Skip to content
Categories:

McCain’s dishonest spin on MLK Day in Arizona

Post date:
Author:

It’s easy to understand why John McCain is embarrassed by his record on civil rights, but the smart thing to do would be to explain why he’s had a sincere change of heart. McCain, for reasons that I can’t understand, has decided to pursue a far less honest path.

Consider this exchange from a press conference on Friday:

McCain had said he’d fought for civil rights throughout his career, and a reporter asked him to be more specific. After a very long, unusually awkward pause, McCain mentioned how “proud” he is of his record “fighting for the recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday in my state.”

Again, given McCain’s awful record on civil rights issues, it makes sense that he’d want to mislead people. But brining up his “fight” in support of a day to honor Dr. King is unusually offensive, given his actual record.

This helps explain why McCain prefers voters remain unaware of some of his previous positions.

[H]is views on race in the 1980s do not stand up to the sunlight of America a quarter-century later. Most glaringly, McCain as a young congressman in 1983 voted against a federal holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Most Republicans in the House voted for the holiday (89 voted for the holiday, 77 opposed), though all three Arizona House Republicans were opposed. Reps. Dick Cheney, R-Wyoming, and Newt Gingrich, R-Georgia, voted for the holiday. (Cheney had voted against it in 1978.)

In December 1999 McCain told NBC’s Tim Russert, “on the Martin Luther King issue, we all learn, OK? We all learn. I will admit to learning, and I hope that the people that I represent appreciate that, too. I voted in 1983 against the recognition of Martin Luther King…. I regret that vote.”

The problem, of course, is that the vote isn’t the only problem. In his home state of Arizona, conservatives in the state legislature blocked a measure to create a holiday honoring King, prompting then-Gov. Bruce Babbitt (D) to declare one through executive order.

In 1987, Republican Gov. Evan Mecham’s first act in office was to rescind Babbitt’s order on the King holiday. John McCain endorsed Mecham’s decision.

Now, McCain’s traditional defense is that he was initially wrong about this when he got to Congress, but learned over time. But this is also misleading. He voted against the King holiday in ’83. Four years later, he didn’t fight against a governor of his own party; he endorsed the governor’s move to eliminate a King holiday.

Six years after his House vote he finally began supporting an official holiday in Arizona, but still opposed a federal King holiday. Eleven years after his vote, he tried to strip federal funding from the MLK Federal Holiday Commission. Seventeen years after his vote, McCain publicly endorsed South Carolina’s right to fly the confederate flag over its statehouse.

Now, in the interest of fairness, it’s worth noting that McCain ended up, years after the fact, in the right place, and reversed himself on practically all of his previous positions. Better late than never, I suppose.

But I’d feel a whole lot better about his position if he weren’t still trying to deceive people.

Comments

  • joey

    says:

    Give me a break. He only changed his mind because he was forced to accept its popularity, not because of anything he “believes”. He will do nothing for civil rights unless it is popular or gets him votes

  • Steve

    says:

    McMassah John hates Dr. King, and all that Dr. King stood for.

    Period.

    This needs to be rammed down the throats of the media. If they won’t print it on their own, then smother their editorial pages with it. If they continue to block the message, then get a bunch of people together and buy a full-page ad. Buy airtime on the popular radio stations. Don’t bother with the Bushylvanian-esque NPR; put the message directly onto the local NPR affiliates.

    Think “football.” think “offense.” Think “end run.”

    And then? Run up the score on McMassah John and his fellow neo-Confederate scum. Don’t just beat them in November—“Nuke ’em ’til they glow….

  • jimBOB

    says:

    I figure this is a kind of bank shot.

    1. McCain gets up in front of a camera and states a demonstrable falsehood (or two) about his record on race issues.

    2. His opponents put together an ad showing the statement was a lie, that actually McCain’s record pitted him against ethnic minorities.

