Democrats accused Sen. John McCain of hypocrisy for voting against a national holiday honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1983 and then praising him during a speech commemorating today's 40th anniversary of King's assassination.
As a member of the House, McCain voted against the bill that passed with overwhelming margins in both chambers and he also supported an effort by then-Arizona governor Evan Mecham to rescind a state holiday honoring King in 1987.
"It's frankly disingenuous for John McCain to try and reinvent himself for the general election by distorting his record of opposing a holiday honoring Dr. King," said Karen Finney, a spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee (DNC). "John McCain should be honest about his full record of opposing the federal holiday, opposing a state holiday four years later, using divisive language to defend himself, and voting to cut off funding for the commission working to promote the King holiday as recently as 1994."
During a speech this morning at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Memphis, Tenn., McCain praised the slain civil rights leader and apologized for his past rejection of the holiday.
"Even in this most idealistic of nations, we do not always take kindly to being reminded of what more we can do, or how much better we can be, or who else can be included in the promise of America," McCain said. "We can be slow as well to give greatness its due, a mistake I made myself long ago when I voted against a federal holiday in memory of Dr. King. I was wrong and eventually realized that, in time to give full support for a state holiday in Arizona."
A spokesman for the McCain campaign condemned the DNC attack and took a swipe at McCain's Democratic rival, Barack Obama.
"It's incredibly disturbing that the Democratic National Committee would use this day to launch more negative, personal, distorted attacks on Senator McCain," said spokesman Brian Rogers. "We're doing something positive, and to see that, I thought it was below the new politics that Barack Obama claims to represent."
An Obama spokesman declined to respond to the criticism.
"If and when we are the nominee, we'll address what it is that the DNC does, but for now this between the McCain campaign and the DNC," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton.
McCain's Rogers pointed out that McCain voted for a 1994 Senate bill that designated $2 million for the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday Commission.
Rogers also pointed out that the audience viewing McCain's speech shouted out "We forgive you!" and "We all make mistakes," while he admitted he'd voted against the holiday. He passed along this video:
Update: Matt Drudge and a Huffington Post blogger describe the reaction as boos rather than cheers.
Update II: DNC spokesman Damien LaVera writes in to point out that in 1994, McCain voted for an amendment to strip the Federal Holiday Commission of all federal funds. "In other words, he voted against funding before he voted for it," LaVera told The Washington Times over email.
— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times
Comments (8)
Can we assume that everything the Congress votes against they must speak badly of also? Is this John McCains equivalent of landing under sniper fire?
Posted by Larry Stone | April 5, 2008 5:02 AM
When Congress voted to create a Mlk holiday, Did every Democrat vote to approve the bill? I for one have problems with a day devoted only to MLK, when we do not have a day devoted to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Surely their contributions to America were greater than Mlk's contribution.
Posted by joe mcCulloughj | April 5, 2008 1:20 PM
Mr. McCulloughj, you're certainly entitled to your opinion. But to insinuate that MLK did not do as much for America as George Washington or Abraham Lincoln is to be severely shortsighted. Are Americans of African persuasion NOT Americans? Do they not count? There was no champion for the African American condition that had as much of a voice or widespread appeal as Dr. MLK, Jr.
Yes George and Abe were very important presidents, but there are a slew of other people that don't have holidays and some that do. Kazimir Pulaski is another who had an affect on the American experience but he was not a Brit, Irish, Italian or Spaniard. Be honest; isn't that the prerequisite for acceptance of being granted a holiday in your honor? It is bigoted thinking such as yours that blunts true progression. You probably only know of MLK through the media and have done no research of your own, just as McCain had admitted.
Posted by Anonymous | April 5, 2008 9:20 PM
That's just wrong, "Anonymous" or whoever you are.
There was absolutely no need or reason to call McCulloughj a racist to make your point. Unless you're the most self-righteous type of poseur looking for any way to posit some form of moral superiority over others, I really don't see how McCulloughj's position is indicative of wanting only Americans of British, Irish, Italian and/or Spanish descent honored with a national holiday. You just asserted that that was his position and then proceeded to berate him over something you assigned to him through the use of your own imagination. That's just wrong.
By the way, McCulloughj is wrong; I think MLK Jr., for the next few decades at least, deserves a national holiday.
Posted by Martin A. Knight | April 7, 2008 4:24 AM
The anonymous attack on Mr. McCullough is all to typical of the feel good liberals who quickly resort to personal attacks rather than substance. Anonymous is quick to label Mccullough a bigot simply because he expresses a different opinion, oh, and how dare he question MLK in any way, right?
The fact is, Lincoln, and especially Washington gave more, and did more for this country than King ever dreamed (no pun intended) of.
Anonymous would do better to debate the issue of who did more for the country with facts and examples, rather than the knee-jerk reaction of name calling and disparaging anyone who isn't 100% of the MLK bandwagon.
Posted by digivan | April 7, 2008 7:35 AM
So Joe you have a problem with an MLK holiday I assume that you are a European White American. Because of your arrogance and ignorance you have no comprehension of what MLK did for this country if you can take your racist thoughts out of your mind. As a eureopean you don't have any comprehension of what racial or institutionalized racism is all about and how it affects a race of people do you? As a eureopean you inherited and were given things because of slavery and discrimintaion and whether you per se had anything to do with it you have benefitted from it. In this great country we live in we are taught your history not American history and if racist jacka**es like yourself would take the time to read contributions that African Americans have made and still make to this country maybe just maybe this stupid racist divide in this country could seize to exisit. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln give me a freaking break old George loved those black slave women and making babies with them but its ok in your history book isn't it...
Posted by Steve | April 7, 2008 10:34 AM
Steve. You are obviously a racist who hates black people.
Posted by Martin A. Knight | April 7, 2008 12:34 PM
Both "Steve" and "Anonymous" are prime examples of liberal thought processes. The entire liberal agenda relies on emotion rather then facts.
The fact of the matter is that while MLK was a great man, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were more important to the history of this country. Without George Washington to create a United States of America, Europeans would have still controlled this country. Without Abraham Lincoln and the million soldiers who died during the civil war, slavery would not have ended.
But it would be racist of me to say Lincoln did as much for the black man as MLK did. Because Lincoln was white, so he was obviously a slave owner and he was obviously racist.
And I inherited nothing from slavery, as I am an Irish immigrant whose family arrived here after MLK had been assassinated.
If you can point out a factual reason why I am wrong, please do! I like having factual debates, and if your facts hold up, my opinion may very well change! I am open-minded, unlike most liberals, who just absolutely know they are right no matter what the facts say.
Posted by Anthony | April 8, 2008 2:30 PM