Aide only suspended
McCain Aide Suspended for Distributing Racist Obama Video
by Scout Finch
Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 12:15:26 PM PDT
Sadly, the racist whisper campaign continues. This time though, an aide to Republican presidential candidate John McCain has been proven to be directly involved. TPM Election Central has the story:
A McCain campaign aide actively pushed an incendiary, racially-charged video that uses the controversial words of Barack Obama's pastor to tar Obama as unpatriotic -- despite the fact that McCain himself has suggested that Obama shouldn't be held accountable for Wright's views.
The aide, Soren Dayton, who works in McCain's political department, has been suspended from the campaign, a McCain spokesperson, Jill Hazelbaker, confimed to me.
The move by McCain's aide could create controversy for the McCain camp, because the video itself is thoroughly reprehensible -- it interweaves footage of Obama explaining why he won't wear the American flag pin, Wright saying "God damn America," Malcolm X, and Obama's wife saying that his candidacy has made him proud of America for the "first time."
Suspended? Instead of fired? Well, that is a maverick move. I'd say he should have been fired on the spot. No, don't clean out your desk, don't say your goodbyes. Put your keys on the desk, get your coat, and head to the door. It must not be tolerated. These racist whisper/ viral vile video campaigns must be stopped in their tracks. If any political operatives are involved, I'd say you are "on notice."
Update: The Politico reports the video was made by a prominent conservative talk radio producer:
Rather. the incendiary video ?- which also includes footage of Malcolm X, the U.S. Olympians who raised their hand in the black power salute and the song "Fight the Power" ?- is in part the amateur work of Lee Habeeb.
A former producer of "The Laura Ingraham Show," Habeeb is the director of strategic content at Salem Radio Network, the conservative talk radio powerhouse that airs programs hosted by figures such as Bill Bennett and Hugh Hewitt
"I'm trying to join the YouTube generation and have some fun," Habeeb explained when asked in a telephone interview why he created the video. "We wanted to see if we could get [it] in circulation."
He later admitted that he didn't create it by himself:
Later yesterday afternoon, though, he called back to say he and two friends were behind the video.
Habeeb declined to reveal the identity of his co-producers, but did say that they are "conservatives who happen to be in the media world" and are not working for any campaign. One, he said, works in film and the other is involved in crafting ads.
Habeeb said he had helped put together the video in his spare time and suggested that his employer had no problem with what he was doing.
"We're a free speech network," Habeeb said. "We're allowed to comment on race because Barack Obama is allowed to comment on race."
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