McCain Booed At Martin Luther King Speech: Watch The Video

Senator John McCain, "who says he will court the African-American vote this year and campaign in places Republicans often shun," spoke in Memphis on Friday to mark the 40th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

But his speech was met with boos and interruptions from many in the audience, as he apologized for repeatedly opposing the creation of a holiday to celebrate King's legacy.

(The image of a black man holding an umbrella over McCain's head while he gave the speech didn't exactly complement the moment.)

Take a look:

McCain voted against the creation of a holiday honoring King in 1983, a vote which was supported by a large number of Republicans. McCain claimed this week that he was largely unaware on the importance of King's work at the time, due to his Vietnam-era service overseas. Speaking on Thursday to reporters, he explained that his conversion occurred around 1990:

"I voted in my...first year in Congress against it and then I began to learn and I studied and people talked to me. And I not only supported it but I fought very hard in my home state of Arizona for recognition against a governor who was of my own party."

But McCain's voting record since 1990 doesn't support this explanation. In addition to voting to oppose a state holiday in 1987 (which he later supported) and a federal holiday in 1989, McCain voted in 1994 to cut funding for the commission that promoted King's holiday.

Comments

[Redrover666]

realpolotic and blackwidowdipshit: Got to go now. You guys just keep cranking them out though.

[realpolitic]

You cut and ran.

[demlover1]

I am glad Sen. McCain went and apologized for not supporting MLK's birthday as a holiday. He was wrong and it's good that he recognized it and apologized for it. I also think it's very sad that people would boo him at an event honoring Dr. King. Very bad manners. I don't think the boos were reflective of most people at the speech or who watched it. Republicans should be encouraged to try and do more for the African-American community, not ridiculed for making an effort to do better by them.

[BlackWidowPilot]

"Republicans should be encouraged to try and do more for the African-American community, not ridiculed for making an effort to do better by them."

Utter rubbish. The "Gang of Pedophiles" would as soon see the restoration of *slavery* rather than actually do anything productive for people of colour! Their record of paying lip service to Dr. King's glorious dream of a better America while shunting money and writing laws favoring their corporate leash holders at the expense of We The People is overwhelming in its depth and moral bankruptcy.

One cannot reason with the intellectually and morally bankrupt.

Those Dinocrats who keep trying to make nice with the "Gang of Pedophiles" do so at the expense of We The People and the Rule of Law.

They do so at their own peril.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[Redrover666]

As a veteran with some personal experience... I can safely say that there are medications that will help to make life more tolerable for you. Please do not be too embarrassed to seek help.
Until then.... do not listen to the voices.

[poder44]

I'm sorry, but it's comments like this that make me crazy. WHo are you calling "gang of Pedophiles", Republicans? Did you seriously say we would rather restore slavery than do anything productive for coloured people? I didn't used to be a racist, but after hearing comments like this and seeing the Jeremy Wright videos and the way that black people talk about America, I am beginning to think that the people of colour enjoy having something to complain and whine about. No matter what the government does for you it will never be enough. You all will find somethng to cry about and if you can't find some legitimate reason to cry, you will make stuff up, like introducing AIDS to black people. Get over it, Slavery ended years ago, now try to enjoy life and quit your complaining. None of us have had an easy life, but some of us manage to make something of ourselves anyway.

[Redrover666]

I have enjoyed this thread immensely but must go.

Frankly, I am surprised that so many here expect that Obama to be elected on the Guilt ticket.

The talk of race, racial tension etc. is an absurd component to be thrown into the choice we must make in November. Many of you don't agree. Too bad. Lot's do.

When a black candidate can stand before the American people without expecting us to say "I'm so sorry for being white", then he'll have my consideration.

[BlackWidowPilot]

Change your screen name to "RedHerring." That's all you keep bringing to the table about Senator Obama. If this independent voter and son of a WW2 US Marine has a chance to vote for *presidential candidate* Obama I will do so with a glad heart, as opposed to the "Gang of Pedophiles" "hero" "Hundred Years War" McCain.

Your specious argument about 'white guilt" only underscore one thing you have gotten right here on HuffPo; the "666" in your screen name.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[Redrover666]

Well, at least there was one man in your family.

[starboymikey]

When a black candidate can stand before the American people without expecting us to say "I'm so sorry for being white", then he'll have my consideration.
__________________________________________________________________

No one expects you to say "I'm so sorry for being white," but you could apologize for sounding like a jackass.

