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

[ICanHasDemocracy]

As Sarah Palin sows, so may she reap the whirlwind.
Karma train's gonna run her off the tracks.

[PhDiva]

Thank you, Keith. I am African American, and this whole trend in the McCain campaign is terrifying to me. I was profoundly offended that McCain said that Lewis' statement was the worst thing he had ever heard in politics, that he didn't think that people calling for the murder of his opponent was worse than somebody questioning McCain.

[grandma58]

I am white and I think the statement by Lewis got to the heart of the matter!!!

[roshni]

I am Asian and I was deeply offended too. McCain is not the victim here. He is inciting violence and will be held responsible if anything happens.
Thanks John Lewis for speaking out.

[Brandij]

Thank you Keith - you affirm to me daily that there is still truth and justice in this world.

It's offensive that McCain tries to turn the table on John Lewis.

I guess Obama is responsible for global warming too.

[Gmoney1]

McCain/Palin and the majority of the repubs are TWISTED - they will slick talk themselves out of anthing - and they think we are STUPID - McCain has the nerve to ask for an apology and for Obama to repudiate Mr. Lewis who did nothing more than but point out the dangers of what McCain/Palin are inciting -

[gro]

In reading a biography of Kurt Weil, German composer, what struck me about the rise of Nazism was the disruptive antagonistic display of hatred at cultural events that the fascists disagreed with. Is this the next step here for the intolerant know-nothings? The shameless media will lap it up.
There are divisive forces in America only too willing to destroy this country in order to 'save' it.

[IndependenceDame]

It's a shame Mr. Olbermann must expend his energy, particularly since he has a bad cold, on repeating his pleas to Senator McCain to stop the insanity going on at McCain/Palin rallies. His pleas, like those from so many of us either directly to the McCain campaign or through our representatives in Congress, have fallen on deaf ears. McCain only cares about getting elected as President -- win at all costs. If any harm befalls Obama or someone else as a result of the McCain/Palin rhetoric, I hope McCain and Palin are charged as co-conspirators for inciting the violence. They know what they are doing. They just don't care about the consequences to others.

[LiberalDemIda]

Thank you, Keith. Your Special Comment completely touched me and you had me clapping enthusiastically because you said what needed to be said so perfectly.

You have been the leader and on the forefront of holding skewed news to task, separating the corn from the chaff, clearing the waters, and I never miss your show (although I miss you when you're not on). I love that comment you made some time ago: "You saw it there, now understand it here", and you NEVER fail to deliver.

Thank you for being THE pioneer in reporting REAL NEWS instead of regurgitating the same-o, same-o that's littered the landscape of the vast cable and broadcast network media. America owes you a great debt of gratitude because of your courage, your sharp insights, and your love for our great country that compelled you to defend her from radicals on BOTH sides.

We love you here in SoCal Keith!

[vang]

thank you keith. man, this election is getting dangerously scary.

[foreffectivegovernment]

vang, Where have you been? This election became scary to me when Obama supporters threatened to "Riot in the Streets" if Obama wasn't the Democratic nominee. When Keith Olberman spouted this death threat against Hillary Clinton during one of his rants against Clinton personally. He said the following.
Said Olbermann: "Right. Somebody who can take her into a room and only he comes out."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGBUQq3CVYU
Then he accused her of threatening to assassinate Obama when she mentioned the RFK assassination as a timeline in the primaries.
You seem to have your fear misplaced. I fear the young Militant Obama supporters much more than I ever will the members of the "Greatest Generation" who are reacting to the Chicago Political Machine taking over the Democratic Party by using race-baiting and character assassination to secure the nomination for Barack Obama. Keith Olbermann is a fired sports announcer who stars on the "Countdown Comedy Hour" and not a political commentator.

[justathinker]

great olbermann video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuj7iAA-eOw

[huffyfan2]

Thank for the BS, but no thanks.

[ralph10]

I always take what the albino says to heart?

[Gmoney1]

Keith Rocks - the only truth teller on TV - save Rachel

[Sportswoman]

Have they no sense of decency?
Aparently not.
Great commentary by KO--our family's favorite part of the show...nex­t to Worst Persons. I wonder why these oh-so courageous Repubs haven't the cajones to go on Keith's show...I'd love to see Palin sit across from Keith like Obama did with O'Reilly, or MacShame, for that matter.

[huffyfan2]

Thank you Keith for saying what we have all been thinking. Mccain never takes personal responsiblity. "Country First?" More like "Mccain First"

[tedbear]

Thank you seems inadequate, Keith. You have integrity and courage and I applaude you. You are a beacon of honesty in the darkness of the tiptoeing around important issues with many in the media. If Fox News can come out and blantaly lie, if they can spread hate with untruths, certainly the world needs you on the other side.

[jonguu]

Bravo, Keith!

[cvkathy]

Keith Olbermann did what every commentato­r/newscast­er should have been doing from the very first time someone at a McCain rally shouted "terrorist" after being fervently incited Sarah Palin or another McCain flack. I've been absolutely gobsmacked that news organizations and the media are 'just reporting the news' and not taking a stance. What the hell is wrong with the media?

There is no doubt that every single person 'reporting' the news knows exactly what can happen under these circumstances. So I have to wonder if the media's lack of stance actually indicates a 'hope' for a much more news-worthy news piece? How sad that is. And how shameful.

With appallingly few exceptions no one is standing up to the violent rhetoric being spewed by the McCain Campaign.

Let's see - Mica Brzezinski from Morning Joe refused to do a segment on Paris Hilton a while back. Big news? Yep, everyone was reporting her 'bravery' for not reporting on celebutants. But when standing up really counts, what has Mica Brzezinski said or done? Nada. That's what. It doesn't escape anyone's notice that it only takes exactly one person to be stirred to a breaking point and thus go 'off' on Barack Obama.

Very, very few American commentators will go down in history for standing up to the McCain Campaign and the very dangerous way they are inciting their supporters. God/dess bless Keith Olbermann and Campbell Brown for being two of the few!!! And shame on the rest of you!

[Omnilector]

Bravo, Keith Olbermann! You, Sir, are a REAL journalist! Thanks for telling it like it is, again. What would we do without you?

[ebanks84]

Again, Keith is the MSM's mouth of truth, and the only one, too. If it weren't for him, we would never get the real truth behind the stories the MSM throws at us each day.

Between CNN and FOX, Americans need Keith Olbermann to get any kind of truth at all. The politicians are all for themselves. The media is all for themselves. The government is all for themselves. And we, the people, don't have a living soul looking out for our interest if it wasn't for people like Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, and Chris Matthews. Somebody needs to be on our side for a change.

Thanks Keith, Rachel, and Chris. WE LOVE YOU ALL!