Democrats in S.C. urge unity, laud King

Observe his holiday before Sat. primary

Senators Barack Obama of Illinois and Hillary Clinton of New York shared a light moment while former senator John Edwards of North Carolina looked on during an NAACP rally to mark Martin Luther King Day in Columbia, S.C. (EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images)

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Past, present, and future collided yesterday as the leading Democratic presidential candidates observed the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a state where black voters could hold the key to winning Saturday's primary.

With thousands of South Carolinians gathered underneath the Confederate flag flying outside the State Capitol, senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and former senator John Edwards called for unity in the quest for social justice but gently weaved their own campaign messages into tributes to King and his legacy.

"He led a movement of works, a movement of people across our country who raised their voices, rolled up their sleeves, and worked for justice," Clinton said, going on to name other civil rights pioneers. "They did their part, now we must do ours - to continue this movement of works and action, to be doers of the word, not just hearers. And my friends, there is so much to be done."

Those words by Clinton, who was accused of downplaying King's civil rights successes in a recent television interview, seemed designed to both highlight King's accomplishments and subtly advance her argument against Obama that he is more of a "talker" than a "doer."

Obama used yesterday's remembrance to reiterate his conciliatory message.

"The divisions, the stereotypes, the scapegoating, the ease with which we blame our plight on others - all of this distracts from our common challenges, the challenges that we face: war and poverty, injustice and inequality," he said. "If Dr. King could love his jailer, if he could call on Americans to forgive those who set dogs and fire hoses upon them, then surely we can look past what divides us in our time and mend up our wounds and erase that empathy deficit in our heart."

Edwards said it was a disgrace that millions lacked healthcare and that "islands of poverty" still existed in America decades after King called attention to them.

"It is time for us to say enough is enough," he said.

All three candidates also noted how historic it was that a woman and an African-American had a real shot at winning the presidency.

"That we stand here is measure of Dr. King's life work and his legacy," Clinton said.

Leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People led yesterday's celebration, urging participants to both recognize how far the country had come and continue fighting against bigotry and injustice. Lonnie Randolph, president of the NAACP's South Carolina chapter, told the crowd to show their strength at the ballot box.

Republican presidential candidates also honored King.

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee attended a service at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where King preached.

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney marched in a parade in Jacksonville, Fla., and called the plight of urban schools "the great civil rights issue of our time."

Arizona Senator John McCain said in a statement, "We honor Dr. King best by honoring his vision for racial harmony and continuing the worldwide struggle for those values for which Dr. King fought so courageously."

And former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani said in a statement, "Dr. King confronted racism with his movement of nonviolence and with his own courage and determination. He brought America to a much greater tolerance."

Scott Helman can be reached at shelman@globe.com.