[Rocky4356]

The media is always playing the so called race card. Yes there were a few boos but then were more voices telling him they were forgiving. I for one thought it took alot of gonads to go there. Really tired of folks saying he didn't mean it. Let time be the judge. Where have we gone if we can't accept an apology. I found McCain more sincere than Clinton that day

[H.L. Mencken]

As a senescent American Democrat I must insist that there be a merger and coalesce of generations under the banner of accepted American tribal rules of seniority contribution and experience! Not the female compromised "Little Debbie" scenario but rather the mature arena where parental age and wisdom are a significant factor and reflect a traditional party hegemony of viewing General elections in an expert pesophilogical analysis!

Young starry eyed Obama supporters lack the experienced of Michel Obama that have not apparently felt and experienced the meanness of white folks;especially during a presidential election! The silent white majority of the American electorate will not recapitulate the America Presidency in the name of change for past sins of American slavery: regardless of the endless whinnying of its unfortunate victims and their disadvantaged dependents!

An American solution to the diabolical conundrum is practicality and electability through application of traditional party meme's that recognize party contribution and experience! Those young folks that have augured that a black President would convey a message athwart the globe of willingness of acceptance by Americans of a multi-Homo sapiens tribe! Just think younsters how amplified this message becomes with the inclusion of a female leader with a black assistant in training?

[Redrover666]

Holy Crap! Someone I think I can agree with!
Unless of course... you've got a sneaky little Clinton in mind.

[PTCruiser]

I find it sad that you would use the handle "H.L. Mencken" for the following reasons:

1. Mencken, whatever his shortcomings and bigotries, wrote in a clear and concise style that is still a joy to read nearly sixty years after his death.

2. Mencken did not confuse the layering and stringing together of Latinate derived words as a sign of learning or intelligence. He was never pompous. Wrong at times, but never pompous.

3. Mencken actually had a sense of humor and understood the use of satire.

4. Mencken was a pretty accomplished speller.

[Redrover666]

I just had an epiphany! I know why you come here!

These threads are loaded down heavier than June bugs on a blackberry bush with the sort of liberals that if they didn't have a chance at a little self-flagellation, wouldn't have a reason to get up in the morning. It must appall you to run into some sorry SOB that isn't jumping out of his pants to apologize to you.

Just thinking out loud.

PS I'm still working on getting over it.

[starboymikey]

As a senescent American Democrat I must insist that there be a merger and coalesce of generations under the banner of accepted American tribal rules of seniority contribution and experience!
___________________________________________________________________

This might be the most original post I've ever read on HuffPo. No matter how many times I read it, it remains totally incomprehensible ... which, of course, is it's great charm.

You are a cunning linguist, H.L. LMAO!

[thethinredchild]

Don't you have to be 18 to join HuffPo? What's thethinredline doing here?

[GrandpaMcCain]

Oh, good. "thethinredline" is back. How are you, child?

[ABalance]

Considering that Senator McCain was a POW for five and a half years surrounding Dr. King's assassination I don't think it's unreasonable that he not have as solid a grasp on King's work as most others. I think it further speaks to his character that he's able to admit that he was wrong.

As for those questioning his courage, I invite you to look into his military service and imprisonment and torture by the Viet Cong. The Viet Cong offered to release him but he refused because they would not also release all of his fellow POWs. That resulted in 5 more years of torture, disease and two years of solitary confinement. If that's not courage I'm not sure what is.

[GrandpaMcCain]

Blah. Blah. Blah. Getting captured by the enemy in wartime doesn't make you a hero. And if he hasn't caught up with developments such as MLK since his return to US soil, then that makes him even MORE unqualified. Nice try, troll.

[ABalance]

Well if you had read the article and watched the video you would clearly understand that he has caught up.

I think serving in any capacity that puts you at risk of being captured by the enemy during war time makes you a hero. I think denying an offer of release from said enemy in consideration of your fellow POWs certainly speaks to those qualities as well.

[Redrover666]

This point will no doubt be lost on the reading impaired and rabidly partisan.

[realpolitic]

I am glad you are so bi-partisan, a real uniter- just like George Bush.

