John McCain voted against passage of a Martin Luther King holiday

[Stinky The Clown]

I just thought I'd remind everyone of that.

Today seems a good day on which to do that.

McCain has since said his vote was a mistake. I tend to doubt his sincerity.

[againes654]

1. He made me sick today

(although I was already in the hospital) apologizing for that crap.

[skooooo]

2. I tried to find a statement or article...

...about when that vote happen, but couldn't find any references to McCain.

[lonestarnot]

4. here

http://www.oliverwillis.com/index.php/2008/04/03/john-mccain-voted-against-the-martin-luther-king-day-holiday/

1983: McCain Voted Against Creating Martin Luther King Holiday. McCain voted against the Hall (D-IN) motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill to designate the third Monday of every January as a federal holiday in honor of the late civil rights leader the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

[malaise]

3. Check Conyers comments today

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3107861&mesg_id=3107861
<snip>
Today, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) apologized for voting against a 1983 bill creating a holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In fact, McCain also supported former Arizona governor Evan Mecham in 1987 when Mecham rescinded the holiday in the state. On MSNBC today, Conyers took McCain to task for apologizing decades later — the midst of his presidential run:

add link and snip

[bliss_eternal]

10. LOL!

Why would anyone be surprised that this guy's a bigot? I'm a bit confused by that, but I'm also rather amused by everyone's shock with all of this. lol.

I thought bigotry and discrimination were the "family values" the republican party are most proud of.

[malaise]

11. Bingo

Anyone who even believes the apology misunderstands this opportunistic bigot.

[bliss_eternal]

13. I get the sense....

...that for those that aren't minorities (women, people of color, glbt, etc.) it takes a bit longer to understand and see the transparency of blatant pandering for votes. I'm somtimes surprised by the things I read around here. Wake up DU. :hi:

[PA Democrat]

5. I wanted to see a transcript of his remarks because I think he lied about later supporting

a STATE holiday to commemorate MLK. If he said that he lied.

In 1983, McCain voted against passing a bill to designate the third Monday of every January as a federal holiday in honor of King. Four years later, then-Arizona Governor Evan Mecham rescinded Martin Luther King Day as a state holiday, saying it had been established through an illegal executive order by his Democratic predecessor.

McCain said he thought Mecham was correct in his decision.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/01/mccains-memphi...

[Ichingcarpenter]

6. He was one the few that voted against Head Start too

Which was an issue MLK brought to the nation's attention

See if you can help this guy on McCain

post 12
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3107919#3108482

[frogcycle]

7. he is sincere

he really is sorry from the bottom of his heart that he made such a boneheaded political mistake. He is sorry he voted his bigoted convictions instead of pandering as any good hypocritical republican with half a brain who wants to pretend he cares would have done.

[bliss_eternal]

14. He should follow the Schwarzennegger example...

...like the good litte neo-nazi that he is. Make a bunch of empty promises he has no intention of fulfilling to get elected. Then make derogatory, racist comments about women and people of color behind closed doors. When the secret tapes are inevitably released and played for the public, apologize profusely while putting the republican spin machine to work.

Clearly McCain just isn't following the Republican rule book very closely. What a loser.

[HughMoran]

8. His apology was strange and should hurt him!

On the one hand, he pissed off a lot of Dems that didn't even know that he voted against it.

On the other hand, he pissed off a lot of Republicans who don't think a white person should ever apologize for anything involving black people.

It was a curious thing to do and has no positives IMHO.

[malaise]

12. He was booed big time today

and I'm lovin it :rofl:

[chixydix]

9. I think we should have an Arthur Ashe holiday.

Maybe...

