MLK was a great man and I’m not against him having his own federal holiday, but in McCain’s defense, look at all the other people that have their own federal holiday. As great as MLK was, it’s hard to compare him to Jesus, Christopher Columbus, and 2 of our most famous and influential presidents.

People With Their Own Federal Holiday
Christmas Day (Jesus’s birthday)
Columus Day (discovered America)
Presidents Day (George Washington and Abraham Lincoln)

McCain is very frugal with government funds and has $0 earmarks compared to Clinton’s $290 million and Obama’s $90 million. It is characteristic of him to not want to have to pay federal government employees for a day they don’t work or vote against funding for MLK day celebrations. It is McCain being “cheap”, not being racist.

All right, how about a lesson in real courage. McCain stands tall and faces a hostile crowd while Obama gets aggravated and flustered and attempts to avoid or escape from photographers and journalists.

Did anybody have book bags in 1968?

I wonder how many time Hillary had to practice her quivering lip and sad looks.

I give McCain credit for being honest and telling the american people that he wasn’t for it back then. But he’s still an idiot.

OBAMA 08′

Wow.

As someone who’s generally democratic voter, I actually have had alot of respect for McCain. However, he has made a ton of mistakes and they all seem to be coming due. They claim Obama has a glass jaw and Hillary is too divisive/negative, but McCain may be carrying more baggage than we already know. this is the sort of thing that actually can hurt you with independent voters. Dick Cheney and Newt voted for the holiday…why wouldn’t he??

We are all ignorant of our fellow man to some degree, no matter how open-minded we think we are. We all make mistakes. It is wonderful when someone in a powerful position can recognize a mistake he has made in the past, admit it, apologize for it, and try to make amends. This is a person who can truly make a difference.

Yeah… Hillary through her bag across the room… Who belives that one?!?

why is it the when i white person makes a mistake they are a rasist, but if a black person does the same thing its ok? It has been a long time since slavery, it was wrong! But this is 2008 other ethnic groups have moved on from there past why can’t they? His reason to vote against it was for cost to the american people and not race related, I’m tired of feeling sorry for things that happened 100’s of years ago. It is time to live now!

I hope this is not another bosnia for Hilary and as someone in the crowd said we all make mistakes. It is when a person can admit them that we together heal and learn and are better for it.

At least McCain admits to making a mistake in judgment. I dont hear that from Obama or Clinton with the mistakes in judgment they have made through the years. It shows that McCain it shows McCain has morals.

Another reason John McCain needs Huckabee as VP…he got a high percentage of the black vote in Arkansas and genuinely has been supportive of the black community being one of the only Republicans who went to the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial in Atlanta this past year. Also, he was instrumental in integrating an all-white church as a pastor…so he really cared long before he entered politics.

McCain just wasted his time going to Luther King Museum and explain a vole against King’s holiday. Black America would not vote for a republican anyway.

Again, FOX News reports division.

Come on Hillary…give it a rest. What, do you think you will get a vote for every tear that you shed? I listened to your speech live at noon, never heard any quivering in your voice when you spoke at that moment. Must have been later in the day when the suggestion was made to look a little more sorrowful. I am a McCain man, but I would rather see Obama win than this pathetic excuse for a candidate. Just another Clinton LIAR!

McCain is getting jeered for something that he did 25 years ago? Is it not possible for someone to change their mind about something over the span of 25 years?

That’s pretty sad although all politicians get held to that standard, which is not fair.

King got what he deserved

HOLD THE PHONE! - Bill made $51,000,000 for “Just speeches”. Wasn’t it Hillary that said Speeches don’t put food on the table?? LIKE HELL THEY DON’T!

At Least McCain had the courage to stand up and claim a mistake. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Hillary’s story about being in her dorm and flinging her book bag across the room is nothing more than another “sniper fire” type story.

Hey I don’t have a problem with McCain’s (or Arizona’s) delayed or turned attitudes on MLK Day. Time and situations often change people and their positions. And gee - Why is this such an issue when Obama did Drugs (ah but that was years ago — Well so was this!!).