[GnitenGoodLk]

His courage is not in question. He has courage. So did many emotionally unstable and nationalistic dictators throughout global history. How you use that trait is a critical factor to consider. Let's accept his apology at face value, what to make of his denial of the new GI bill? How long before he spins his lack of support on that one too? Or his call to place our soldiers at risk for radiation contamination in Iraq by bombing Iran?

McCain has a dangerous agenda ignored to the average voter. His father died of "natural causes" (unknown what that is - not of heart failure, that was his grandfather) after a lifetime of heavy drinking. Vietnam had much to do with that legacy. How many little guys will he make pay for the big guys mistakes trying to redeem that painful legacy? What will it take for him to realize he can't fix the past by repeating history and trying to correct it to blame the "liberals" for failure? How many lives is he willing to sacrifice to learn this terrible lesson? This latest batch of Republicans have long and hideous memories, like the elephant symbol they cherish. Progressive ideals and "moving forward" are not what they do. They try to return back where they think "we liberals" and "soft republicans" went wrong and will stop at nothing to further that agenda. McCain is a classic example of that. Racial divides spin have distracted from the real issues at stake here.

[realpolitic]

Many Republicans are basing their objection to the new GI bill on an argument that it will affect retention in the services. Can you imagine that? Republicans say servicemen and women should not be extended an education and other benefits because they may not re-join the army. What nonsense! Servicemen and women are only worthy as cannon fodder to Republicans.

[ABalance]

Oh my.

Please, please explain to me how bombing Iran would place our soldiers at risk of contamination. Furthermore, please provide proof the Sen. McCain has any desire to bomb Iran. I'm assuming you're talking about attacking their Uranium enrichment facilities. My profession is Nuclear Propulsion (in the military) and I'll go ahead and assure you that such action wouldn't place them at risk anyway.

As for the new GI-Bill, please provide any information you have of Sen. McCain's opposition to this bill. I am a member of the military and am certainly interested in such a bill. The only thing I can find from him on it says "It seems to me that it is a good thing to do. But I haven't examined it with the care that it needs. But we obviously need to do something along those lines."

[realpolitic]

McCain should have come out on behalf of Dr. King and his holiday many years ago. In fact, how can one oppose Dr. King other by supporting legal segregation? It shows that rather than buck racial trends and come out for the rights of minorities, McCain simply followed the trend until the tide turned. Such a stance of swimming with the prevailing current is no profile in courage.

[ResidentChimp]

Why would a Republican go to an event for African Americans? their idea of a "frank discussion" is to boo anyone that wont pander to their agenda. I'm sure Obama picked up a lot of independant votes with this event.

[PTCruiser]

ResidentChimp -

What was the frank discussion that you believe that John McCain was initiating? And why do you believe that this particular occasion was the appropriate setting to have a frank discussion? In addition, why do you believe that non-black politicians are entitled to lecture African Americans about matters that African Americans are not interested in discussing with them?

Mr. McCain has had plenty of time to explain his well documented opposition to recognizing Dr. King's birthday. African Americans did not agree with him at that time and clearly do not agree with him now but folks like you still believe that he had some right to bring this matter up.

Mr. McCain was not being sincere, honest or frank. He was using the occasion to try to enhance his credibility with the black electorate. Some members of this electorate took exception and booed him. Well, ResidentChimp, that's the way the prune wrinkles.

You and John McCain need to get over yourselves.

[Redrover666]

PTCruiser -

He was having a frank discussion on his opposition to MLK day and apologizing. Where and when would you suggest he do so? At a Daughters of the American Revolution meeting? I don't recall him lecturing. I heard him apologize for being wrong and get treated badly for it.

However long it took McCain to apologize is irrelevant. The fact is, he did. As far as having a right to bring it up.... who's permission should he have sought to "bring this matter up".

How the hell do you know whether he was being sincere or honest? How would you have any clue? Your view of this issue is so distorted by bitter partisanship that you actually think that a Republican might be rubbing his hands together and thinking of how to steal the 95% of blacks that are Democrats, AND already voting for Obama.

To be "frank", the disgrace, is the way he was treated. And THAT is not only how the prune wrinkles, but how the average person, not in your little Obama bubble, see it.

[Redrover666]

Good point. I was an Obama supporter myself and donated twice to his campaign. Many, many of these people are so myopic that they completely fail to see how this racial issue is causing there candidate to lose support. When I first questioned the Wright issue, I was immediately attacked by my own fellow supporters and called a troll and worse.

