"He's an Arab": Zogby calls out McCain (not Lakeville questioner) on "decent man" comment

At Friday's John McCain rally in Lakeville, Minn., one Gayle Quinnell took the mic and told John McCain her real concern about Barack Obama. "He's an Arab." McCain cut her off and said, "No ma’am. He’s a decent family man and citizen."

As Jeff Severns Guntzel writes, "let's run the tape again," and take a look at not just what one extreme McCain supporter said but what McCain is arguing:

Questioner: “He’s an Arab.”

McCain: “No, he’s decent.”

He quotes pollster James Zogby, who calls out the fallacy here:

We are left to infer that an Arab man is less then a “decent family man.” Enough is enough! From the beginning of this campaign there have been those who have used Muslim and Arab in an effort to smear Barak Obama. This exploitation of bigotry and the stoking of racist fires to forward an agenda is reprehensible. This is not only offensive to the Arab Americans, but to all Americans. As any ethnic group who has ever been used to scare the electorate knows, this is a dangerous game that tragically can ends with innocent people being hurt.

And while We are pleased to see that the senator is trying to dispel rumors about Senator Obama, but we feel the need to point out that Arab Americans are also decent men and women with the full rights of citizenship as enumerated under the constitution. Arab Americans are part of the great melting pot that is this country’s strength. We work towards peace in the Middle East along side our Jewish partners. We raise our sons and daughters to be model citizens of this nation. We serve this country with honor. The suggestion that any ethnic group is treacherous and Anti-American is unacceptable, dangerous, and unbecoming of such a great nation.