Memphis, TN — Sen. John McCain may face questions about his civil rights record as he visits Memphis Friday to participate in a number of events commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination.

Scheduled to address the Southern Christian Leadership Conference–which King headed up for more than a decade–as well as lay a wreath at the National Civil Rights Museum, McCain’s initial opposition to a holiday commemorating the slain civil rights leader could be among the issues that come up during his trip.

In his first year in the U.S. House, McCain voted with the minority and opposed the 1983 law creating the national holiday to honor King, but reversed his decision around 1990 after he says he “learned” more about King’s achievements. As he fought for an Arizona state ballot measure to recognize MLK Day in 1990, McCain successfully pushed former President Reagan to endorse the referendum.

McCain has said on a number of occasions that he regrets his original 1983 vote and told reporters this week that he is “very proud” of his record of support for King.

“I voted in my…first year in Congress against it and then I began to learn and I studied and people talked to me. And I not only supported it but I fought very hard in my home state of Arizona for recognition against a governor who was of my own party,” McCain said during a media availability aboard his plane Monday (video above). “I had not been involved in the issue. I had come from being in the military to running for Congress in a state that did not have a very large African American population and it had not been in issue. It just simply had not been.”

In a February 2000 interview with ABC News, McCain said his initial opposition to a holiday was based on his belief that “it was not necessary to have another federal holiday, that it cost too much money, that other presidents were not recognized.”

Asked on Monday why he shifted his position and later supported a state measure creating a holiday, McCain told reporters that he “learned (that King) was a transcendent figure in American history. He deserved to be honored and that I thought it was appropriate to do so.”

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As of 6pm ET Thursday, the link to the Tennessee Republican Party’s controversial press release attacking Sen. Barack Obama for anti-Semitic ties was officialy dead. (See Web screenshot below)

The release, titled “Anti-Semites for Obama,” originally contained a reference to Obama’s middle name, Hussein, and the Drudge-promoted photo of the Democrat in a traditional Somali outfit. After receiving criticism from Sen. John McCain and the Republican National Committee, the state party stripped those elements from the release late Wednesday but defended the rest of the statement. The RNC publicly condemned the TN GOP’s conduct Thursday morning.

More background here…

And per local TN reporting, it looks like Sen. Lamar Alexander threw down the gauntlet.. 

***10am 2/28 UPDATE*** (((RNC issues official statement: “The RNC rejects these kinds of campaign tactics. We believe this election needs to be about the critical issues confronting our nation.” -RNC Chairman Mike Duncan)))

After receiving a private rebuke from the Republican National Committee, the Tennessee Republican party removed online references to Barack Obama’s middle name as well as a photo attachment of Obama in a traditional Somali dress Wednesday evening.

A GOP official tells FOX that RNC officials chided TN state officials Wednesday for issuing the press release, titled “Anti-Semites For Obama,” which included the Democrat’s middle name, Hussein, as well as the controversial photo that was first publicized on the Drudge Report. Sen. John McCain also expressed his public displeasure with the state party’s conduct at a press conference in San Antonio, TX today.

In a follow up release posted late Wednesday evening, the Tennessee GOP remained unapologetic noting that the original statement was “twisted by Democrats who would prefer to scream “racism!” rather than deal with Obama’s real and worrisome record,” said Communications Director Bill Hobbs.

See the cleaned up version of the press release here…

Compared to the top of the original release below: (note the “Hussein” in the first sentence and the photo)

While the newest statement, titled “Tennessee Republican Party Remains Focused On Issue Not Race,” made no mention of the decision to remove the most controversial parts of the original release, there was an allusion that the TN GOP made the decision for party unity. “Attempts to put the Tennessee Republican Party at odds with Sen. John McCain regarding our Monday press release and his Tuesday comments are ineffective and vacant,” Hobbs added.

Full statement from Bill Hobbs:

Tennessee Republican Party Remains Focused On Issue Not Race

The Tennessee Republican Party expresses thanks to the numerous people who have called to express support for the strong stance that we have taken in defense of the nation of Israel.

