WASHINGTON (AP):Representative John Lewis, a Georgia Democrat and veteran of the civil-rights movement, says the negative tone of the Republican presidential campaign reminds him of the hateful atmosphere that segregationist Governor George Wallace fostered in Alabama in the 1960s.
Republican candidate John McCain on Saturday called Lewis' remarks "shocking and beyond the pale".
The Obama campaign said the Illinois senator does not believe McCain or his policy criticism is at all comparable to Wallace and his segregationist policies.
Hostility in our political discourse
In a statement issued Saturday, Lewis said McCain and running mate Sarah Palin were "sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse". He noted that Wallace also ran for president.
"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," said Lewis, who is black. "Because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed on Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama."
One of the seminal events of the civil-rights movement was the bombing of Birmingham's 16th Street Baptist Church on September 15, 1963. Four black girls died in the blast, which was linked to a Ku Klux Klan group.
Late Saturday, Lewis released another statement saying it was not his "intention or desire" to directly compare McCain or Palin to Wallace.
Destructive behaviour
"My statement was a reminder to all Americans that toxic language can lead to destructive behaviour," he said. "I am glad that Senator McCain has taken some steps to correct divisive speech at his rallies. I believe we need to return to civil discourse in this election about the pressing economic issues that are affecting our nation."
Lewis' comments follow widely reported examples of anger at McCain rallies that have been aimed at Obama, the first black man to be a major party's nominee for president. During some rallies featuring McCain and Palin, supporters have shouted "traitor", "terrorist", "treason", "liar" and even "off with his head".