As I’ve aged many of my attitudes on issues have changed. I still think doing drugs is a bad idea (unfortunately young (and not so young) people seem to want to find out for themselves or take it as a challenge). And I changed my mind about MLK too. The more I look into all aspects of his life the less I feel he is worthy of a federal holiday designation. After all, the federal holiday stopped giving Abe Lincoln and Geo. Washington their own days and lumped them together to give us Presidents Day (no names mentioned). I certainly don’t think Martin L. K. is more worthy than Abe or Geo. And I also remember where I was and what I was doing when I learned of MLK’s passing… no comment, no shock.

AND By the Way…. All those Hispanic supporters of Caeser Chavez (whom I remember as a troublemaker which maybe a good cause)… well Chavez was very much against Illegal Immigration . Something about the ‘illegals’ giving the true legally immigrant Mexicans a bad name and unearned disrespect. I think Chavez’s view of Illegal Immigrants was RIGHT ON.

*yawn*

I would NOT

I would “NOT” have apologized. It’s a “generational thing”

You cannot make mistakes in stuff so deep like this; it’s about a man who stood up against racism, and gave his life to accomplish his goals. Isn’t that equal to a veteran of war like him? I mean, as a soldier he put his life in danger to defend America’s interests, and whether the Vietnam war was right or wrong he have been honored. Why don’t honor MLK by giving a Holiday his name? What do you feel, think in opposing to it? That scares me in a president. OK he made an apology but, what if he makes fool mistakes in serious issues?

Hrmmm, I know the story was about McCain but you did mention Hillary at the end but not the 3rd POTUS candidate, who happens to be black ….. in and MLK story ???? !!!!! Are we bitter about being shunned by him?

I wonder if there was any truth in H. Clinton as to what she did on the day Martin Luther King was shot. She tells good stories - but not too much truth in them. I would be a bit leary for her to answer the phone at 3:00 am. What story would she tell then.

McShamnesty the Flipper. The “say anything to get elected” idiot will get flushed in November….

Mrs. Clinton is getting good with emotion thing.. How many more times can she get away with it?

Is this a big deal?

We all make mistakes. What a shame that a respected leader was boo boo - shameful!
At least McCain made the effort to honor MLK - so did Senator Clinton -
Where was Obama?????
He felt he did not need to attend because he was running a campaign for President -
Gee…so were McCain and Clinton.

I’d rather have someone as President who can learn and change as his life goes by, than someone who has been the same since the day they were born. McCain strikes me as such a person, and as someone who is up-front and honest. Clinton has changed her postition on issues too, which is fine. She fails, though, on the honesty front.

It’s both unusual and refreshing to hear a politician say that he was wrong, but are a politician’s words ever true or honest?

Actions speak louder than words, and that politician’s record is clear.

Because people don’t change, one suspects that his only reason for eating crow is to become a more attractive presidential candidate.

Nevertheless, he may be the only candidate worth a vote in November.

If we are unable to accept an apology or an admission of an “err”, how are we to expect to unite and bring together an entire nation?

I hope that Karen Finney will find it in her, to forgive her child, niece, nephew, etc., when they admit to their mistakes or unpopular opinions, someday.

Well, it was funny till the bit about Hillarious Hillary at the end….choked…..oh poor dear….in a tantrum she throws her books across the room………..

Now, McCain is sorry he didnt vote for the King Holiday–Dr King, an American who sacrificed his life for racial and social injustice…this alarms me, how he can “quickly talk” about bombing Iraq, but yet “can’t quickly support a fellow American” who died trying to make life better for All Americans right here is this country…”WHERE WAS THE PATRIOTISM IN THIS???”

Can someone confirm that Hilary actually was a junior in college and through her book bag? That was what 40 years ago? She couldn’t remember her arrival in Bosnia only 12 years ago as First Lady!

The nerve! Only Reverend Wright’s comments should be sugar coated by someone who is “re-inventing” himself each day. Watch the coverage the Democrats give this! You can lie, lie, lie but don’t you dare apologize for a mistake.

Is there no end to the media madness? Who freaking cares. Let’s start another worthless story and beat it to death. With everything going in the USA and the world will the media PLEASE try and focus on something that matters and maybe TRY something worthwhile and good?

