Former McCain Supporter: McCain Is "Unleashing the Monster of American Prejudice"

Amy Goodman: We turn now to the McCain campaign's strategy of repeatedly invoking Senator Obama's connection to former Weather Underground member Bill Ayers, now a professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago. It seems to very clearly have a serious effect of riling up crowds of McCain and Palin supporters, to a point that Senator McCain was booed at his own rally Friday when he attempted to defend his rival against character attacks.

Sen. John McCain: I want to be president of the United States, and obviously I do not want Senator Obama to be, but I have to tell you, I have to tell you, he is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared as president of the United States.

Audience: [booing]

John McCain: Now, I just -- now, I just -- now, look, I -- if I didn't think I wouldn't be one heck of a lot better president, I wouldn't be running, OK? And that's the point.

AG: The Republican presidential nominee was speaking to a crowd near Minneapolis Friday. His attempt to defend Senator Obama was met with jeers.

At a Palin rally earlier in the week, Governor Palin referred to Senator Obama as a man connected to "a former domestic terrorist." She said she was "fearful" of his vision of America.

Gov. Sarah Palin: I am just so fearful that this is not a man who sees America the way that you and I see America, as the greatest source for good in this world. I'm afraid this is someone who sees America as imperfect enough to work with a former domestic terrorist who had targeted his own country.

AG: While Governor Palin was speaking about Obama, an audience member, it's believed, yelled out, "Kill him!" It's unclear if Palin heard the remark, but she didn't respond.

Obama was eight years old when, 40 years ago, Bill Ayers was a member of the militant antiwar group, the Weather Underground. Today, Bill Ayers is a tenured professor and leading expert on education reform at the University of Illinois, Chicago.

At another moment last week during the presidential debate, McCain referred to Obama as "that one."

Sen. John McCain: It was an energy bill on the floor of the Senate loaded down with goodies, billions for the oil companies, and it was sponsored by Bush and Cheney. You know who voted for it? You might never know. That one. You know who voted against it? Me.

AG: Our next guest, joining us from Boston, is Frank Schaeffer, the bestselling author of Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back. He's the son of the late evangelist Francis Schaeffer, considered himself a lifelong Republican. He voted for John McCain in 2000. McCain even endorsed one of Schaeffer's earlier books on military service. But on Friday, Frank Schaeffer published an op-ed piece in the Baltimore Sun excoriating McCain for "feeding the most unhinged elements of our society the red meat of hate." The op-ed is entitled "An Open Letter to John McCain." Frank Schaeffer joins us now from Boston.

Welcome to Democracy Now!

Frank Schaeffer: Thank you, Amy.

AG: It's very good to have you with us. Can you -- do you, by chance, have the letter in front of you?

FS: Yes, I do. I have it right here. What would you like to hear?

AG: Could you read it to us?

FS: Sure. This is the op-ed:

"John McCain: If your campaign does not stop equating Sen. 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.

"At a Sarah Palin rally, someone called out, 'Kill him!' At one of your rallies, someone called out, 'Terrorist!' Neither was answered or denounced by you or your running mate, as the crowd laughed and cheered. At your campaign event Wednesday in Bethlehem, Pa., the crowd was seething with hatred for the Democratic nominee -- an attitude encouraged in speeches there by you, your running mate, your wife and the local Republican chairman.

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