Posted on 04/04/2006 8:20:50 AM PDT by Jean S
The bizarre scuffle Wednesday between Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) and an unnamed U.S. Capitol Police officer is winning the spirited congresswoman few new friends in her caucus. In fact, some Democrats are trying to distance themselves from her.
McKinney has been aggressively publicizing the incident, calling press conferences on each of the past two business days and even attracting a mention on the front page of The New York Times, something that the dozens of House and Senate Democrats combined couldn’t match when they unveiled their homeland-security plan last week.
Now, with McKinney facing a possible arrest warrant, the media frenzy is set only to escalate. The U.S. Capitol Police referred the issue to the U.S. District Attorney’s office for prosecution yesterday.
All of the attention has some Democrats concerned that McKinney is drawing the limelight away from their policy goals and Republicans’ ethical missteps to focus on a momentary, disputed encounter in a Capitol Hill hallway.
“There’s been a lot of eye-rolling,” said an aide to a moderate Democrat who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The national attention it’s been getting has been unfortunate. It’s becoming a distraction.”
A Democratic strategist concurred.
“This isn’t the view of Democrats that we want to project in the tough races, one of victims and race-baiting,” the strategist said.
McKinney often elicits strong opinions, even within her own caucus. She has a history of making controversial statements that delight progressives while irking moderates, yet even some of the caucus’s more progressive members have had disagreements with her.
She and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) no longer speak, not even to exchange greetings when encountering each other in the Capitol hallways, said two House Democratic sources. Pelosi twice turned down McKinney’s request to regain her seniority after she was defeated and then reelected in 2002 and 2004. McKinney first came to Congress in 1992.
McKinney spokesman Coz Carson said his boss is an effective member of Congress.
“She’s a gutsy leader who gets out in front of important issues,” he said. “She demonstrates bold and responsible leadership for the people who elected her to office.”
McKinney raised some eyebrows when she attended hearings of the select committee on Hurricane Katrina even after Democratic leaders had decided that only three Democrats — Reps. Gene Taylor (Miss.), Bill Jefferson (La.) and Charlie Melancon (La.) — would participate.
At her news conference Friday, organizers originally expected to have members of Congress join McKinney in a show of support. None ultimately appeared, although Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) sent a statement saying that “the most responsible and useful course for all involved would be to seek a resolution that would be satisfactory to both parties.”
Meanwhile, Republicans have had a field day with the allegations.
Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) called the incident — in which McKinney allegedly struck the officer after he stopped her at a security checkpoint — “disgraceful” and “horrible.” McKinney has said the officer inappropriately touched her.
“I recognize that there are 435 members and I look like a staffer — sometimes an intern — and sometimes memory fails,” said McHenry, who is the youngest member of Congress. “And anyway, I don’t think it’s smart for any member to tussle with a Capitol Police officer. They’re well-trained.”
McHenry and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) plan to introduce a resolution today to show appreciation for the Capitol Police.
Other members were more willing to give McKinney the benefit of the doubt.
“It’s a question of fact and whether the officer put his hand on her first or whether he asked her to stop first and asked for ID. The facts will determine who was in the right and who was in the wrong,” said Rep. Al Wynn (D-Md.). “I would be offended and upset if [an officer] put his hands on me prior to asking for ID.”
A House Democratic aide sided with McKinney.
“The notion that they would charge her is just beyond ludicrous, regardless of what happened. It sounds like a misunderstanding. She clearly wasn’t intending to assault a police officer.”
"Karl Rove told her to punch the officer."
Karl's mind-control machine is really something, isn't it?
LOL!
This guy should write a book ... 'Platitudes for Dummies'.
LOL.
Now put her on the treadmill next to lolita.
I sure hope it takes more than a lapel pin to circumvent the metal detectors. There are more than 600 elected officials working in the Capitol.
There is no way the police are going to recognize everyone and a simple lapel badge hopefully isn't the only form of identification they rely upon.
We've got to love this. Hopefully it'll continue.
Uh, Al, if you were walking away from the officer ignoring his call for you to stop, what would you expect? Should he shout out "show me your id" or simply taser you into submission? Does thst "D" after your name stand for doofus?
Oh, and BTW ... what did you actually say instead of "an officer"? Is Ms. Hearn covering up your own gaffe?
How about that, a dem beat a cop and we have another right wing conspiracy...
but have dem lawyers target right wing pundit or leaders such as Rush or Delay for bogus reasons... and that's not selective
This is war... they will not change their goals of transforming america into an arbitrary tyranny of false fighters
"care about little guys like security officers who use false claims of "racism" and other B.S. to cover their crimes."
You are correct except that the person who tried to do his job was a DC Police Officer.
ROFLMAO
We need to make sure she is reelected to her seat in Congress. She is one of our best GOTV and fundraising tools and is a perfect illustration of why you do NOT want the Dems in charge!
Go McKinney Go! Your helping our team.
She and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) no longer speak, not even to exchange greetings when encountering each other
LOL
Oh really..... That pretty much epitomizes the Democrats position on everything doesn't it?
I don't see how they can say she's a distraction. A distraction from what? They have no agenda. If anything, she represents that sum total of their core beliefs.
Yeah, but she did assault the officer. I guess the devil made her do it.
SNORT.
"All of the attention has some Democrats concerned that McKinney is drawing the limelight away from their policy goals and Republicans’ ethical missteps to focus on a momentary, disputed encounter in a Capitol Hill hallway."
No bias in that statement. Like the "policy goals of the Democrats" and the "Republicans ethical missteps".
their second goal is to impeach president Cheney
Proving once again that the Democrat party is the party for people with no standards at all.
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