    3. McCain’s fundie/racist base sees the ads, realizes he’s a bigot like them. They go all out to support him whereas before they were just lukewarm.

    Either that or he’s just a pathological liar who keeps forgetting his words are being recorded.

  • Danp

    says:

    I wonder if McCain bought a little lie protection insurance by first accusing Obama of playing the race card.

  • zeitgeist

    says:

    Danp hit it on the head. McCain lies without hesitation about his civil wrongs record, and as soon as anyone on Obama’s side steps up and corrects the record, it will be a pack of screeching hyenas “They’re playing the race card! They want to make this about race! boo-hoo-hoo! Where’s my fainting couch?”

  • Prup (aka Jim Benton)

    says:

    The fact is that McCain has no principles at all, not even bad ones. I deny he’s a racist, because that would mean he cared about something, and the only thing he has ever cared about is getting himself elected. When he opposed Bush, he became a ‘maverick’ — and we fell for it, not realizing it was the only ‘open spot’ available. We expected him to carry on being the person who ran against Bush after he didn’t have Bush to run against.

    In this campaign he was the not-Giuliani, the not-Huckabee, the not-Paul and the not-Romney, and given how bad they were, he seemed good. Now he’s trying to be the not-Obama.

    It isn’t working, and won’t. (Somehow it has been a while since anyone pointed out his supposed appeal to ‘Independents,’ which was always meant to imply ‘politically thoughtful but unaffilliated’ voters. Now the only argument left for people to be afraid of McCain starts with “Since the majority of Americans are idiots…” But they aren’t.

  • denise

    says:

    loved the VERY PREGNANT pause and McCAINT tries to remember what she said…thanks for posting it…his answer of course is BS but the mumblingstumblingbumblinggrumbling is PRICELESS

  • AZDaveinTX

    says:

    Being from Az and living there during this time. there is something that no one has touched on.

    The Phoenix area had been potentialy chosen for the Superbowl but would not go to AZ untill the MLK controversy had been settleed in a positive manner.

    THAT, was the critical juncture for Johny Macks disision of approval.

  • Bruno

    says:

    joey @ 2 said: ..He only changed his mind because he was forced to accept its popularity, not because of anything he “believes”. He will do nothing for civil rights unless it is popular or gets him votes..

    Not unlike his stance on offshore drilling, now that the low information voters seem to think that it will save them a few bucks at the pump.

  • Bruno

    says:

    Hannah I just watched the link you provided to the Youtube ‘Bush disaster presidency’

    thanks, it was certainly worth more than a few chuckles. I encourage everybody to watch it. The move hits it gets, the higher it climbs in the ratings… Heck , there might even be some Republicans wondering in, the see what the hoopla is all about.

  • JS

    says:

    I really think this man is senile, he thinks that we have only the memory span that he has. Brokaw seemed to very pro McCain today, no one challenges a republican about the McCain ad showing Obama on a dollar bill, then he accuses Obama as playing the race card when he mentions it. I constantly complain to MSNBC, CNN and other networks when the coverage is not fair and accurate, but no-one seems to take any notice, if all Obama supporters did the same maybe we could get some action, after all, they hate to lose viewers.

  • Tenebras

    says:

    I feel like we’re missing something important here:

    Q: What have you done for minorities in this country?

    A: I supported a holiday.

    Really? Really really? We’re going on and on about whether he actually supported the holiday or not, when it’s an almost completely symbolic issue. I feel like the real discussion topic here should be that his answer, even if it were true, would be pathetic.

    Vote John McCain: he supports bank holidays.

  • Bruno

    says:

    To JS @ 15 who said:……I constantly complain to MSNBC, CNN and other networks when the coverage is not fair and accurate, but no-one seems to take any notice, if all Obama supporters did the same maybe we could get some action, after all, they hate to lose viewers….

    I used to complain as well, especially to CNN, sending them regular e-mails. All I got back was the canned automatic reply thanking me for contacting them.

