McCain: "I'm proud of fighting for the recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday in my state"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

VIDEO @ the URL below.

McCain Lies About His Support For MLK Jr. Day in Arizona
By: Nicole Belle on Saturday, August 2nd, 2008 at 7:00 PM - PDT



http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/08/02/mccain-lies-about-his-support-for-mlk-jr-day-in-arizona/

Liar, liar, Grampa McSame pants on fire. Clearly, McCain is not used to the YouTube generation where you can no longer lie without a bunch of bloggers furiously fact-checking. And the facts for McCain, they don’t look so good.

Progressive Accountability:

McCain Defended Opposition Of Federal MLK Holiday By Saying He Supported Arizona’s State Holiday. During a press availability in Panama City, Florida, John McCain said, “I have supported hundreds of pieces of legislation, which would help Americans obtain an equal opportunity in America. I am proud of that record, from fighting for the recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday in my state to sponsoring specific legislation that would prevent discrimination in any shape or form in America today.” (McCain Press Availability In Panama City, Florida, 8/1/08)

* FACT: McCain Supported Republican AZ Governor’s Decision To Rescind MLK Holiday. ABC News reported, “In Arizona, a bill to recognize a holiday honoring MLK failed in the legislature, so then-Gov. Bruce Babbitt, a Democrat, declared one through executive order. In January 1987, the first act of Arizona’s new governor, Republican Evan Mecham, was to rescind the executive order by his predecessor to create an MLK holiday. Arizona’s stance became a national controversy. McCain backed the decision at the time.” (ABC News, 4/3/08]

* FACT: McCain Supported Gov. Evan Mecham’s Decision In 1987 To Rescind Martin Luther King Jr. Day. As reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer, “In a vote likely to haunt him for the rest of his public career, McCain voted against 1983 legislation establishing the third Monday in January as the federal holiday marking King’s birthday. Back home in Arizona, he supported Gov. Evan Mecham’s decision in 1987 to rescind an executive order creating a state holiday for King, but later reversed his position.” (Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/16/08)

* FACT: McCain Voted Against Creating Martin Luther King Holiday. In 1983, McCain voted against a motion to suspend the rules and pass a 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. The motion passed 89-77. (HR 3706, Vote 289, 8/2/83; CQ 1983)

He’s tried to back pedal that this was some youthful ignorance on his part, but he was 48 years old when he voted against the MLK holiday. As much as I’d like to characterize 48 as youthful–and trust me, nothing would make me happier, that just isn’t going to fly.

[Chloroplast]

1. He's pathetic. Can't wait to see him claw his way out this hole.

[WinkyDink]

6. Who's going to make him, by asking?

[Cosmocat]

9. RIGHT !!!

This guy, in a stunningly short period of time, has racked up a litany of lies like this that I can't even keep track of them ...

If a D, Obama or otherwise, would completely lie like this even 1 time, their campaign would have been SMASHED in the media ...

IF they reported any of these lies, they do so with the "well, that is just McCain being McCain, the MAVRICK !!!"

[blondeatlast]

2. Oh, barf me up a lung! The ONLY reason Arizona Republicans

came around to supporting an MLK day here was because the tourism industry was getting hit HARD by loss of convention and recreational revenue and they were losing big-dollar contributions over it--the boycott was resoundingly successful against our number 1 industry and the fallout stung many affiliated industries badly.

McSame VOCIFEROUSLY opposed an MLK day from the very beginning. I remember very well as all of this was happening as my political wonkness was awakening.

Please, media, throw me a bone and don't let the prick get away with this crap (y'know, I rarely curse but that's how livid I am about this).

[grantcart]

3. good point and also wasn't the NFL going to leave the state?

[blondeatlast]

7. Yep--we were supposed to have the 1993 Super Bowl but the NFL pulled out and went to Pasadena

I was a part-time travel agent at the time and processed dozens every night. No joke; that was back in the days of SAABRE (American Airlines' coded booking software and crucially dependent on accuracy) and my agency started serving wine, beer and crackers and cheese to us every evening as we did the paperwork after we closed in the evening far into the night.

