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

[OldKnute]

Well GOSH!

What Keith says here has been warned against before. We have lived through terrors like this before, in America. Violence, assault and rape reported and against Muslim Americans and Arab Americans skyrocketed after each Bush speech. FACT.

The only difference now, is this same HATE is being directed at Barack Obama, a public figure who is neither Arab nor Muslim.

The selection of Sarah Palin is the perfect attack dog.

Inoculated against Media scrutiny at the very moment of the Convention by establishing here,, Super Victim,,, status.

Woman, Evangelical, Driller, Anti-Abortion, Pro-Gun, Pro-Growth, Outsider.

Raise any ISSUE and you are a,,, Hater.

Ask any question,,, ANY QUESTION,,,, AND,,, you become a Gun Control, Environmental Waco, Sexist, Secular, Anti-Christian, Anti-American, Muslim Supporting, black loving Hater/Terrorist.

Basically,,, “All of the above” Palin.

AND she gets to say anything she likes, with total immunity.

How to know,,,, with 100% certainty,,, that these activities are supported by the Bush Administration?

Because, to threaten the LIFE of a sitting Public Official, a President or Candidate for President, is AGAINST THE LAW!

Show me the FBI or Secret Service arresting people at McCain Palin rallies.

OVER and OVER you can hear,, DEATH to Obama,, KILL HIM,,, and NOTHING HAPPENS!

This is WRONG! Wrong from either side!

Warning, warning, warning!

This activity is WRONG!

All the best

Knute Neo-LIB

[frankm]

GO KO!!! Exactly what I have been thinking AND with just as much outrage in his voice as I felt.

It's about time somebody said what needed to be said.

[JamesMo]

Well said Keith! Really how dare he claims he needs an apology. The Republicans are like the Democrats in Bizaro world. Everything is copied - but in the totally wrong and infantile way. November 4 lets send them to that Biazaro world they so desperately derserve - I think these days they are calling it Alaska.

[Oldchef]

Like many others, I fear that the genie is out of the bottle and cannot be stuffed back in now, no matter wehat mcCain tries to do. Ms. Palin has spent these past few weeks, along with other McCain operatives, stirring the pot of hate with lies and innuendo, until we hear cries of "traitor", "terrorist", "kill him", etc., etc., while she stands at the podium and smirks, George Bush style, at what she has unleashed. I fear that she and others in the campaign (and McCain himself) are deliberatly inciting hatred and don't care that violence might be unleashed.

[blackfriday1978]

Thanks, KO!!!! Always love and enjoy your special comment coz you keep it REAL!

Watching McCain and Palin getting away with these horrible crimes make me sick, Obama is too decent and honorable to point them out... that huge responsbility left with you, Rachel, Jon and hopefully, more sane human beings who are not afraid to speak up! Thanks!!

[sdaflm]

I was so glad to hear Keith's special comment on the mob mentality of the McFalin campaign supporters. The MSM and talking heads have allowed and in my view enabled this behaviour to continue unchecked. For McCain to go on TV and claim to be the victim and to demand Obama repudiate Lewis and his statement was the ultimate insult to the American voter.

[Zapp384]

You missed the point KO was making!!!!!!!

[justamazed]

Too bad for Keith Palin was not on stage when it was said. So she did not hear it. KO get's it wrong again

[Brandij]

She's not dumb she knows what's going on or maybe she is.

Your mom doesn't have to see you steal the car but she will correct you once she finds out.

[TimmySlagle]

Interesting.

After eight years of death threats against the president, and the media giving it a pass, suddenly it's wrong again.

[blackfriday1978]

well, then why don't you talk to those soldiers who actually die in the past 8 years for nothing?

[RedneckDem]

From whom? OH! I forgot, little Timmy is a troll.

[beantowner]

I'm so grateful that Olbermann is on television and is able to articulate what I'm thinking - complete with all the outrage in his voice that I feel. His Special Comments keep me sane.

Thanks, MSNBC, for giving *me* a voice.

Go, Keith!

[duchessdorleans]

I can't believe McCain has the gall to complain so disingeniously that Lewis tried to link him to church bombings after he triled to link Obama to pentagon bombings in the 60's, when he was 8 years old. Oh, wait, it's the GOP. I can totally beleive it. Some have said it's the pot calling the kettle black. But the problem with that is that the kettle was never black in for first place. The kettle is stainless steel, Mr. Pot, that's just your reflection.

[Mabila]

yes yes yes!!!!

[Ghost Writer]

Cool .....That'­ll do Olbermann ... thank you

[GiveUsFree]

Well said. Keith is a statesman. McCain/Palin is dangerous in more ways than one. They would plunge this country into a civil war for the sake of their own sorry arses.

[duhtruth]

Keith, as usual, is right on target. McCain and Palin represent the worst that the US has to offer.

[GeorgeP922]

Another special comment for the history books.

The MSM can try and write Keith off as a partisan hack, but as we all know liberals are biased towards reality.

Thank you Keith for going on the record on how right wing extremism IS a threat to our country.

Imagine for a second, just a second what would happen to our country if one of these lunatic rally-goers got their wish and ended Obama's life.

Simply put America would NEVER recover from that.

This campaign is the sad and bitter end to a Senator who really never found his way.