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A senior adviser to Barack Obama said Sunday that the Illinois Democrat does not agree with Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), who drew parallels between John McCain and former segregationist Alabama Gov. George Wallace. In the past week, stepped up rhetoric by Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and, to a lesser degree, from Sen. McCain (Ariz.) has overlapped with seemingly more aggressive crowds at their rallies. In response to reports that audience members shouted “traitor,” “terrorist” and “off with his head” when Obama’s association with Weather Underground member William Ayers was brought up by a member of the GOP ticket, Lewis said McCain and Palin “sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse.” Lewis, a civil rights leader, added: “George Wallace never threw a bomb. He never fired a gun, but he created the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans who were simply trying to exercise their constitutional rights.” Obama’s top strategist David Axelrod said on Fox News Sunday that the campaign does not agree with those comments. However, sparring with McCain campaign manager Rick Davis on the show, Axelrod said the McCain campaign is responsible for the degree of vitriol in the race. Axelrod said the ads McCain is running have directly led to recent instances of violent rhetoric used by McCain supporters at rallies. “All these commercials are designed to distort and inflame,” Axelrod said. Lewis on Saturday had issued a statement softening his earlier remarks. “A careful review of my earlier statement would reveal that I did not compare Sen. John McCain or Gov. Sarah Palin to George Wallace,” Lewis stated. “It was not my intention or desire to do so. My statement was a reminder to all Americans that toxic language can lead to destructive behavior.” Lewis also praised McCain for having “taken some steps to correct divisive speech at his rallies.” Davis said the Republican’s campaign has had to bring up Obama's character and his relationship with Ayers in commercials because the media has given Obama a "free pass." "Do we not think the relationship between Barack Obama and Bill Ayers bears some scrutiny?" Davis said. Host Chris Wallace noted that Obama said last week that McCain was unwilling to bring up the issue to his face, prompting Wallace to ask if McCain will bring up Ayers on Wednesday during the last debate of the campaign. Davis said he didn't know, and it will depend largely on what the moderator asks. Axelrod said the McCain campaign is pushing the Ayers issue because the economy is such a bad issue for them, one that has caused McCain's poll numbers to plummet. "The economy does hang from their necks like the anchor from the Lusitania," Axelrod said. |
