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

[AntonioGramsci]

Wow. Touch 'em all, Keith! AND take your curtain call afterward!

[MarianneEvans11]

Amazing! I wonder how many Republicans for McCain will see the light ? Good thing elections are every 4 years. I hope the next one doesn't start 2 years into the upcoming 4 years...Oh My!

[MarianneEvans11]

I held my breath for the time he spoke and then truly exhaled! Thanks, Keith, for a truly amazing Special Comment! I'm a former CNN viewer and registered Republican - I guess you can say that I saw the light....Thanks for bringing me through this campaign with some truth and humor.

[Claire618]

All I have to say about Keith's comments are THANK YOU - THANK YOU- THANK YOU.
I used to admire John McCain and I must admit I did not start out as an Obama supporter, but like the song goes: What A Difference A Day Makes'. I now find John McCain to be a desperate, mean,
NON-PATROTIC (what else could you be to subject Americans to CYANIDE SARAH) little man; AND I volunteer 8-10 hours per week to the Obama Campaign.

[Xenopus]

Not only is the McCain/Palin rallies inciting angry virile people, then John McCain turns around and belittles a fellow Senator, John Lewis, for pointing out what is happening. Not only is the McCain Campaign going the way of the very dark low road, but McCain attacks anyone who says so......pretty sad stuff from a man who wants to be President. McCain is in over his intellectual level.......really. Sarah never had an intellectual level in the first place.

[Xenopus]

Ooops, certainly didn't mean to give them credit where credit isn't do (although sometimes Sarah is pretty manlike). Actually I was meaning to write villainous (when they shout "kill him"). I shouldn't watch cable TV and blog on HP at the same time.

[PeepingTom]

After all the hateful thins McCain has said and perpetuated, he has the nerve to ask Obama to repudiate Lewis for him? Hey Obama, do me a favor, you know, since I've been so nice to you! What the...?

[roshni]

Bravo Keith bravo!!!
McCain-Palin are now on notice that they are personally responsible if their rabid, marginally literate sheeple do anything to harm Obama.
Kudos to John Lewis too for having the courage to speak out.

[smokehouse10]

Come on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[billkarwin]

I'm not happy with McCain's campaign tone either, but I have to raise my eyebrows at the oxymoron of Keith Olbermann's phrase: "tacitly inciting."

One can tacitly approve of something by failing to object to it. But what does it mean to tacitly incite? That doesn't make any sense.

[kimbari]

One can "tacity incite" by NOT telling someone something is wrong and they shouldn't do it.

Hello? Definition of the word tacit?

[clevelandchick]

McCain gets away with implying Obama is some horrible man without actually saying the words. Here is the definition of tacit: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tacit

And that's exactly what McCain is doing....he's "tacitly" inciting his supporters, he's using circular logic, blame the victim strategy and surrogates to call Obama a terrorist which rallies his base without literally having to say 'Obama's a Terrorist...come on everybody lets get him!".

Keith's use of tacit and incite together is right on the money. Oxmoron's tend to fit morons quite well and that one fits McCain like a glove.

[OranjeMonkey]

tacit means "implied but not expressed"

incite means "to stir up feelings"

oxymoron means "contradictory expression"

to "tacitly incite" would therefore mean to stir up feelings by implying something, rather than outright expressing it.

[priysmom]

this is correct link

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/koppel/highlights/highlights.html

[fireW]

Good job, Keith. You can remind the rest of the MSM that integrity & journalism can still be joined in public service endeavors.

[priysmom]

Keith you are so right. Thank you for your observations , thanks you for your passion. It seems you are the only one in the media willing to sound the alam....others just look at it. You have articulated the issue thoughtfully and your tone was authentic. You understand the seriousness of the ugly turn of these rallies.and the consequences that could affect us all.THANKS.


http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/koppel/highlights/highlights.htmlallies.

Americana has an ugly past and its past isnt that far away.

[separatingwheatfromchaff]

What I like about Keith is he hammers them with the truth and they just run away with their tail between their legs.Keith gets lambasted by the rest of the right,but not the people caught in his crosshairs. I love your rants Keith,keep up the excellent work..

[Nia1999]

Is Keith Olbermann the only jounalist or media spokesperson not afraid to tell the truth about the violence the McCain camp is inciting. I am so upset. As an African American, the things being shouted at Obama is also a message to the rest of us and the media (except Keith Olbermann) thinks it's ok. To me, they are just as quilty as the McCain camp. They are just what that author who wrote about the Iraq War and the media's failure or fear of questioning the facts. They see what's happening, but as long as it's not aimed at them, it doesn't matter. Thank you Keith for stepping up to the plate and calling the McCain/Palin camp on this.

[Yarrr]

Way to go Keith!

[red57river]

Thank you Keith-- we watch you every night my hsband and I -- you keep the McCain Palin feet to the fire--you never fail to deliver thank you for your courage and your insights ---I hope your cold gets better. We enjoy your special Comments you have such passion for the truth.