Give McCain a break. In the South MLK day is celebrated by some and the rest celebrate Robert E. Lee’s birthday.

John McCain, shame on you. Obviously you don’t believe in King’s dream… or that his legacy should have been honored in a federal holiday…and now that you are the presumptive nominee you try to pander, and “repent” for your discontent towards King’s dream at the place of his assassination. That’s disgusting John McCain. I’d have more respect for you if you would have abstained from comment…

Who Cares?

Why now is John McCain so sorry that he voted against the Dr King Holiday? He has had plenty of time, a lifetime to change his opinion….Oh yeah, that’s right he is running for “President”.
He can quickly make up his mind to “bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb bomb Iraq, but is “slow” to support a fellow American who gave his life fighting against social and racial injustice for all Americans, including John McCain…now I ask you “Where was the Patriotism in This???!!! McCain moves when He wants to move ….And No Fox News, I have not already submitted this comment!

Some moves are just too late!

Why is he apologizing? MLK made great contributions to the greatness of the USA, that doesn’t mean he should be the only American with a federal holiday in his name. I can think of quite a few others that are more deserving. Washington and Lincoln got bumped into “Presidents Day”, which includes the scumbag Slick Willie. McCain won’t get any Black votes anyway with Obama running.

With all respects I do not agree with the Martin Luther King Jr Day . Yes he was loud to speak in freedom for the black people. But as I see it there were a few that contributed the free . Rosa Park’s for one stood her ground on a bus . She hasn’t gotten a day. There were the black students that went to a white school for the first time and what about the parents of these children that watched their them go into the school not knowing what danger may have laid ahead. None of these people have a day.. What about the unsong black person that was not seen but stood up for who he is and the color God gave him ? What makes Martin King Jr more important than all of the other ? Yes maybe he marched or talked the loudest but he was no more special .
Most of the black population now are hard working good people ,however there are a few that need to go somewhere else to live ( WRIGHT and his CONGRATION ) .

I was glad to see that McCain was brave enough to show up in Memphis and face this. A true sign of courage. But I guess this shouldn’t be a surprise….

I’m disappointed that McCain is straining to be politically correct and is blatantly reaching for black votes. I do not dispute that MLK was a Very Great Man and was highly significant and influential in 20th-century American history. But I have never quite gotten over the demotions of President George Washington and President Abraham Lincoln, national heroes whose birthdays were holidays when I was a kid, replaced by MLK who never was the father of his country or the leader who kept it together during a civil war (but who now is the ONLY personality to have his name attached to a national holiday).

Amazing, she really is a fighter(LIAR) and McBush is even more pathetic.
OBAMA 08! TRUE LEADER!

At least John McCain is willing to admit his mistakes and move forward. I think that he has done a superb job of it, especially more than BOTH democratic rivals!! As an American, he’s got my vote. My advice to everyone is to vote for John McCain in November, or we are going to be in a very bad situation at home and abroad!!
Johnson Family, KY

“It’s frankly disingenuous for John McCain to try and reinvent himself

hurry, call Webster,,,,we have a new meaning for the word apology…

Really he could have just said he miss spoke,,,,,go on Leno do some comedy
routines and reduce it to a mere vapor……

The lack of forgiveness and venom toward John McCain for having the courage to admit he was wrong is dispicable.

John McCain has had many years opportunity to apologize for not supporting a bill that would help further a holiday for King. While his apologies may be acepted by some, I find it untimely to do so at this juncture. Why? because he is running for president people. If he had taken steps to apologizes years ago, then I as well as many others would see some level of sincerity. To take the 40th year since the assasination of the late Dr. King to me is self serving. While the media play games with teh viewers, by saying “McCain apologizes for voting against a King holiday.” Some of the self seving media has the audacity to say, McCain’s apology was genuine. You people can’t handle the truth. The truth is when McCain was just one of the good ole boys, he enjoyed standing on his good old principles. Well just like Hillary made the mistake and voting for the war. McCain has made the costly mistake of not voting for a king holiday, and blacks are not going to forget that during the elections.

Why now?

It’s political stupid!

Mac is Back!

