Democrats salute Obama’s great uncle

By · August 28, 2008

Democrats saluted Barack Obama’s great uncle, who helped liberate a concentration camp.

In a speech Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention devoted mostly to an attack on the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who was the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, illustrated Obama’s patriotism by recognizing the new nominee’s great uncle, Charlie Payne, who participated in the liberation of a concentration camp during World War II.

“On a spring day in 1945, he helped liberate one of the concentration camps at Buchenwald,” said Kerry. “Ladies and gentleman, Barack Obama’s uncle is here with us tonight. Please join me in saluting this American hero, Charlie Payne. Charlie, your nephew, Barack Obama, will end this politics of distortion and division. He will be a president who seeks not to perfect the lies of Swift boating, but to end them once and for all.”

Payne rose from his seat, next to Michelle Obama, and acknowledged the ovation he received from the crowd.

Payne first received attention in May, when Obama mistakenly said that he had helped to liberate Auschwitz – and was then accused of making up the story, since that camp was liberated by Soviet forces. The Obama campaign then clarified the name of the concentration camp.