Artur Davis' change of heart on Hate

The House approved legislation this week expanding the definition of hate crimes to include gays. The legislation has been around for a very long time. It won approval on a 281 - 146 vote. I was sure I would see a 100% no vote by Alabama's seven house members, but to my surprise, Congressman and Democratic Candidate for Governor Artur Davis, who gave a somewhat tortured explanation about why he had voted against it in a previous attempt, voted for the legislation this past week according to the congressional web site! Amazing. Davis was criticized for his earlier no-vote, which made him the only member of the black caucus to vote against the measure. Of course the bill was attached to the massive defense spending legislation, and that may give him some cover. But again, he was the only Alabama Congressman to vote yes. Only half a dozen House members failed to vote and nobody voted "present". The Legislation now heads to the Senate, where there are enough Democratic votes to approve it. Maybe.