff, Duke Cunningham, his campaign manager is STILL GETTING PAID by Fannie Mae, and his transition team manager lobbied for Saddam Hussein? Sarah Palin's husband is a member of a group that wants Alaska to SECEED FROM AMERICA!

All the while, the stock market is ruining peoples retirement money, 51 million Americans HAVE NO HEALTH CARE, our borders are porous, and oh, by the way, we have 135,000 troops in Iraq, another 30,000 in Afgan, and Bush is SOCIALIZING THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES! It took 225 years to amass a national debt of 5 trillion dollars, and 7 years to get to 10 trillion! Breathtaking. And all McCain and Palin can come up with for the American people is William Ayers and name calling. Breathtaking. Please vote for Obama-Biden.

[tigs]

I hope Obama brings these these things to light in the debate tonight if Mc cain brings up Ayers .
Well said newhouse1

[txnforobama]

Way to go Keith! They are purposely inciting hate and viloence. I've seen the footage where McCain hears the audience member shout "terrorist" and does nothing but smirk. This type of thing is so wrong on so many levels. We do have a past of political violence, and I would hope we would be moving past that, but obviously not, thanks to McCain/Palin. It's pathetic. I'm so glad people like Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow do their job and do it very well. Obama '08!!!

[cindyfromfalls]

Dear Keith,
As I listened to this last night I thought to myself....­.this is exaclty what I would say if I had the podium...t­hank you for speaking for me as you so often do!

Respectfully and Gratefully,

Cindy

[Ventry]

When the history of the 2008 Election is written down/replayed the journalist, Keith Olbermann, will take front and center stage for the moral stand that he has expressed so eloquently these weeks. When others in the MEDIA have been willing to go along with the McCain/Palin filthy tricks, Keith has spoken out in a manner that can only be described as courageous. I applaud his steeled convictions and hope that others in the media will get in line.

[lucasb2]

you have got to be kidding me?!? I consider myself center-right. I do not like Bush or McCain and I am voting for Obama. But everytime I hear this guy bloviate I question my vote. He is sending independents to McCain guaranteed.

[madinirose]

I seriously doubt it.

[ThinkAgainMyFriend]

Keith is awesome and tells it like it is, we all know keith is 100% correct!!
CNN and others need to scold McCain and Palin for their awful behavior as well, maybe in a softer way, but they should!

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[Jam3646]

Keith, you said what so many in the media should be saying, but aren't! And you said it with the anger and passion a subject of this serious a nature deserves. THANK YOU FOR BEING A TRULY PATRIOTIC AMERICAN!

[grizhead63]

Every commentator and anchor person in the media should be as fired up about this issue as KO.