John Berman has been at ABC since 1995, and allowed to appear on television since 2001. He covered the 2008 campaign extensively, following John McCain and Mitt Romney during the primaries and then Barack Obama in the general election. He also spent more than 20 months chasing George W. Bush around the country as a producer from 1999 until 2001, earning the clever nickname, "Pain in the Ass," from our 43rd president. He is a frequent and sometimes welcome contributor to all of ABC's broadcasts.

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Toga, Toga, Toga

August 28, 2008 3:28 PM

1:25 pm MT: The games have begun: The Republican National Committee is alerting reporters to the fact that a "large group" of young people are headed to a downtown Denver hotel dressed in togas -- calling attention to the "Temple of Obama" at Invesco Field.

Probably an irresistible image to include in today's coverage.

August 28, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (63)

User Comments

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Too bad for poor sore loser McCan't. All he can do is play juvenile whiner games.

When will the Republitards finally grow up?

Posted by: 08AMA ALL THE WAY! | Aug 28, 2008 4:07:41 PM

These snap judgments regarding the podium are true representations of the GOP. Don't bother me with the facts. Togas are a stunt worthy of the GOP. Maybe we can worry over his lettuce choice while wearing the togas.

Anyone here ever seen the Lincoln Memorial in DC? You know, that sacred place where one of our heroes is honored? I have pictures of my family in front of it, and we don't think we are Zeus. We are proud of our great leaders. (Think Bush will get a memorial?)

4200 dead in Iraq. 20K maimed, 500K Iraqis dead. Banks are failing, American debt is historic, the American dollar is falling, 47 million people can't see a doctor, involved in 2 wars, without exit plans, and a gallon of gas is more than 1/2 of the minimum wage.

This is leadership? Togas? This is the plan to solve the above?

Thanks, but no thanks.

Posted by: SMWNC | Aug 28, 2008 4:08:28 PM

Lyndon Johnson had to push for the Civil Rights Bill --- he alienated all of his Southern Base (Democrats) and didn't run for President again because he thought it was more important than being President for a second term.

It was the Democrats that fillibustered the bill. It was the Repulicans that finally got the Bill through congress (over 80% voted for it) less than 30% of the Democrats.

So who is really responsible for the Civil Rights Act of the 1960's. The Republicans.

You think Obama will stand up to Nutty Nancy and Wimpy Harry Reid....

No Way
No How
NOBAMA

Posted by: Kerrie | Aug 28, 2008 4:08:57 PM

He must think that being in prison makes you a great leader -- look what it did for Germany.

By McCain's reasoning, all the Gitmo prisoners are qualified to become president.

Posted by: Thomas | Aug 28, 2008 4:09:56 PM

"Republicans in sheets, marching to keep an African American out of public office...didn't that go out of style around 1964?"

PRICELESS!!!

LOL!!!

Posted by: 08AMA ALL THE WAY! | Aug 28, 2008 4:10:22 PM

By the way --

Condi Rice said her father had to register Republican because the Democrats wouldn't let him Register.

Al Gore's father belonged to the KKK.

Yet somehow African American's still think the Democratic party it the party that stands up for them.

Posted by: Kerrie | Aug 28, 2008 4:13:43 PM

Maybe he'll enter the stadium carrying a large globe of the world on his shoulders.

Posted by: Mack | Aug 28, 2008 4:14:18 PM

Oh my, will the be wearing hoods as well?

Posted by: Eric | Aug 28, 2008 4:16:26 PM

47 Million can't see a doctor.

How many of those 47 million are illegal aliens? About 20 million.

Posted by: Kerrie | Aug 28, 2008 4:16:50 PM

Republicans in sheets on the anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech!!!

CAN THEY SINK ANY LOWER?

Republicans = Ugly Americans

Posted by: 08AMA ALL THE WAY! | Aug 28, 2008 4:19:29 PM

Designers from Britney Spears
Assure that when everyone hears
Obama a speakin
They’ll all start a freakin
In awe: The Messiah appears!

Posted by: Elspeth | Aug 28, 2008 4:19:56 PM

hello nobody said that the toga wearing group are republicans. they very likely are young, fun loving, obama supporters.
does it really matter who they are? have fun with this, no need to get ugly. where is the love, hope, and change? it will make for dramatic video coverage and give obama even braoder coverage...controversy is not always bad.

Posted by: sonia trevino | Aug 28, 2008 4:21:52 PM

It should come as no surprise that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Republican. In that era, almost all black Americans were Republicans. Why? From its founding in 1854 as the anti-slavery party until today, the Republican Party has championed freedom and civil rights for blacks. And as one pundit so succinctly stated, the Democrat Party is as it always has been, the party of the four S's: Slavery, Secession, Segregation and now Socialism.

It was the Democrats who fought to keep blacks in slavery and passed the discriminatory Black Codes and Jim Crow laws. The Democrats started the Ku Klux Klan to lynch and terrorize blacks. The Democrats fought to prevent the passage of every civil rights law beginning with the civil rights laws of the 1860's, and continuing with the civil rights laws of the 1950's and 1960's.