    I think they don’t really care what the responses are about.. Any response means you’re still watching them. I stopped watching them, and depend on our ‘savior’ Steve Benen to subject himself to their drivel, so he can give us the cliff notes.

    Maybe a better idea would be for all Carpetbaggers to contact “Nielsen’s ratings” to be included in their ‘random’ phone polls. That way, when you do get called, and they ask you whether you watch CNN; you can answer: “Is that one of those history channels?”

    That would ensure they go down in the ratings, making the empty suits ‘re-evaluate’ how to do their programming.

  • Bruno

    says:

    Tenebras just came up with another great 30 second ad. Mimic the format of the ‘tire pressure’ ad, using some short clips, and say something along the lines:

    “John McCain was asked the other day about” {Insert question from lady in the audience –what his legislative accomplishments were related to Civil Rights}
    “After a long pause” {clip showing McCain mumbling)
    “All McCain could come up with after his 25 years in politics” (Insert his answer where he’s proud to have fought hard for MLK holiday.)
    “Besides the fact that McCain clearly lied about his own record of voting against the MLK holiday” (Insert clip, or quote, legislative record, proving it)
    “McCain’s extensive legislative record on Civil Rights amounts to flip-flopping on whether we should ad a federal holiday to the calendar.”
    “Is that the experience McCain keeps talking about?

    WHo has the technical know how to put something together for a viral YouTube video?

  • mim

    says:

    Jack Tapper describes how McCain changed his position on MLK Day, and that McCain said he regretted his earlier position. Maybe he did, but with all those flip-flops of convenience, how can anyone know?

    But if he said before that he regretted his earlier position, why not say it now? Does he want to appear eternally pure, or does he simply have to much to express regret about?

  • AZDaveinTX

    says:

    “mim said:
    I have another question: What’s the matter with Arizona?”

    Mim

    In what regard?? I lived there a looong time….

  • Teri from Ohio

    says:

    I’ve also tried emailing CNN and MSNBC. They could care less. (except for Olbermann) All they care about is keeping the race close, so more people watch. I’ve given up and I’m not going to watch anymore! I don’t understand how McCain gets away with so many lies, but as long as he keeps getting away with them, he’ll keep telling them! I wish people would wise up. What does it say about someone if the only way they can win is to smear the other person and tell lies? Jonathan Alter has a good article in Newsweek about McCain’s dishonest tactics: http://www.newsweek.com/id/150477

    This is just so sickening!

  • ebony

    says:

    McCain is a joke! He knows he cares nothing for the American people whether black or white! Remember he and his buddies think we all are whining! McCain is the man that owns 7 houses and wears $500 shoes! McCain is so out of touch with the average american person it is such a shame! McCain only cares about himself and his money and wants to prove something by staying in war at all times! America we will be in serious trouble if McCain wins this election!

  • mikeyes

    says:

    That “unusually awkward pause” is very troubling because it looked as if he was having problems with thinking. This is not a snarky remark but more of an observation of cognitive ability. He was confused and befuddled by a simple and predictable question possibly indicating some brain problem.

    He has had similar episodes recorded on video (long pauses with grimacing before answering a question) and coupled with his historical, political, and geographic gaffes and his insistence on having not said things that he stated within days of the question of why he did so makes one wonder if he is senile. His MLK remarks I can write off as political “truth” designed to garner votes. The pauses and apparent confusion is much more serious.

  • Anne

    says:

    This issue about the MLK holiday is just one of many instances in which John McCain has not been honest. He is only about winning, no matter how dishonorably.

    And to top it all off, he is the master of denial–saying something on any given day about an important issue and then denying he ever said it (when it is on record). Obama needs to show ads using McCain’s own words, gaffes, and flip-flops against him. Obama wouldn’t have to say anything–because the picture of McCain, just like his contradictory statements, would say it all.

    Whether he is senile, or just thinks no one notices or cares, the result is exactly the same–SCARY!!