Where is McCain on Slavery Apology?

While researching a story this weekend, "McCain Learning Curve; MLK, Rebel Flag, Slavery," I was reminded of a bit of campaigning that McCain had done in October of 2007:

Senator and GOP candidate for president John McCain told The Examiner Wednesday that he supports a planned resolution by fellow GOP Senator Sam Brownback to apologize for slavery. Presumably, McCain was too busy helping Brownback draft the resolution to show up to the candidates' forum at historically black Morgan State University in September.

From the same article:

"They were federal policies," Brownback told the Boston Globe on Monday. "They were wrong. The only way for us to move forward . . . is at the end of the day acknowledging those, taking ownership for it, and asking for forgiveness."

Since I wondered at the time whether McCain was just pandering, or was he really behind the measure, I thought now would be a good time to find out what ever happened with the bill. The most recent news report, from February 27, 2008, has Brownback and Iowa Senator Tom Harkin set to introduce the measure this Spring:

So far, they have 14 Senate backers, including Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama. A similar House measure introduced last year has 120 co-sponsors.

After the jump, where is McCain now on this issue?
I contacted the McCain campaign early this morning for a comment on this article, intending only to update my story from Saturday. I was referred to the legislative office, then back to the campaign, and back to the legislative office again. Since the bill has not been introduced yet, the legislative office says they are unable to explain why Senator McCain supported the measure in October, but was silent in February.

I called the campaign office again several times this evening, and a McCain staffer said, "We're going to go with 'No comment."

Whether or not a Senate apology for slavery amounts to a hill of beans is a separate question. John McCain gave a speech Friday in which he asked to be credited for having evolved in his view on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, and to have his late support for the day taken sincerely. At issue here, then, is the substance of that sincerity.

If John McCain was sincere in October, why was he not counted among the 14 Senators in February who backed Brownback's proposal? It is a fair question which he has apparently decided not to answer.

For the sake of context, I am reprinting, below, the full content of Saturday's story.

McCain Learning Curve; MLK, Rebel Flag, Slavery


After stories by David Knowles and Caleb Howe on Republican Presidential candidate John McCain's awakening on the subject of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, which he voted against even as Dick Cheney and Newt Gingrich voted for it. I was put in mind of several of the candidate's other epiphanies. Caleb called for forgiveness in his article, a reasonable request, to be sure.

Forgiveness is not something that even requires the trespasser to ask for it. Even so, many will judge McCain by the sincerity of his regret. I am willing to take him at face value for purposes of this discussion, although the video below may make it seem otherwise.

Even if McCain is to be forgiven his opposition to the King holiday, does that mean he will be ready, on day one, to take this country away from the path that 81% of Americans say is in the wrong direction? Although he may or may not have had a sincere change of heart, can America afford to have a president that's always this slow on the uptake, this late to the party?


My colleague, David Knowles, correctly points out that McCain was 47 in 1983, the year he voted against the King holiday. He makes a good case that McCain's excuse that he didn't know enough about King at the time strains credibility. The fact that he didn't support the holiday until 1990, that would make him 54, completely collapses it.

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."

Better late than never, I suppose, but does it speak well of his ability to lead on current issues? Well, maybe he kept up with the class on the Confederate Flag.
That's great! He even came through again this year, taking heat for this bold stand:

McCain said he "could not be more proud of the majority of the people of this state" who agreed the flag should be removed. Although the questioner, who identified himself as John William Hill, 51, of Charleston, got some scattered applause for his question, McCain's response produced a wave of applause that drowned out further comments from his critic.

Later, McCain told reporters, "I believe the issue has been resolved in the minds of the overwhelming majority of the people of South Carolina. You can tell from the crowd reaction. They don't want it reopened."

That's not the same thing as denouncing the flag. He's saying he's proud of the people's decision. Still, let's give him that, we'll mark McCain's "Road to Damascus" moment re: the Confederate Flag at 2002, 2 years after he stopped saying "gook" in public, but 5 years before he retired "tar baby".

What about the issue of slavery? Well, I am proud to report that John McCain didn't just talk about slavery, he took action. In 2007.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Wednesday the Senate should apologize for slavery and segregation, calling them "dark chapters in our history."

Perhaps work on this important bill is what caused the "scheduling conflict" that kept him from showing up to the candidates' forum at historically black Morgan State University in September.

As it turns out, McCain may be ahead of the curve, or at least of state and national politicians. To date, only 6 states have apologized for slavery, and the US Senate has not. In fact, I was unable to locate any proposed bill based on McCain's courageous call to action last October. Still, assuming this was sincere, and not a toothless pander, that puts his awakening on slavery at 137 years in the making.

It's nice to know that, even at age 71, John McCain is still teachable, but it is little comfort for those of us looking for a president to lead us somewhere besides the wrong war.