[frogcycle]

15. i think we should have a dickhead holiday

you can go now

[OnyxCollie]

16. By The Time I Get To Arizona

By the Time I Get to Arizona
-Public Enemy

I'm countin' down to the day deservin'
Fittin' for a king
I'm waitin' for the time when I can
Get to Arizona
'Cause my money's spent on
The goddamn rent
Neither party is mine not the
Jackass or the elephant
20.000 nig niggy nigas in the corner
Of the cell block but they come
From California
Population none in the desert and sun
Wit' a gun cracker
Runnin' things under his thumb
Starin' hard at the postcards
Isn't it odd and unique?
Seein' people smile wild in the heat
120 degree
'Cause I wanna be free
What's a smilin' fact
When the whole state's racist
Why want a holiday F--k it 'cause I wanna
So what if I celebrate it standin' on a corner
I ain't drinkin' no 40
I B thinkin' time wit' a nine
Until we get some land
Call me the trigger man
Looki lookin' for the governor
Huh he ain't lovin' ya
But here to trouble ya
He's rubbin' ya wrong
Get the point come along

An he can get to the joint
I urinated on the state
While I was kickin' this song
Yeah, he appear to be fair
The cracker over there
He try to keep it yesteryear
The good ol' days
The same ol' ways
That kept us dyin'
Yes, you me myself and I'ndeed
What he need is a nosebleed
Read between the lines
Then you see the lie
Politically planned
But understand that's all she wrote
When we see the real side
That hide behind the vote
They can't understand why he the man
I'm singin' 'bout a king
They don't like it
When I decide to mike it
Wait I'm waitin' for the date
For the man who demands respect
'Cause he was great c'mon
I'm on the one mission
To get a politician
To honor or he's a gonner
By the time I get to Arizona

I got 25 days to do it
If a wall in the sky
Just watch me go thru it
'Cause I gotta do what I gotta do
PE number one
Gets the job done
When it's done and over
Was because I drove'er
Thru all the static
Not stick but automatic
That's the way it is
He gotta get his
Talin' MLK
Gonna find a way
Make the state pay
Lookin' for the day
Hard as it seems
This ain't no damn dream
Gotta know what I mean
It's team against team
Catch the light beam
So I pray
I pray everyday
I do and praise jah the maker
Lookin' for culture
I got but not here
From jah maker
Pushin' and shakin' the structure
Bringin' down the babylon
Hearin' the sucker
That make it hard for the brown
The hard Boulova
I need now
More than ever now
Who's sittin' on my freedah'
Opressor people beater
Piece of the pick
We picked a piece
Of land that we deservin' now
Reparation a piece of the nation
And damn he got the nerve
Another niga they say and classify
We want too much
My peep plus the whole nine is mine
Don't think I even double dutch
Here's a brother my attitude hit 'em
Hang 'em high
Blowin' up the 90s started tickin' 86
When the blind get a mind
Better start and earn while we sing it
Now
There will be the day we know those down and who will go

[fishwax]

17. Out of curiosity, when did he have the supposed change of heart?

Anyone know when he first admitted his vote was a mistake? I seem to remember mention of it during his campaign in 2000, but I could very well be wrong ...

[Stinky The Clown]

18. Yesterday. In Memphis. At a campaign stop/memorial service.

How convenient.

He's a fucking bigot.

[onenote]

19. actually, he changed his position back in 1989

In 1989, McCain voted for the legislation to make the King holiday permanent. (check Thomas legislative website for HR 1385 in the 101st Congress).

In 1990, he enlisted the support of Reagan to help push for legislation that would create a state holiday in Arizona for the King birthday over the opposition of then Gov. Mecham. Mecham won that fight and then ran against McCain in 1992. During that campaign, McCain supported the establishment of a King holiday (which was a referendum issue) and Mecham continued to oppose. McCain, and the referendum, both won.

He directly acknowledged he made a mistake in opposing the King amendment in 1983 during an interview in 1999 with Tim Russert.

McCain's record on racial matters is far from perfect, but its not true that he waited until yesterday to admit he got it wrong in 1983 and, for whatever its worth, I think the truth is important.

[fishwax]

20. it must have been the Russert interview I was thinking of

Thanks for the info, onenote. :)