I don’t buy it, many of you can, but I won’t. I don’t find it surprising that he has apologized during the his presidential run, and since it is during this election process that he deems it imprortant to do so, it comes of to me as being self serving. So on a scale from 1 to 10. ten being the higest worse. I give him a 9 1/2 for atempting to garnish supports from blacks on the anniversiary of Dr. King’s death. How low can you go.

Why does everyone think they should apologize for not wanting to name roads after, make federal holidays after, and proclaim a one month proclamation of black history month? Why don’t we have white history month? Why don’t we see a George Washington street in every city in America like we do a MLK street?

it is amazing to see that McCain keep apologizing to the right and to the left. When will he apologize for starting this war? I do not have time to wait for his apology 20 years from now, not even 4 years.

Obama is criticized to no end about comments his pastor made, but O’Reiley supports McCain even though he opposed making Martin Luther King Day a holiday Seven years in a row?!!! Fair and Balanced?

To Apologize for votes is the worst type of a bigget there is.

Oh heck, I’ll stick my neck out. I have as much respect for MLK as would the next average Joe. He was a great man. Too bad he couldn’t run for President now. His death was an extraordinary waste and I was very upset with everything when it happened. Having said that, and thinking about Federal holidays, yes they are very, very expensive. It’s bad enough that our so-called public servants have the best of benefits and hourly compensation and not necessarily deservedly either. I’m not refering to police or firefighters or other hands-on protective agencies. I’m talking about the people that work in bureaucracies like the Interior dept. or the Forest Service for 80+ grand a year and do little but scramble around to justify their jobs. I don’t blame them particularly either. If I were handed a sack job in the government with all the benefits to go with it I would be hard pressed to blow a whistle on myself. I’m only human. But I wouldn’t seek a job like that in the first place. What bothers me about Fed holidays is the cost. Not only paying all the “help” for the day but paying double time for those that still have to work and also paying to “shut down” a bureaucracy for a day. That also means people leave early on Friday and start late on Tuesday or rather come in to work on time on Tuesday and spend the morning bs’ing with coworkers all morning about their three day weekend. Giving McCain the benefit of the doubt is to say that he is pragmatic. We could use some more of that in our government, actually a lot more! Stop Government WASTE! It’s just more nails for the coffin.
This gives me an opportunity to segway this into one of my biggest peaves about our system. Now that the American work force has such a huge percentage working for the government or working for a private business that is a vendor doing most, if not all, of their business with the government at all levels it is past time to bring up “conflict of interest voting”. There are many laws to protect us from “conflict of interest” situations. There is no law though that states if you work for the government you are not allowed to vote for anybody that holds sway over your job. In other words if a candidate professes keeping an agency funded even when that agency is not in the best interest of our people and the opposing candidate wants to get rid of that agency. Who would those people that would benefit keeping the agency funded vote for? So what about the huge voter sympathy on the part of the government employees support for the candidate that will continue to support their worthless bureaucracy. Wouldn’t that be a “conflict of interest”? In any other situation at least in the private sector that would be illegal. I think that the vast majority of government employees would vote for whichever candidate supports large government no matter which side of the aisle the candidate hails from even if the voter isn’t necessarily directly affected. Another thing…why do government employees pay taxes? Makes no sense. Pay back to the government that just paid you? Makes less sense the more I think about it.
Plus….
What are some of the causes of inflation? The dollar vs. any other currency and the dollar losing value. What causes the dollar to lose value?….Dollars that are gained by people without any real value added. “Interest” is one thing (it is frowned upon in the bible). Or for instance the feds need to add more dollars to pay government employees’ wages (somehow they work the math). Where is the value? There is no product that is sellable nor even an asset with value added when paying the billions in wages to non-essential work performed by the government.
I’m sure that many people will amend or argue everything I say here to agree with their particular stance but the truth is the truth.
As a private person with a one man business I don’t get paid for any holidays. So I guess you would say I have the least to gain by Federal holidays but I usually take the day off anyway. I do support the ones we have. Except I always work on labor day…lol
Chuck

McCain is a liar who will say anything for votes.
He is another Bush, and we have had enough of that.
McCain is a complete idiot.

Always respect everybody you meet, you will never know someday you might need that somebody’s help…. It’s too late to amend with Dr. Kings people you are just ignorant and racist as you are.