Our Monday, Feb 25, press release alerting voters that Sen. Barack Obama has foreign policy advisers and endorsements rooted in anti-Semitic and anti-Israel views has been twisted by Democrats who would prefer to scream “racism!” rather than deal with Obama’s real and worrisome record.

Attempts to put the Tennessee Republican Party at odds with Sen. John McCain regarding our Monday press release and his Tuesday comments are ineffective and vacant given Sen. McCain’s consistently strong record as a defender of Israel.

San Antonio, TX — For the second time in as many days, Sen. John McCain was forced to rebuke members of his own party for over-the-top attacks on Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama.

The presumptive GOP nominee said he disapproves of a Tennessee Republican Party press release that used an infamous photo of Obama in traditional Somali dress, called the Democrat “Barack Hussein Obama,” and alleged that he consulted with anti-Semitic advisers.

“All I can say is that I have made my position very clear and I have made it time after time and I made it yesterday,” McCain said at a San Antonio press conference, alluding to his condemnation Tuesday of a local radio talk show host who also referenced the Democrat’s middle name at an Ohio rally.

McCain noted that given that he is still not the official GOP nominee and has little control over the entire party, but added that, “if I am the nominee of the party, I will obviously assure that everyone within my party knows that this has got to be a respectful debate.”

The Arizona Senator also noted yesterday that he is worried that outside groups like 527s, which he has no control over, may put up ads or use rhetoric that he does not support during the general election.

The GOP is not alone in having to deal with the problem of potentially over-zealous allies. Liberal groups could also pose problems for the Democratic nominee this fall by running spots like the “General Betray-us” that September MoveOn.org ad.

While some Democratic leaders felt compelled to rebuke the group forthe ad, neither Obama or Clinton voted to condemn the Petraeus ad.

Fox News projects that Hillary Clinton has won in Oklahoma and Tennessee; Barack Obama took Alabama and his home state of Illinois. Missouri, Connecticut, and Delaware all remain too close to call. (UPDATE: FNC decision team had AL too close to call until about 9:30)

More spin from the Clinton campaign on their victories below the fold — they say this demonstrates that Hillary Clinton can compete and win in red states.

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John McCain flew to Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee Saturday– a lightning quick tour of southern states with Super Tuesday primaries.

After a rally in Nashville, Tennessee, McCain told reporters that he thinks he will win the Republican nomination.

McCain moves to the Northeast on Sunday and Monday. He’ll hit Connecticut, New York City and Massachusetts, taking on Mitt Romney aggressively on his home turf.

Los Angeles, CA-

After a debate where Mike Huckabee was largely left on the sidelines with Libertarian Ron Paul, due to a format that favored the two leading contenders, John McCain, and Mitt Romney, Huckabee is looking for a boost in the last days before the mega-state primaries on February, 5th. Huckabee today embarks on a pre-Tsunami Tuesday campaign swing that will lead him through many of the Southern, and Heartland states-like Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Georgia- that are at the center of his Southern state strategy; the last stand for this Little-Train-That-Could of GOP presidential campaigns.

” I am optimistic about our chances and the path forward seems clear,” Huckabee said, in a message titled “Full Throttle”, to supporters yesterday.”When I look at Super Tuesday, I see a number of key Southern states, and other strong  conservative states, that are likely to add to our delegate count and put us on the right track towards winning the Republican nomination.”

However, due to McCain’s  freight train-like momentum, after back to back primary wins, and gargantuan endorsements like the Governator’s today in California( a delegate-heavy Super Tuesday state), Huckabee’s effort, while herculean, could fall well short of it’s intended target. Verifiable signs of the tough road head for the Huckabee campaign are already appearing, like large hurdles in front of a sprinter, trying to catch up to the lead runner. According to poll numbers released today in some of those Southern states, McCain leads Huckabee by double digits.

Insider Advantage has McCain leading Huckabee in Tennessee, 33 to 25. In Georgia, where Huckabee campaigned recently, he is down 11 points, 35 to 24 (5% MOE).

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