Apologetic McCain calls for removal of Confederate battle flag from S.C. Statehouse

Arizona senator urges Congress to heed call for reform

April 19, 2000
Web posted at: 6:10 p.m. EDT (2210 GMT)

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) -- Former GOP presidential candidate John McCain called for the removal of the Confederate battle flag from atop the South Carolina Statehouse on Wednesday, acknowledging that his refusal to take such a stance during his primary battle for the Palmetto State was a "sacrifice of principle for personal ambition."

Sen. John McCain returned to South Carolina on Wednesday and called for the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the Statehouse.

"I believe the flag should be removed from your Capitol, and I am encouraged that fair-minded people on both sides of the issue are working hard to define an honorable compromise," McCain said in his speech on conservative reform to the South Carolina Policy Council.

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Although the Democrat-controlled South Carolina Senate voted last week to move the battle flag from atop the statehouse to a nearby Confederate soldier monument, McCain did not specifically endorse the measure. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) opposes the endeavor, arguing it moves the flag to a more visible spot on Statehouse grounds.

Both McCain and the now presumptive GOP presidential nominee George W. Bush were dogged by the flag dispute as they campaigned across the Palmetto State in advance of the February 19 primary. At the time, both men sidestepped the controversy, saying it was a state issue and should be determined by South Carolina voters.

When asked by a reporter how he felt about the Confederate flag during a January 12 campaign event, McCain replied: "Personally, I see the flag as symbol of heritage."

The Arizona senator expressed regret for that stance on Wednesday, telling the audience of Republicans: "I feared that if I answered honestly, I could not win the South Carolina primary. So I chose to compromise my principles."

"I promised to tell the truth always about my intentions and beliefs. I fell short of that standard in South Carolina," McCain said. "While my response was factually accurate, it did not answer how I personally felt about the flag."

"My ancestors fought for the Confederacy ... but I don't believe their service, however distinguished, needs to be commemorated in a way that offends, deeply hurts, people whose ancestors were once denied their freedom by my ancestors," McCain said.

Opponents of the flag say it is a symbol of slavery, while defenders contend it symbolizes Southern heritage and honors those who fought for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. On Wednesday, McCain braced for criticism from both sides of the debate.

"I do not intend for this apology to help me evade criticism for my failure. I will be criticized by all sides for my late act of contrition. I accept all of it, I deserve it," he said.

McCain -- who has been in demand by Republican congressional candidates across the country since he displayed an ability to attract moderate and independent voters during the primary season -- first mentioned plans to address the flag issue after speaking at a town-hall meeting in Galesburg, Illinois on Tuesday.

McCain's message to Congress

A large part of McCain's Wednesday message to the Republican luncheon crowd was aimed at furthering his reformist agenda. Resurrecting many of his campaign themes, the Arizona senator called on the GOP-controlled Congress to responsibly use the budget surplus to shore up Social Security and Medicare and pay down the national debt.

"These reforms are not part of a hidden liberal agenda," said McCain, who included campaign finance reform, education reform, and targeted tax cuts for lower-income Americans as tenets of the "conservative reform agenda."

Although some politicians, most notably Minnesota Independent Gov. Jesse Ventura, have urged the former Vietnam prisoner of war to renew his presidential bid as a third-party candidate, McCain insists that "the Republican Party is my home."

Although he promised to support the GOP presidential nominee -- presumed to be Bush -- McCain has also said that his enthusiasm would hinge upon Bush's willingness to support facets of his reform agenda. In contrast, his message to his colleagues in Congress on Wednesday was blunt: change or lose control of Congress.

"Although I lost my bid for the presidency, I'm gratified to have new opportunities to advance a reform agenda, campaigning with Republican candidates who understand that if we're to be the majority party we must be the party of change, McCain said.

He accused his tax-cut minded GOP colleagues of presiding over the growth of a tax code "riddled with loopholes for special interests."

"I'm not proud that when Republicans gained the majority in 1994, the tax code was 40,00 pages long, now its 44,000 pages long," he said.

Bush sticks to earlier position on flag

The Arizona senator -- who lost to Bush in South Carolina but won seven Republican primaries before bowing out of the GOP race in early March -- is scheduled to meet with his former opponent next month in Pittsburgh to discuss reform issues.

Bush heard news of McCain's planned speech during a campaign stop in Dearborn, Michigan, on Tuesday. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee said he intended to stick to his earlier position on the issue.

"I believe the people of South Carolina should decide this issue and I believe they will," Bush told reporters. Asked if he would endorse any decision to remove the flag, Bush replied, "I will endorse the fact that they have concluded the issue."

McCain said Wednesday that his comments on the flag dispute were not aimed at persuading Bush to change his position. "This was a personal statement of mine that needed to be made, and I don't think it would or should affect anyone else's position," he said.

However, the Texas governor's comments on Tuesday drew instant criticism from the campaign of Vice President Al Gore, which routinely derided both Bush and McCain during the primary season for failing to speak out the issue.

"Leadership is about doing what's right, not for the far right," said Gore spokesman Chris Lehane.

CNN's Candy Crowley, The Associated Press contributed to this report, which was written by Mike Ferullo.