What happened to McCain was just Rev Wright, Part II.

What the people on Huffpost don't realize is that every time the racial guilt issue is jammed in the faces of regular white folks (who don't hate anybody), McCain gets stronger and Obama weaker.

These liberals can justify, rationalize and talk about wrinkled prunes all day long but come November will once again be forced to taste sour grapes.

[BlackWidowPilot]

*You* support Senator Obama.

Red, I'm an old fisherman; HOW big was that fish?

A fly line, right?

Jesus, Joseph, and Mary...

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[realpolitic]

Resident, are not African-Americans also Americans? Perhaps for this reason a Republican who runs for high office should occasionally speak to them. Is not that how a democracy operates or do you prefer purely Karl Rovian politics of divide and conquer?

[Redrover666]

Are you being obtuse on purpose?

[2sleepy]

HuffPost's Pick

I would not vote for McCain, but I respect him for getting up there and saying what he did. I think he was sincere, as I am sure it did nothing to gain him support from his constituents. Regarding the black guy holding the umbrella, I don't think he could have done much about that; what would you suggest? that he ask for someone 'white' to hold it? Then he would have been accused of 'not wanting a black guy to hold the umbrella'

[realpolitic]

Well , he was on the wrong side of this issue for many, many years and now admittting to that in my mind is not a profile in courage. What other choice does he have?

[Redrover666]

Choices? He could have simply not addressed it at all and gotten and stayed at home. How many black votes do you think it would have cost him?

It sort of reminds of the NAACP leadership calling Bush a sorry-ass, dirty dog, daring him to show his ugly face at their convention, then calling him a whole bunch more names for declining their invitation.

[GrandpaMcCain]

I disagree. Do you think this would be happening if he wasn't running for president?

[grn1]

He could hold his own umbrella like any of us on this post.

[Redrover666]

Then he'd have put a black man out of a job.

[Steambomb]

An open letter to John McCain.

Hello John,...

NO. It is not ok to be late in doing the right thing. We normal people call that a mistake. It is interesting that you are standing up their apologizing for something that you did so many years ago and conincidentally you are also at this point in time running for president. If you weren't running for president would you have given this speech? You might have an answer for that but many others may also draw their own imaginitive conclusions. No John its pretty clear to me watching you speak with that hotel in the background what this little campaign stop is for. About as clear as your now willful visits to radical evangelical christian preachers is for. I think everyone should be sending you little teddy bears with name tags bearing the name PANDER.

[Redrover666]

That was cute. No doubt McCain had no idea that 95% of the black vote has been going to Obama. Or maybe he figured he'd just sneak in there and steel them back.
As for radical evangelical preachers he's visited... are you referring to the ones who claim white people are infecting minorities with AIDS and call Italians, Garlic Nose?.

[realpolitic]

McCain's reaching out to blacks is also an attempt to reach moderate whites and independents. Only it would take some degree of intelligence to see this connection.

[acanthus]

"are you referring to the ones who claim white people are infecting minorities with AIDS and call Italians, Garlic Nose?.

No, he's referring to the one who called the Catholic church "the great whore", believes that Jews are responsible for their own suffering at the hands of other people, and who attempted to have a "slave auction" at his church ("Slavery returns to Cornerstone", the ads read). Remember him? He was in the news very briefly a couple weeks of so ago. And yes, McCain had every idea that 95% of the black vote has been going to Obama. As realpolitic said, that appearance, like all other Republican "outreach" efforts, is actually aimed at creating an image of moderation in order to sway whites, not blacks.

[CC1]

Well, if Obama had done something along the same lines, you would be cheering him right on. McCain's a white guy so double standard applies, ?

[tbone99]

The boos were up for interpretation in my hearing but I clearly heard someone respond "we all make mistakes".

very touching

[dvdpt]

McCain thinks he can play roll Bill Clinton being the first Black president

[CC1]

Yes. I admire those people.

[acanthus]

They were probably his campaign workers.

[mix2007]

He deserved to get booed.

He flipflopped when it was convenient.

In Arizona he fought against the holiday twice, and only came to support it decades later.

Profiles in courage this is not!

[mesuki]

Although I do not support McCain,I have to show him some love for this one. It takes courage to stand in front of a crowd and admit that you were wrong,and apologizing to the crowd he showed that he is humble. Although he has not gained my vote,he has gained my respect.