It's not even on the ballot yet, but McCain and Obama have a position

latimes ^ | July 27, 2008

[flyfree]

It isn't often that an issue involving a specific state takes center stage during a presidential campaign -- particularly if the matter isn't even officially before the voters yet. But an effort in Arizona to prohibit state and local governments from considering race, ethnicity, color, gender or national origin in matters involving public employment, public education or public contracting was among the topics discussed by both John McCain and Barack Obama on Sunday.

The Arizona ballot initiative is the brainchild of Ward Connerly, the former UC regent who was behind a similar proposal in California more than a decade ago. His Proposition 209, approved in 1996 with 54% of the vote, amended the state constitution to prohibit public institutions from applying preferences based on race, gender or ethnicity. He sponsored similar successful drives in Washington (1998) and Michigan (2006). Now Connerly is taking his cause around the country, targeting Arizona, Colorado and Nebraska this year (efforts failed in Missouri and Oklahoma). On Thursday, supporters delivered petitions containing about 100,000 more names than needed to the Arizona secretary of state's office, which now must verify the validity of each signature to determine if the initiative will make it on the November ballot.

Appearing Sunday on ABC's "This Week," McCain was asked specifically ...

... whether he supported his home state's ballot initiative, which host George Stephanopoulos said would “do away with affirmative action.”

[flyfree]

The language on the fall ballots is part of a campaign by former University of California regent Ward Connerly, an affirmative action opponent who has been successful in his home state as well in Washington and Michigan.

The ballot language reads: “The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.”

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/07/27/mccain_supports_ariz_proposal.html

Not really a quota. We will see if McCain changes his ruling on this one.

[the anti-liberal]

I’m sure the affirmative action candidate will take umbrage and call it racist.

[Rosemont]

Come on. I’m sure Obama will come out against unqualified minorities getting jobs that they do not deserve /sarc.

[kenavi]

McCain should embrace it. Like drilling, it is a common-sensical position whose time has finally come.

[Jabba the Nutt]

Both will oppose it. McCain's a big government, pro-amnesty, pro-elites-know-better. It won't become a national issue.

I say this in sadness. In '06 we had a Republican Country Club type run against icumbent Dem, tax-increaser, economy stagnanter Governor. Dick DeVos lost.

[Jabba the Nutt]

Well, it didn't take long to happily be proven wrong:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2052254/posts.

Here's the takeaway, McCain used to opposed the Civil Rights Initiative, he's reversed himself to now support it. Hmmm, I wonder how this happened. I don't care that he blip-flopped on this, he landed right side up.

[Salvation]

bumpity.......