THE RED MEAT OF HATE

Forget Ann Coulter. A new right wing harridan has emerged from the sewer of McCain’s campaign: Senior Advisor Nikolle Wallace.

Responding to criticism of hate mongering on the McCain/Palin campaign trail, where Joe Sixpacks have shouted from the audience, “Terrorist,” “Traitor,” and “Kill him,” Ms. Wallace choked back the last few shreds of her credibility and lied: “Barack Obama’s assault on our supporters is insulting and unsurprising… attacking our supporters is a new low…”

I’m surprised Ms. Wallace had time to lie at all, considering that she has been WAY busy painting the GOP’s white roses red while stocking up on bullets. But genuine Republican leaders have not been so reluctant to tell the truth.

In a scathing Baltimore Sun OpEd column, McCain supporter and Republican author Frank Schaeffer wrote:

“John McCain, if your campaign does not stop equating Senator Barack Obama with terrorism, questioning his patriotism and portraying Mr. Obama as ‘not one of us,’ I accuse you of deliberately feeding the most unhinged elements of our society the red meat of hate and therefore of potentially instigating violence… you are doing this in wartime. You are doing this as our economy collapses. You are doing this in a country with a history of assassinations.”

Thank you, Mr. Schaeffer. What YOU said!

Why would John McCain, who has been, until now, a lesser evil on the political scene, risk his reputation and credibility by fanning the flames of racism in his speeches and media ads? And why, after empowering his pitbull running mate to pander to the basest fears of the double-wide contingency, has he now asked his audiences to “show respect” for Obama?

Could it be… listen up, magical-thinking Republican apologists… that McCain is not the best man to become the next president of the United States? Who wants a race-baiter’s finger on the trigger? A leader whose words fan hatred, and have the potential to incite violence, even if he later takes them back? Especially if he later takes them back!

After spending time with the McCain campaign, Radar Washington Editor and Time Magazine contributor Ana Marie Cox commented on Friday’s Rachel Maddow Show: “McCain has lost the pitchfork wavers now. I don’t know who he has left.” (Referring to the boos McCain received when he told a rally crowd that Obama is a decent man they don’t need to be afraid of.)

On the same show, Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin quoted 50s Presidential candidate Adelaide Stevenson: “The hardest thing about any campaign is not how to win, but how to win without proving you’re unworthy of winning.”

Put that red meat of hatred where it belongs, Senator McCain: in the smokehouse of history.