Sen. Obama has responded to the McCain camp’s demand that he denounce the words of Civil Rights’ Icon, John Lewis, in which Lewis condemned the recent occurrences of invective-filled rants at McCain/Palin rallies, as reminiscent of the climate fostered by 60s’ Alabama Governor, George Wallace. Rep. John Lewis, earlier today, remarked that:

“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.” Lewis added that “because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed on Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama.”

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In an attempt to ‘play safe,’ while acknowledging the verity of Lewis’ sentiments, the Obama campaign released a statement this evening. It is clear that the Obama camp is nether in direct repudiation, nor embracement, of Rep. John Lewis’ comparison:

“Senator Obama does not believe that John McCain or his policy criticism is in any way comparable to George Wallace or his segregationist policies.  But John Lewis was right to condemn some of the hateful rhetoric that John McCain himself personally rebuked just last night, as well as the baseless and profoundly irresponsible charges from his own running mate that the Democratic nominee for President of the United States ‘pals around with terrorists.’  As Barack Obama has said himself, the last thing we need from either party is the kind of angry, divisive rhetoric that tears us apart at a time of crisis when we desperately need to come together.”

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In addition to acknowledged rants of “terrorist,” “traitor,” “off with his head,” “kill him,” and “bomb obama,” at McCain/Palin rallies, News Blaze is reproting that, at a Sarah Pallin rally today, an ‘Obama Monkey Doll’ was proudly showcased by an audience member. From the report:

As the crowd cheered at a Sarah Palin rally this morning in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a man in the audience grinned as he held up a stuffed monkey doll with a Barack Obama bumper sticker wrapped across its forehead.

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