David Corn: What's with McCain's John Lewis Fetish?

[babylonsister]

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/davidcorn/2008/08/mccain-john-lewis-fetish.html

What's with McCain's John Lewis Fetish?

By David Corn | August 20, 2008 12:09 AM


One of my favorite sub-subplots of the presidential campaign is John McCain's continuing exploitation of Representative John Lewis, the civil rights icon and hero. This has been such a strange episode, and I wonder what it means about the GOP presidential candidate.

First, in April, McCain went to Selma, Alabama, to deliver a speech about patriotism and courage--and expropriated the patriotism and courage of Lewis. Speaking at the site of a historic civil rights clash, McCain recounted how hundreds of civil rights activists, led by Lewis, had marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge and peacefully confronted state troopers who brutally attacked them. McCain hailed Lewis and quoted him. ("When I care about something, I'm prepared to take the long, hard road.") McCain did not cite any action he himself had ever taken to advance the civil rights cause--presumably because there were none to cite. (McCain had even opposed establishing the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. as a holiday.) McCain, as I noted at the time, was trying to wrap himself in the bloody shirt of John Lewis. Moreover, a Lewis associate told me that McCain had never been close to Lewis, that McCain did not invite Lewis to attend this event, and that McCain had not even informed Lewis he would be making this speech.

McCain had served in the U.S. Congress with Lewis for 21 years. But in all that time, McCain had not established any relationship with Lewis. If McCain really was so impressed with Lewis, why had he not reached out to him? Yet McCain, looking to grab a piece of civil rights history, was claiming Lewis was a leader to emulate. And in the same speech, McCain bashed Barack Obama, who had been endorsed by Lewis, as a panderer and peddler of "false promises."

snip//

Think about this. McCain said Lewis would be one of the three wisest people he would rely upon for advice in the White House. But McCain has not asked Lewis for any advice in the two decades he has been in Congress with him. How else then to read McCain's references to Lewis other than as crass pandering and exploitation? After all, since Lewis entered the House in 1987--and even before that--McCain has had the opportunity to pick up the phone and say, "Hey, John, can you help me out with some advice." But he has not done so.

McCain is lucky that Lewis is a class act. He could make an issue out of this and cause McCain to look like a fool. Lewis has chosen not to. But for voters looking for authenticity, this is an indicator that McCain can be as phony as any non-maverick politician.

[DangerousRhythm]

1. It was really bizarre when he brought up Lewis.

I think rather than that "cone of silence" thing, THIS is a lot more telling and should be the bigger story. Why cite a black man you've barely spoken to as one of the three wisest people you'd rely on for advice in the most important job in the world if not trying desperately to pander... and to whom exactly? Did he think he'd win evangelical votes that way? It's really confusing and strange. It's like something a chronic liar would say just to make himself look good... well beyond your typical politican lies, I'd say, just because it's so outrageously nonsensical. It makes my head explode!

[Cosmocat]

2. Because ...

the man has absolutely NO concern whatsoever for anyone other than himnself, IS NOT CALLED OUT by the media at large for his superficiality, and can get away with it ...

it reminds me of the Seinfeld episode when George had to find a black man to be his friend ...

it is so STUNNINGLY superficial to pick Lewis, but again, the media will not for one second call him on it ...

so, go for it ...

[babylonsister]

3. Yep. Not one person in the m$m has even mentioned this,

except Olbermann. Same as it ever was. McBush is getting away with so many things, and gets a pass.

[TexasObserver]

4. It's a strategem to appeal to older black voters who might have liked Hillary and ...

... and who might think Obama too young, or too something else.

It's clearly done to signal to voters that McCain is reaching out to black seniors. And since most middle white voters still don't know who the hell John Lewis is, McCain sure isn't saying it for their benefit.

No, this is about McCain trying to increase his black vote ever so slightly, and yet another run he's making at what he perceives to be Hillary's former supporters.

[Eurobabe]

5. He wants to rub that bald head.

Just like crazy ass Bu$h.