Is it not odd how Obama felt the need to not even acknowledge today, much less attend any events in Honor of Dr. King? One minute he tries so hard to push his image as that of MLK, the next he disavows him. Similar to how he praises Abraham Lincoln one minute, then the next he talks of doing away with the Penny. Irony at its best.

And while McCain eats his words and regrets his actions (it’s very difficult to say “I’m sorry,” isn’t it?) of the past, Billary performs.

I think she should rethink her career choice. Hollywierd would welcome her with open arms since honest politics doesn’t appear to be her forte; what with all the drama and fictitious plots, she’d fit right in. Acting could truly be her calling. *shrugs*

Of course we all make mistakes. What I want to know is, WHY did he oppose it to begin with? If Fox News, MSNBC, et. al. are more than willing to grill Obama on his pastor, than he needs to explain his reasoning more fully.

McCain has benefited from the tight Democratic race. Look for this to be brought up again in the general election. McCain –enjoy your free ride now, because it will end by the end of the summer.

I don’t understand why he is making this trying to make amends for opposing a MLK federal holiday. I didn’t support it then but I may support it now. I felt King’s work hadn’t been researched enough and that it was took soon after his deatlh for him to have a national holiday for him. It took a lot of years for other national holidays to become national holidays. We even combined Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthdays into President day. Now forty years after MLK’s death I may consider it time for a national holdiay, but I still want to see more research.

I believe it takes a lot of courage to face a crowd and admit you were wrong and ask for forgiveness. I’m sure he knew there would be many people who wouldn’t forgive him no matter what he did, but sometimes all we can do is apologize and try to make amends, we can’t force people to forgive us, but asking for forgiveness is a good start to make amends.

That is a nice jesture on Mr. McCain’s part. But it is political.

I will never trust ever again any of these Hillary statements which begings “I will never forget ………..”. Most of them are pretty fictitious and designed to emotionally capture the most intruguing moments of an occassion. Credit where credit is due, she is good at imagination albeit it she calls it misspeaking. Not good for a politician of her stature, not good at all!

Mc Cain like most republicans are racist imperialists who inhabit the notion that the world belongs to white people, What I find so surprising is how the republicans express themselves as church going conservatives and yet contain vile racist and hate-full hearts , I plead with you, find God, a lot of you will got to hell if you take this warning lightly.

I like McCain, but will the term flip-flopper grow to haunt him? Interesting how easily he laid that label on Romney. What goes around, comes around.

What a sorry display of vote pandering, if he really was sorry about voting against the MLK holiday, why did he wait until now that he wants votes, is this kind of flip-flopping that will most likely keep conservatives home on election day.

I have to think long and hard about my vote for McCain. He was pretty much a shoe-in for me, but that is an issue I did not agree with back then, more due to the idiot Arizona Govenor Meacham.

I applaud him coming forth after all of these years, but my issue has more to do with him being a former military leader and haboring resentment towards the MLK Holiday.

Sounds like that good Ol’boy Republican racism to me… Do we really need 4 more years of this right winged, confederate supporting, divisive, racism leading the fate of our country again? I hope the rest of the country wakes up and realizes it would be a huge mistake to vote another Republican into office for four more years. If this country that I love so much elects McCain or Clinton to the office of President of the United States I will take my family and move to Canada.

I do not care if he did not vote for this day to be a holiday. I can think of other people who I feel that deserve a holiday rather than him.

“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.” Rev MLK, Jr.

Maybe McCain should apologize for his continual efforts to hasten the spiritual death of America. McCain cannot pretend to be a supporter now of King or the movement when he still opposes almost everything that King stood for - racial reconciliation, social uplift, workers’ rights, corporate responsibility, and the defeat of militarism.

McCain keeps Wimping out! Ronald Reagan said it best when it was decided another Free Lunch Day instead of Lincoln’s Birthday. Some people thought he was important. NOT a direct quote but TRUE! Maybe sit this one out and watch Nero play the Fiddle! Stalin said something to the effect that if you keep telling the same lie over and over then it becomes the truth.

Why the bubonic blue tint to the photo in the article?

