Here are 2 links containing remarks made by Senator McCain concerning the Hate Crimes Bill and it being added as an amendment to the Defense authorization bill. The remarks on the youtube video start at the 3:00 mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NpIVYROneE

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106677813

The NPR piece summarizes his comments like this:

While some GOP senators also support the legislation, Arizona Sen. John McCain is among the vocal GOP critics who want to push through the defense authorization but not the hate crimes bill.

"While we have young Americans fighting and dying in two wars, we're going to take up the hate crimes bill because the majority leader thinks that's more important … than legislation concerning the defense of this nation," McCain said.

Patriots like John McCain are always quick to remind us that those ‘young Americans’ he is referring to are fighting for and defending our freedoms. Doesn’t this include the freedom to be safe in your own country no matter what your sexual orientation, gender or gender identification may be? Isn't the 'freedom to be whoever you are' what makes theis country great and what sets it apart from most of the rst of the world?

Adding the Hate Crimes Bill to the defense authorization makes perfect sense because the intent of the Hate Crimes Bill and the freedom from hate-based violence that it provides is exactly what we are fightng these wars for, at least according to John McCain.