In an April 3 post on the MSNBC.com political blog First Read, NBC News political director Chuck Todd, deputy political director Mark Murray, and political researcher Domenico Montanaro wrote: “Has [Sen. John] McCain's bio tour worked? He ends it tomorrow in Memphis, which could be his most high-profile event, where he attends the events surrounding the anniversary of MLK's assassination.” Similarly, in an April 3 post on the CBSNews.com political blog From The Road, Dante Higgins noted that on April 4, “McCain takes a break from his bio tour to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in Memphis on the 40th anniversary of his death.” However, neither First Read nor From The Road reported -- as Huffington Post political reporter Sam Stein noted in an April 1 article -- that in 1983, McCain voted against establishing a holiday honoring King.

By contrast, ABC News senior national correspondent Jake Tapper wrote in an April 3 post on his blog Political Punch: “McCain as a young congressman in 1983 voted against a federal holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Most Republicans in the House voted for the holiday (89 voted for the holiday, 77 opposed), though all three Arizona House Republicans were opposed.” Tapper further wrote: “In January 1987, the first act of Arizona's new governor, Republican Evan Mecham, was to rescind the executive order by his predecessor to create an MLK holiday. Arizona's stance became a national controversy. McCain backed the decision at the time. But eventually he changed his mind. In 1990, Arizonans were given an opportunity to vote to observe an MLK holiday. McCain successfully appealed to former President Ronald Reagan to support the holiday.”

As Tapper noted, on the December, 5, 1999, broadcast of NBC's Meet the Press, McCain had the following exchange with host Tim Russert:

MR. RUSSERT: There's a lot of discussion about John McCain, just who he is. And people in Arizona, and others, will say, “He's an extremely conservative man.” Let me go to the New Republic and quote and give you a chance to talk about this issue a little bit and put it on the screen: “Though hailed in the press invariably as a 'maverick' or 'liberal' Republican because of his stances on campaign finance reform and tobacco, McCain is in fact more conservative than the man whom he succeeded in the Senate...Barry Goldwater.” They go on. “He endorsed every item in the Contract with America...he has opposed federal funding for abortions and supported a constitutional amendment to ban them...McCain voted in the House against making Martin Luther King Day a federal holiday and has recently opposed raising the minimum wage...he voted against modest gun controls, including the 1994 assault-weapons ban and the 1993 Brady Bill.”

John McCain's very conservative?

SEN. McCAIN: John McCain's a proud conservative. John McCain--by the way, on the Martin Luther King issue, we all learn, OK? We all learn. I will admit to learning, and I hope that the people that I represent appreciate that, too. I voted in 1983 against the recognition of Martin Luther King. It became a huge issue in my state. I'm proud to have been--because we didn't recognize Dr. King--I'm proud to have played one of the leadership roles in seeking and obtaining the membership...

MR. RUSSERT: So you regret that vote?

SEN. McCAIN: I regret that vote.

From the April 3 post on MSNBC.com's First Read:

John's excellent adventure: Has McCain's bio tour worked? He ends it tomorrow in Memphis, which could be his most high-profile event, where he attends the events surrounding the anniversary of MLK's assassination. But what did McCain gain this week? The tour received some attention in newscasts and newspaper articles -- but nothing compared with what the latest dramas in the Clinton-Obama race attracted. The tour certainly hasn't hurt McCain. But did it help him? Just asking: What if they unveiled his bio each day at stops in three key states like Michigan, Florida, and Iowa? McCain is weaker in Iowa than a Republican should be and has ground to make up there. Also, stumping in Florida and Michigan would only serve as a chance to stick a finger in the eyes of the Democrats regarding their delegate dispute in those two states.

From the April 3 post on CBSNews.com's From The Road:

Meantime, last night, McCain's campaign swiftly responded to Hillary Clinton's new TV ad, which repeated the 3am theme she has used before to criticize McCain on the economy.

McCain's ad, which is not currently scheduled to run on TV yet, rips off the 3am theme and says, “It's 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. But there's a phone ringing in the White House and this time the crisis is economic. Home foreclosures mounting, markets teetering. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama just said they'd solve the problem by raising your taxes. More money out of your pocket. John McCain has a better plan...”

Tomorrow, McCain takes a break from his bio tour to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in Memphis on the 40th anniversary of his death.