Video: Conyers sarcastically 'thrilled' with McCain apologies for anti-MLK holiday votes
by David Edwards and Mike Sheehan
Link to ArticleVeteran Democratic lawmaker John Conyers (D-MI) knocked Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) for his onetime stance against establishing a holiday for American civil rights icon Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the senator's recent apologies for it amid his run for the White House.Appearing on MSNBC's 'News Live' to discuss the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King, Rep. Conyers was less than pleased as he considered a commemorative speech on King today by the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. "We're here today in Memphis," said Conyers live from the site where King fell, "and the incredible thing is, is that when John McCain was my colleague in the House of Representatives and I introduced the first King holiday bill, he voted against it in 1983. And in 1987, when Gov. Evan Mecham in Arizona rescinded the bill, he supported the rescission of the bill." Continued Conyers, "I believe in forgiveness, but it's incredible that all he can do is show up on April 4 and think that everything is okay with not just African-Americans, but with most people."After the MSNBC host interrupted to defend McCain's apologies during his speech today, Conyers replied, "I'm happy. ... [I]n 1983, [he] didn't make any apologies, he didn't make any apologies in 1987, so I guess I'm thrilled and forgiving that finally when he's running for president, he remembers to apologize." These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. If you have accounts on these bookmarking sites, you can post this story to share it with others.
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