Discriminations

The left’s predictable attacks on McCain for his “divisive” support of the Arizona Civil Rights Initiative banning racial preferences — and the enthusiastic applause of his supporters for the same stand — had hardly begun to trail off when the Arizona Senator gave a confused, and disturbing, reply to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer about the identical initiative in Colorado.

BLITZER: You’re in Colorado right now. They have an initiative on their ballot in November that would eliminate affirmative action. I don’t know if you’re familiar with that referendum, but is that a good idea?

MCCAIN: I’m not familiar with the referendum, Wolf. It’s hard for me to say. I’ve always opposed quotas.

By now there is really very little excuse for McCain not being “familiar” with all three of the state civil rights initiatives now pending, since the ones in Colorado and Nebraska are identical with the one he just endorsed in Arizona. And saying he opposes “quotas” really isn’t saying anything, since racial preferences are wrong even when they don’t involve quotas.

If McCain is unable to endorse neutral, colorblind equality on his own steam, his staff still has its work cut out for it.

UPDATE

Michelle Malkin also expresses doubt about McCain’s commitment to colorblind equal treatment.