Obama challenges McCain on stalled hate crimes bill

LOU CHIBBARO JR
Friday, August 22, 2008

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is challenging his Republican rival, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), to end his opposition to a federal hate crimes bill following reports of a recent surge in anti-gay and anti-transgender hate crimes.

In a conference call Monday, an official with the Obama campaign's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Steering Committee noted that Obama is a strong supporter of the Matthew Shepard National Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act while McCain opposes the legislation.

“We feel it's important to point out the stark contrast between Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain on this issue,” said Matt Nosanchuk, an official with the Obama LGBT Steering and Policy Committee.
“In Sen. Obama's vision for America, there is no place for hate crimes,” Nosanchuk said.

A McCain campaign spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
The Matthew Shepard hate crimes measure, named after the gay University of Wyoming student who was murdered in an anti-gay attack in 1998, would authorize the federal government to prosecute hate crimes based on a victim's sexual orientation, gender identity, gender or disability.

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