During the civil rights era of the 1960's, Dr. King was fighting the Democrats who stood in the school house doors, turned skin-burning fire hoses on blacks and let loose vicious dogs. It was Republican President Dwight Eisenhower who pushed to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and sent troops to Arkansas to desegregate schools. President Eisenhower also appointed Chief Justice Earl Warren to the U.S. Supreme Court which resulted in the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education decision ending school segregation. Much is made of Democrat President Harry Truman's issuing an Executive Order in 1948 to desegregate the military. Not mentioned is the fact that it was President Eisenhower who actually took action to effectively end segregation in the military.

Democrat President John F. Kennedy is lauded as a proponent of civil rights. However, Kennedy voted against the 1957 Civil rights Act while he was a senator, as did Democrat Senator Al Gore, Sr. And after he became president, John F. Kennedy was opposed to the 1963 March on Washington by Dr. King that was organized by A. Phillip Randolph who was a black Republican. President Kennedy, through his brother Attorney General Robert Kennedy, had Dr. King wiretapped and investigated by the FBI on suspicion of being a Communist in order to undermine Dr. King.

Posted by: Kerrie | Aug 28, 2008 4:22:23 PM

Don't be haters toga toters.. isn't this a violation of some hate speech laws? Love. Unity. The waters in oceans will finally cease. Peace.

Arrest them!

Bush and Obama used columns. Unity. People aren't so different after all. We're all the same: Obama, Bush, McCain. We're all human beings. Peace.

Toga! Toga! Toga! Arrest the haters! This is illegal and offensive!

Maybe if we learned to laugh at ourselves this world would not be so difficult. World's problems? Hahaha

No. Seriously. Obama is a serious candidate who will win because he knows how to lead. No laughing matter. The next Commander-in-Chief. Historical. There isn't even a contest here. Open dome to let everyone know that this is an open party.

Those mean Republicans are now pointing out that Britney Spears' designers design the stage. That is mean.

Posted by: David | Aug 28, 2008 4:22:48 PM

Few black Americans know that it was Republicans who founded the Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Unknown also is the fact that Republican Senator Everett Dirksen from Illinois was key to the passage of civil rights legislation in 1957, 1960, 1964 and 1965. Not mentioned in recent media stories about extension of the 1965 Voting Rights Act is the fact that Dirksen wrote the language for the bill. Dirksen also crafted the language for the Civil Rights Act of 1968 which prohibited discrimination in housing. President Lyndon Johnson could not have achieved passage of civil rights legislation without the support of Republicans.

Posted by: Kerrie | Aug 28, 2008 4:25:10 PM

Republicans marching in sheets is the perfect image of the McUgly campaign right now.

TIME TO CHANGE THE SHEETS!!!

08AMA ALL THE WAY!

Posted by: 08AMA ALL THE WAY! | Aug 28, 2008 4:26:11 PM

"Obama is a serious candidate who will win because he knows how to lead."

Lead? He can't even make a statement without 300 advisors. He followed Hillary like a lost puppy.

Posted by: Mack | Aug 28, 2008 4:26:45 PM

Roy,
Correct that it was southern D's who stood in the way of integration, however it is important to then note the R's "southern strategy" in the late 60's through the 70's to recruit disaffected whites to the R party after they lost the fight on segregation.

Posted by: James | Aug 28, 2008 4:27:40 PM

Democrats have been running our inner-cities for the past 30-40 years, and blacks are still complaining about the same problems. Over $7 trillion dollars have been spent on poverty programs since President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty with little, if any, impact on poverty. Diabolically, every election cycle, Democrats blame Republicans for the deplorable conditions in the inner-cities, then incite blacks to cast a protest vote against Republicans.

Posted by: Kerrie | Aug 28, 2008 4:28:28 PM

Republicans = Ugly Party

TIME TO CHANGE THE SHEETS!!!

Posted by: 08AMA ALL THE WAY! | Aug 28, 2008 4:29:14 PM

The Democrat Party policies of socialism and dependency on government handouts offer the pathway to poverty, while Republican Party principles of hard work, personal responsibility, getting a good education and ownership of homes and small businesses offer the pathway to prosperity.

Ask Colin Powell and Condi Rice and Michael Steele.

Posted by: Kerrie | Aug 28, 2008 4:31:15 PM

Kerrie: I heard Colin Powell was backing Obama?? He felt he would be a great leader... I would careful when throwing names around.

Posted by: beck | Aug 28, 2008 4:33:18 PM

Republicans = Ugly Party

AIRING THEIR DIRTY SHEETS!!!

Buncha KKKer's.

Posted by: 08AMA ALL THE WAY! | Aug 28, 2008 4:35:07 PM

I mean - seriously, haven't they heard of toga parties? Get a grip, RNC. But more to the point - the stage set is a nod to and replica of typical American neoclassical architecture. It's American, folks. Remember the Bush 2004 set? Same principle.

Posted by: Wiscon 108 | Aug 28, 2008 4:36:17 PM


Lighten up guys- I think it is kinda cute, have a laugh, it's good for you

Posted by: idjk | Aug 28, 2008 4:38:33 PM

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