Posted on 10/18/2007 9:13:32 AM PDT by freespirited
Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Wednesday the Senate should apologize for slavery and segregation, calling them “dark chapters in our history.”
McCain said he would support a planned resolution by fellow Republican Sen. Sam Brownback, who is also seeking the presidency, to apologize for racist laws, some of which ended more than a century ago.
“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.”
McCain agreed with Brownback’s approach.
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Spokesmen for other presidential candidates, including Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, the only top-tier black candidate, declined to comment on the planned Brownback apology. Also silent were Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican candidates Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson.
Nothing that “various states have adopted similar resolutions,” McCain emphasized that words alone cannot make amends for America's past policies of racism. He said the U.S. should “continue our efforts to make sure that all Americans have equal opportunity to take part in this great, great free-enterprise system of ours.”
The Arizona Republican pledged to “address the issues of poverty and lack of education in parts of America, including parts of South Carolina, parts of my state, that some of our Hispanic students are not getting the same quality of education we want them to.”
McCain made the remarks during a two-day swing through South Carolina, a state that effectively ended his presidential campaign in 2000 when Republicans voted instead for George W. Bush. McCain used the visit to attack Clinton for advocating taxpayer funding of a museum on the Woodstock rock concert. McCain also slammed Giuliani for fighting against the presidential line-item veto, which McCain called an essential tool for controlling federal spending.
Oh, and I will be pleased to accept an apology from McCain for Campaign Finance Reform.
How many senators owned slaves?
Not so absurd, Robert Sheets Byrd should apologize for recruiting members to his KKK organization.
Add the murder of millions of unborn to the list of “federal policies” that require an apology.
I’m sorry for the “Black Death” during the Dark Ages.
This is pathetic.
Especially the democrats who were the Slavery Party
Arizona should apology for McCain.
‘Oh, and I will be pleased to accept an apology from McCain for Campaign Finance Reform.’
I’ll second that...but caution you not to hold your breath. McCain’s arrogance won’t allow an apology.
Clinton has already apologized on behalf of the US for slavery. But I think it’s high time that the Dem Party apologized.
Uh...OK...well fine. It’s not like the Senate has anything else to do.
Arizona should apologize for McCain.
McCain is an idoit, and needs mental care. These fools in the Senate have lost TOTAL touch with reality and the REAL American people. They cannot see beyond the edge of the Beltway, and care about nothing other than their own empowerment.
We have a major problem with this Senate.
What the hell is wrong with this man?
The NAACP and the rest of those race baiters should thank the white people who died to free them.
How about Alan Keyes’ idea: no taxes for two generations?
How about all women apologize for Eve’s actions? Well?!!!
OK, first it’s the Armenian genocide, now it’s slavery. Look, we KNOW slavery was evil and I don’t think we need to breeze through history and label every event that every happened.
All hail, we are the 110th Congress! Fear us, for we hath judgeth history.
One has to wonder if this is just their most recent attempt to get their approval ratings back into double digits.
Did the DNC ever apologize for the Democrat position then?
McCain should apologize to America for pushing illegal alien amnesty.
This man is an embarrassment.
His last gasp of desperation in pandering tactics?
Well, I demand a full apology for the way that the federal government treated my German-American relatives during World World I.
Hang it up, John. You’re not getting the Democrat vote. Or the Republican vote either, for that matter.
Straight talking Mccain once again shows that he does not have the talent to run a winning campaign.
Why blame the Senate when it was in the 1787 Federal Constitution? Never forget it was the wisdom of the Founding Fathers to compromise and allow the institution of slavery to continue so they could get their independence from England. Never gloss over that.
I agree. What good will this do? Other than people asking for payment for something that happened 200 years ago. To do something like this will just open the door to more seperation. People need to get over it and go forward.
It's so important that we apologize FOR people that no longer exist, TO people that also no longer exist and to their descendants that are CLEARLY better off being here than in Africa.
I mean, why dont we enact a govt MANDATED moment of silence for the entire country in honor of these dead people. ** Triple barf **
I think we can safely move on.
I would like to apologize for the purple jeans and purple, plaid turtleneck outfit that I wore in 1973. And for that velvet bow-tie in 1975.
McCain should apologize for being stupid and bring up a silly issue at a time when there are a lot more important things to worry about.
McCain is nuts! this will open the door to reparations and all sorts of shenanigans.
No apologies! EVER!! For anything.
Damn, if this resolution doesn’t pass, this will probably mean that we won’t be able to use the airspace over harlem or South Central L.A. Look for a protest “demarche” to Congress from Jackson,...if he can spell it:
Jackson: “I’ve already done de march done in Selma, didn’t I?”
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
So that Brownback is supposedly taking his fund-raising cash and bowing out of the presidential race, is this what McCain is pandering for.... Brownback's money and support?
It looks like Brownback’s idiocy is catching. I already knew that McCain was nuts, he didn’t have to prove it again.
I’m sorry for wearing Brut cologne in the `70s.
sorry sorry sorry, sorry sorry sorry
And that is the reason you will never be president John.
You do not have any common sense. It is as if you scour the entire field searching for cow-plop to step in. Brownback is an idiot for dredging this up and you are every bit the moron for hitching your wagon to this turd of an idea.
I hope to god that when he is humiliated in the primary he gets a clue and goes home.
Has McCain apologized for to his first wife for his blatant affair and for dumping her for a younger woman?
Looks like our lil Luke Skywalker has missed his meds again. What a douche.
How stupid can McCain get? Just when is starting to crawl back in the polls he comes up with this idiocy! Is it time to throw all the bums out yet? Please?
How delusional can you get?
This is one reason why McCain shouldn’t be elected.
Africans sold slaves to the British, who then brought them here.
‘Nuff said
And I’ll accept an apology from McCain for opposing tax cuts. What is with him? Just when I think he’s making some good points, he goes right off the rails.
if you apologize, reparations are around the corner.
I think the main purpose for the Armenian thing was to pave the way for a new attempt at reperations.
They get this Turk bill passed easily (who could possible vote in favor of genocide?). Then Pelosi, black caucus, Jesse Jackson, McCain etc. go on the Sunday morning shows praising congress for their courageous moral stand against injustice and "challenging" congress to address, and redress, OUR OWN past sins. Then they get to plausibly use the hypocrisy dart on anyone who signed on the anti-Turk bill who might oppose reparations.
Maybe Pelosi didn't think about what this would do to the war effort (I do think she's that stupid but I can't believe everyone around her is). Maybe she thought they could ram this through before the Turks caught wind of it. Maybe she really is a traitor and thought this would be a twofer.
They should also thank their lucky stars that they live in the greatest nation on earth. Even the poorest American Blacks are far, far better off than 99% of their ancestors in Africa or any where else in the world.
This will be the first step to reparations. Once the Senate admits guilt there MUST be something done to make it right. That means reparations. But hey Ol’ John-boy Insane doesn’t care. It ain’t his money.
That’s right Johnny, it’s mine you friggin self-serving moron.
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