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 couldnt 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 Attorneys 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.
Theres been a lot of eye-rolling, said an aide to a moderate Democrat who spoke on condition of anonymity. The national attention its been getting has been unfortunate. Its becoming a distraction.
A Democratic strategist concurred.
This isnt 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 caucuss 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 McKinneys 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.
Shes 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 dont think its smart for any member to tussle with a Capitol Police officer. Theyre 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.
Its 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 wasnt intending to assault a police officer.
Howling out loud. Children at play. On the same liberal, conservative, America hating team and cannot play well together. Two rabid dogs that fight on sight. Love those liberal-socialist-communist-puke-homosexual loving-leftist-pro Al Qaeda-pro Islamic homicide bomber loving-Democrats.
What about that jackass, Conyers? I thought he was caught in a scandal last month. Isn't that worth reporting anymore?
Assault of a law enforcement office by a member of Congress is a 'distraction' but when VPOTUS accidently hits a hunting buddy with buckshot it's the end of civlization as we know it.
You need to repeat that post, in caps. I think that is the most important lesson of this whole thing.
Also, the current internal discrimination complaint may be valid -- but take race out of the current situation with her. What if those officers involved in this matter with her were black? What kind of discrimination charge exists then in her situation? It really comes down to her simply following the rules of wearing that pin so there is no confusion. Does everyone else or no one wear their congressional pin? I would like to know that. If everyone else does, and that is the accepted mode, as per the regulations, well, then, she needs to do it, too. Forget about hair. Follow the law.
i meant: law/rules/whatever...
"gutsy leader"
1) There are no Leadership qualities about her.
2) There is nothing "gutsy" about her.
Arrogant, offensive, antagonistic, race-baiting, not-too-bright, opportunistic......these terms fit better.
We don't know what McKinney's resume looked like at the time she was admitted to Yale. But it's quite plausible that her academic credentials were mediocre, and that she was already a loud-mouthed radical nut spouting stuff that would get any white student kicked off the campus. If so, it was the same "politically correct", pseudo-intellectual amorality that got both McKinney and Hashemi admitted.
I had a similar concern - a major security hole has now been exposed for the world to see. Simply wait for a new Congress to be in session so that there will be a lot of unfamiliar faces, or wait for a new police officer to be posted, wear a counterfeit lapel pin, walk with an air of authority and entitlement and arrogance and breeze right past the metal detectors...
She avoided all personal responsibility for what happened and changed the subject during the entire interview to the broader issue of the history of racism in the past and present. IOW, because of that history, no person of color need take any responsibility for their lives today. Anyone who opposes anything she wants to do automatically becomes part of that larger view she paints of racism. It becomes proof that she is the victim. Both of her attorneys did the same thing. That's the racist movements' MO.
Democrats, throw out your garbage.
Shes 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.
Damn right! |
You're right. The internal CH Police complaint may well be valid, but it's an entirely separate issue. It has nothing to do with whether or not she hit this officer. But it's important to her and her attorneys. They do not want to address her criminal behavior. They need to paint a history of racism in the past that continues in the present. That simply provides a context which explains Ms. McKinney's actions--never the actions themselves. I suspect that all racists are using this rhetorical strategy. I've never paid that much attention, but I will from now on.
FLIPFLOPFLIPFLOPFLIPFLOP
I had never listened to this woman speak before, but I have to admit that it does not surprise me that she went to Yale. She speaks very well and is not an unintelligent woman. In fact, she reminded me of the way intellectuals take things and distort them to fit into their ivory-tower world that people who work in the everyday world see through instantly. It's a shame, really. This woman, though a real embarrassment to her party, her gender and her race, has a good mind that could have been used for good. Instead, she has wasted it on hate mongering.
I don't think Eleaner Holmes Norton is a "guy". And frankly, that silly non-statement was pretty appropriate for the situation -- essentially refusing to dignify McKinney's howlings with a response.
....."McKinney has said the officer inappropriately touched her.
He obviously grabbed a Boob!".........
Obviously, that's the implication that she's trying to connect.
But I bet that she considers touching any part of her (or even getting into her "space" ala Lazio/Hitlery) she considers inappropriate.
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