We logged the XLs into the system and caught up with the paperwork after we closed for the night. It was a nightmare--it really was that bad, no matter what others might say.

[ChazII]

17. I voted for the MLK Day the first time around

but voted against it the second time. Why? you might ask. I knew it would pass and I was pissed off at all the groups coming in and telling AZ what to do and how to do it. You are right about the tourism industry being hit hard. Even the Republicans did not want Evan in office. That was one election that did not go the way the bosses wanted it to go.

[ashling]

4. Didn't he just apologize to the NAACP

for his original position on the MLK holiday?

Just the McFacts ma'am.

[Disturbed]

5. McNasty is a blatant liar & a corrupt Asshole just like his buddy

“Hypocrisy, my friends, is the most obvious of political sins — and the people will punish it,” John McCain

The US Corp Media gives him a pass on just about everything but slowly his real character is being revealed.

[polmaven]

24. I always get a hoot from that picture!

What is McCain feeling up with his left hand...He looks really satisfied....Bush - not so much!

[grantcart]

21. good point

[ccharles000]

8. Make me ill.

[Vinca]

10. McBush must be the most dishonest candidate in history -

even surpassing King George. Does he recall his apology for voting against it?

[Jim Lane]

11. It's not a lie, it's a half-truth

The OP is correct in pointing out that, in 1983, McCain did indeed vote against a federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King. It passed, over his objection, and President Reagan (!) signed it into law.

Through most of the 1980s, McCain continued to oppose an Arizona state holiday.

McCain's statement conveniently omits these facts.

It was in 1989 that McCain changed his position on the state holiday, saying: “I’m still opposed to another federal holiday … but I support the Arizona Martin Luther King holiday because of the enormous proportions this issue has taken on as far as the image of our state and our treatment towards not only blacks but all minorities.” (as quoted by Faux News in ) In other words, as blondeatlast pointed out in post #2 above, his principal motivation was the economic importance of ending the boycott. The Faux News story goes on to note that, in 1994, McCain was still voting against funding the MLK Federal Holiday Commission.

So McCain's statement isn't a complete fabrication. It's a half-truth amounting to a distortion.

[mwb970]

12. The lying POS! /nt

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. He reminds me of the good ole boy golfers at the Country Club.

[babylonsister]

14. Thanks, and Great Site/Link! nt

[ChazII]

15. Az. Att. General Corbin

told all three candidates that Gov. Babbit did not have the right to make that executive order. He also told all 3 candidates that they would have to do something about it IF they were elected gov. of AZ. I have been in Arizona since 1958.

[TeamJordan23]

16. MSM: Yawn, another topic we will give McCain a pass in. nm

[sufrommich]

18. And yet, not a peep from the media.

Had this been a Democrat that who this,it would have been called a "lie" not an innocent "goof".

[uponit7771]

19. WOW, this guy is starting to sound worse than Bush when it comes to lying

[Virginia Dare]

20. He's proud of smearing Obama with Paris Hilton and Britney Spears too.

so you see his "pride" doesn't mean a whole lot.

[otohara]

22. He Must Have Forgot

and that's the scarier part.

[dragonball2008]

23. liar

liar

[TankLV]

25. OUCH!!! Damn internets...

next they'll report all of my OTHER lies!!!

I love it - the man spent HIS WHOLE POLITICAL LIFE - EVERY WAKING MOMENT - OPPOSING THE MLK HOLIDAY - and now he spews this crap!!!

[Overseas]

26. Forgot about that newfangled video tape again did he? /nt

[Hepburn]

27. WTF!?!?!?!?!? Lying piece of GOP shit...

...how in the hell can he say that...unless the dementia is worse than we thought!

:grr:

[TwilightGardener]

28. McSneer is a sniveling liar. I want the world to wake up to this fact.