Veteran Civil rights leader, John Lewis has accused John McCain of “sowing hatred” against Barack Obama.

Sky News reported that:

Mr Lewis also appeared to suggest attacks on Mr Obama were reminiscent of the late segregationist Alabama governor and presidential candidate George Wallace.

Mr Wallace’s rhetoric in 1963 was blamed for a church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, that killed four young girls.

Mr McCain has hit back at the latest claims, calling Mr Lewis’ remarks “shocking and beyond the pale” and urging Mr Obama to immediately condemn them.

Until recently, Mr McCain described Democrat Mr Lewis as one of the Americans he most admired.

The Obama campaign said while Mr Lewis was right to condemn “hateful rhetoric”, their candidate did not believe Mr McCain or his policy criticism were comparable to Mr Wallace or his segregationist policies in the 1960s.

The row was sparked when Mr Lewis said of Mr McCain and his vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin: “I am deeply disturbed by the negative tone of the McCain-Palin campaign.

“Senator McCain and Governor Palin are playing with fire, and if they are not careful, that fire will consume us all,” Mr Lewis went on.

Chants of “terrorist” and “kill him” have reportedly been heard at McCain Palin campaign events. AFP today reported that ‘Some commentators have blamed hard-hitting negative advertisements which claimed Obama consorted with a domestic “terrorist” — 1960s radical William Ayers.’
Also reported by AFP, McCain was forced to intervene twice at a town hall meeting in Minnesota after one voter described Obama as “an Arab” on Friday.

picture credit: AP