Now, I wasn’t there but I did grow up in the 70’s and graduated in 1980, and not once on our high school campus did anyone carry a book bag/ back pack. I don’t think it was a staple of schools until the 90s. So, is Hillary wanting us to buy another story of hers again?

McClain has shown a record of racist behavior as late as 2000. He stated that he was wrong and should be forgiven. However, the media wants to lynch Obama for statements made by his minister. Please show me where Obama’s senate record and or statements has been racist.

Double standards are still present in America. Let’s see how many loops are played on this.

Dr King should not have a federal holiday, he did good things but not at the level necessary to merit a federal holiday. There are many other Americans of all colors who then should likewise have a federal holiday in their honor. At the time of his death he was very important to the racial conscience of our country, but his own constituents have lost and twisted his message and have therefore marginalized his contributions .

McCain apologizes for being a bigot and Hillary “remembers”…again…

No comment to Mrs. Clinton’s comment. She has been commenting too much.

I find it funny how McCains’ past position are now coming out and bitting him on the hindside. There was a reason he was never the nominee in the past elections. If we didnt have so many religious racist in this fine country of ours Romney would have more than likely been the nominee. Gotta love that campain finance reform that got the good old boy MaCain nominated. 2008 a good reason to register independent, fairwell Republican party.

It is always refreshing to witness true humility through an offered apology. Of course such things can serve a candidate well and smell of false humility…a universally sickening stench. Sincerity is typically discerned by an accurate assessment of a person’s character. John McCain seems to be doing better these days. Let’s hope so. Much is at stake.

Typical Fox News coverage that seeks to demonize McCain and glorify Obama to god head and building him up as savour of the world. Two years into any obama administration and the whole world will be shaking their heads and ask themsleves what the heck was I thinking?

mr. mccains wants black to think he change his thinking about mlk.and that s.c flagg over the state house. but he will feel the power of some one esle vote. come the gen election and when he see the election slipping away from him then an only then will he know how it feels to want something so badly and not get it.(but there still hope) maybe he can run again in 25yrs.

RE:Hillary Clinton speaking about King’s death.

Does anyone believe that she hurled her book bag across the room?

If that is true then PIG’S FLY!!!!

A sad day indeed when someone dies in cold blood, but a sad day also when the past is allowed to control the present and future as it does. The present and future can not in any way control the past, however the past certainly can control today and tomorrow if we let it. Getting over something involves focus on the present and future. What a wonderful contry this would be if the past could be changed and even one thing in American history be changed. The most important thing that could be changed in our great country would be that salvery had never been allowed. Just imagine how much greater the country could be today. However like other things that can never be changed in the past, we must look forward and not back. Be what you can be not what someone tells you to be. Think for yourself and not as a group. AS a man thinks…..so shall he be. In this great country that GOD HAS BLESSED INDEED, we have the power of thought to action. Use it a positive way not a negative way.

The Clintons are very emontional people, indeed. I remember how emotional the husband was at the funeral of Sec. Brown, and I remeber how he was at the White House when he was approached for help by the widow of a former employee. I also remember the emotions of the wife at the news that her husband had defiled a very young intern!

“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,” Democratic National spokeswoman Karen Finney said in a statement Friday. “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.”

Sen. McCain opposed a federal holiday on financial grounds (lost productivity) but didn’t oppose states deciding if they wanted to have state holidays or not. When it became clear that Arizona was losing tourism revenue, it suddenlt made financial sense to have an MLK holiday. I agree that Sen. McCain is being weasely about it now.

Of course, I think that Ms. Finney ought to be saying “It’s frankly disingenuous for Barrack Obama to try and reinvent himself for the general election by distorting his record of supporting his hateful pastor, waiting twenty years to rebuke the pastor’s statements, using race as a red herring to defend himself and failing to exercise judgement by exposing his children to years of hate.”

I’m not holding my breath.

wow ronnie ways, that has to be the most ignorant comment i have ever seen on any website. to say a man got what he deserved by being shot for telling everyone how great it would be if we would look past race and religion is pure idiocy. people like you are what is wrong with the world today. if it wasn’t for racial and religious bigotry we would live in a better world.