McCollum: I was ‘naive’ to oppose MLK holiday
by Michael C. Bender | January 19th, 2010*Updated at 2:47 p.m. to include Democratic response.
Florida Attorney General and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum said today that it was a mistake to oppose making a Martin Luther King Day a federal holiday. He said his 1983 vote was based on giving goverment workers a paid holiday.
“It was adding to the cost of the budget,” McCollum said. “At that time I was very concerned and probably a little naïve, because I think Martin Luther King was a great leader. And I’ve said numerous times at town hall meetings and other places as I was a Congressman that was a mistake.”
McCollum, a Republican candidate for governor, was forced to answer the question after the Florida Democratic Party blasted him on Monday. And Democrats have been getting some mileage out this 27-year-old vote.
Democrats questioned his spokeswoman’s claim that McCollum has “said in the past” that the vote was a mistake. McCollum said today that he realized it was a mistake “in the ’80s after the vote.”
“Shortly after the vote. I couldn’t tell you the exact year, but this is what? Twenty-five years later?,” McCollum said. “It was very apparent to me upon reflection soon after that that it was not a good vote even though it does cost a lot of money.”
But now Democrats question that timing, pointing to a 1989 vote McCollum cast to oppose a commission to promote the observance of MLK Day. The bill, which gave the commission a five-year budget of $1.5 million, passed by large margins in the House and Senate.
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January 19th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
It cost a lot of money for all the other holidays, why just complain of one holiday, which is for a black person. Poor excuse. Everything cost a LOT of MONEY!!!!!
January 19th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
If you were running for Governor in Florida and had voted as Bill McCollum did what else could you say?
The real question about McCollum is about his record of sound judgement.
His MLK mistake is one of a long list.
He was heavily involved in distracting our Nation’s attention away from terrorism in 1998 as al Quaeda and Osama bin Laden took aim at this nation culminating in the 9/11 attacks on a us as our new President at the time was still thinking Cold War strategy with the Soviet specialist Condi Rice, and a Defense Secretary who wanted to remake the Armed Forces all at once.
Republican actions for the past 15 years are simply unforgivable.
January 19th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Bill MCollum is the defintion of a career politician. Lose one election, move onto the next election in a different position. He is obviously not a man of conviction, and will say anything if it means getting another vote.
January 19th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
Wow, this is nothing but a democrat blog. Nothing but negatives about repubs…keep it up…the same thing that is going to happen in Massachusetts could very well be happening in Florida.
We don’t need democrats like Wasserman-Schultz encouraging massive refugee immigration by referring to Haiti as Florida’s 69th county.
Alan Grayson, an obnoxious billionaire who moved to FL and spent his billions on his run for office. If a dog was running against Grayson, he’ll lose.
Floridians are disgusted about the Cap and Trade Talk from democrats.
We’re tired of the lies and hidden facts, layers of government AND Medical Matrix estabished by the government for healthcare by Democrats.
Florida will turn just like CT, MA…hey, maybe we’re next in line to slap down those democrats.
What I wouldn’t give to have someone OTHER than a democrat fill Robert Wexler’s seat….Wexler who QUIT (hmmm, just like that Alaska governor, but no talk from the media about that) and Wexler, the carpetbagger left for more money.
Good riddance! He didn’t live in his district, didn’t pay his district taxes, didn’t send his kids to the local schools, nor pay for insurance, prepare for hurricanes, spend his money at local merchants’ stores AND YET Wexler has decide to KEEP his donations in case he may choose to run for office again.
Democrats are getting a nasty reputation. The Florida voter may turn sooner than you think. Haiti may be the tipping point.
January 19th, 2010 at 3:15 pm
It sure makes it easy to write a blog when all you do is copy from Democrat Party websites. Nice job.
January 19th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
[...] called the vote a “mistake.”) McCollum has even declared that back then, he was “a little naive” to oppose the holiday (even though he was almost 40 years old tat the time, and it’s [...]
January 19th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
White Man’s Greed Runs a World in Need – President Obama (much less than 27 years ago)
January 19th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
McCollum’s latest excuse for voting against a national holiday for MLK, JR. is political expediency at best and an outright deception (a.k.a., lie)at worst. Just more candidate dishonesty and hypocrisy!!
January 19th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
So, one vote about yet another federal holiday for the slackers in civil service is worse than a former KKK leader being the senior Senator from West Virginia? Oh, that’s right, Robert Byrd is a Democrat. (Who opposed civil rights BTW) All is forgiven and ignored as long as you have a ‘D’ next to your name.
January 19th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
MLK believed the way for African Americans to improve their situation was to get an education. So we honor the great MLK with a day off from school??? Keep the kids in school and teach them about all of the great things the man did and what he stood for. Try to find a middle school student who understands the message of “I Have a Dream”… McCollum was right to oppose but maybe for the wrong reason.
January 20th, 2010 at 7:28 am
Paula Dockery is possibly the Chief Executive that We the People need to get our state back on track. Bill McCollum’s record as State Attorney General should be closely examined. The State AG’s office is known to be incompetent and has failed to enforce the law. The mortgage fraud in this state was rampant under McCollum’s watch, the result severely damaged the Florida economy. All McCollum did in response was put together some fraud “task forces” that did nothing more than create an “illusion of motion” that some law enforcement action was being taken. Bill McCollum is a lifetime politician who exemplifies how non-performing government employees manage to keep their jobs through political jockeying. McCollum’s economic goals detailed on his candidacy web site are “bullet points” in which he has no experience in creating one job, let alone millions of high tech jobs necessary to build a real economic future for this State. Paula Dockery is a candidate worth considering.
January 23rd, 2010 at 12:41 am
McCollum is such an airhead. Can anyone possibly believe he is Governor material