JTT wrote:McCain Lies About His Support For MLK Jr. Day in Arizona.
[see video at]
http://progressiveaccountability.org/2008/08/02/mlk/
Quote:
FACT CHECK: McCain Opposed Federal MLK Holiday, Arizona MLK Holiday And Key Legislation Aimed At Equal Opportunity For African Americans
McCain Claim: 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] [..]
http://progressiveaccountability.org/2008/08/02/mlk/
Hmm.
This proves that McCain told only the partial truth, omitting to mention that before he fought
for the MLK Holiday in Arizona, he voted
against it.
But Progressiveaccountability.org is also only telling the partial truth here, by snipping the bits from the ABC link that explained that, yes, McCain
did end up fighting for the holiday.
He was royally late to the cause, but in 1990 he argued for a MLK holiday in a referendum in which his state's voters still ended up rejecting it, the ABC link also explains. You have the paragraph cited above, and then:
Quote:But eventually he changed his mind.
In 1990, Arizonans were given an opportunity to vote to observe an MLK holiday. McCain successfully appealed to former President Ronald Reagan to support the holiday. In a letter to voters, Reagan wrote that he hoped Arizonans would "join me in supporting a holiday to commemorate these ideals to which Dr. King dedicated his life."
Mecham, for his part, opposed the holiday, saying, "I guess King did a lot for the colored people, but I don't think he deserves a national holiday."
The 1990 referendum failed. [..]
In November 1992, Arizonans voted to re-elect McCain over a challenge from Mecham. They also voted in favor of an MLK holiday.
So a double hhm here. Tsk tsk to McCain for telling only half the truth, and tsk tsk to progressiveaccountability.org for doing exactly the same.
