Democrats fire away in debates - Majette, McKinney agree on little

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 8.9.02 | Rhonda Cook

[mhking]

	WILLIAM BERRY/AJC Denise Majette (left) and U. S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney after Friday's debate.

[ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: 8/10/02 ]

Democrats fire away in debates
Majette, McKinney agree on little

By RHONDA COOK
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer Cynthia McKinney showed. And the sparks flew.

In their first head-to-head confrontation Friday night, the combative 4th District congresswoman and her challenger squared off over campaign contributors with terrorist connections, Republicans, affirmative action and reparations for slavery.

McKinney and Denise Majette, a former DeKalb County state court judge, stood at separate lecterns about 5 feet apart in Georgia Public Television's studios and fielded questions from reporters. They rarely looked at each other during the 30-minute verbal sparring match.

"Quite frankly, my outspokenness is loved by my constituents," McKinney said at one point. "You will see that on Election Day."

Organizers of the debate were unsure whether McKinney would participate until she and her entourage arrived at the GPTV studio about 20 minutes before the debate was to begin.

McKinney caused a storm earlier this year by suggesting President Bush might have known about the Sept. 11 attacks but did nothing so his associates could make money in the ensuing war.

The congresswoman implied during the debate that she has been vindicated because a House committee was created to look into the Sept. 11 attacks.

Majette accused McKinney of being an ineffective lawmaker, bringing only $356 million to her district during her 10 years in congress, while U.S. Rep. John Lewis brought five times that amount to the neighboring 5th Congressional District.

She also said McKinney had taken campaign contributions from Arab terrorists on Sept. 11. McKinney touted herself as the "defender of the weak and the poor."

"We don't racially profile our contributors," McKinney shot back. "My opponent has a lot of Republican money flowing into her coffers."

Majette was asked if she would be beholden to Israel since some of her contributions came from Jewish donors.

"I'm not beholden to anyone except the people of the 4th District," Majette said.

McKinney accused Majette of "flip-flopping" on affirmative action because she does not favor reparations for slavery. Majette said better schools and adequate salaries for teachers are the best way to "level the playing field" and make up for past wrongs.

Majette complained McKinney had distributed campaign ads filled with "misrepresentations and lies." McKinney countered by resurrecting a 1990s court case in which a woman appeared before Majette for a speeding ticket.

McKinney waved a hand-written note that she said proved Majette had tried to withhold court documents from the woman, who was appealing her conviction.

"What she requested were informal notes," Majette said. "She got what she asked for, like she got what she asked for when she asked for a jury trial."

[mhking]

Black conservative ping

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[VA Advogado]

What an embarrassment you are Cynthia McKinney. And the sad things is bugs like this would have a job in congress forever as long as they dont get too close to the fire. Cynthia didn't heed that advice.

[lavaroise]

"Quite frankly, my outspokenness is loved by my constituents," McKinney said at one point. "You will see that on Election Day."

Worship me, worship me.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

My did the fur fly on that one! They both sound crooked in the end. Muahhahaha! Yes, I know, this district will likely remain liberal, but hey. Confirms my choice to leave the DNC. =]

[Redleg Duke]

This is an interesting race and will say a great deal about these "people of color" and where they place their loyalties, to the country that gave them birth or the countries that sold their ancestors into slavery. It is sad that the Democrat Party is so able to keep them in bondage with a pitiful "mess of pottage" called wellfare and affirmitive action.

[robertpaulsen]

"..being an ineffective lawmaker, bringing only $356 million to her district.."

There you have it, ladies and gentlemen, in a nutshell:

Effectiveness = Spending

[mhking]

This is an interesting race and will say a great deal about these "people of color" and where they place their loyalties, to the country that gave them birth or the countries that sold their ancestors into slavery.

I've got to disagree with you in that regard. Most blacks, unfortunately, refuse to see or just plain don't believe that black Africans sold other Africans into slavery.

What this race WILL show is whether or not lies and rhetoric (which McKinney had plenty of in the debate last night) will win out over truth and facts. And if the lies and rhetoric win out, then my faith in many of "my folks" will be diminished even further.

[BufordP]

Majette accused McKinney of being an ineffective lawmaker, bringing only $356 million to her district during her 10 years in congress,...

Hmmm...maybe we should rethink our position on McKinney.</minor sarcasm>

[Redleg Duke]

I really hate to hear someone like you refer to them as "my folks" because I want to believe that we are all "one folk". That is what America is supposed to be about, "E Pluribus Unum", "From Many, One".

Those people need to remember what George Santayan once said, "Those who refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat it!" That can be applied to "your folk" on the Democrat Plantation and the liberal Jews who want to appease the radical Moslems.

[Catspaw]

Well, if you love the Nation of Islam, CAIR, the American Muslim Council, Robert Mugabe, Hamas and Hezbollah, then that's what a vote for McKinney will endorse.

[BufordP]

Oh yes, of course I love all those. </still being sarcastic>

[mhking]

I really hate to hear someone like you refer to them as "my folks" because I want to believe that we are all "one folk". That is what America is supposed to be about, "E Pluribus Unum", "From Many, One".

That's why I put it in quotes. It was meant to be sarcastic.

[Catspaw]

That's why I want Jihad Cindy out. A good friend of mine lives in the new Barr-Linder district is working hard to make sure his friends in the Majette-McKinney district cross over and vote McKinney out. With McKinney's chief of staff being a member (or leader) of the Nation of Islam, according to Neal Boortz, chills him to the bone.

[BufordP]

No argument from me. But will Majette become a MORE "effective" congresscritter than McKinney ever was? (As a Democrat you know what that means.) I take it there's no chance of a Republican winning the general election in that district? If a Republican had a chance, would their chances be better running against McKinney or Majette?

Just curious.

[Catspaw]

"More effective?" As in "bringing home the pork?" My GOP congresscritter brags about that every election time, so that's not exclusive to the Dems. However, McKinney wants reparations and Majette does not. McKinney associates with some rather unsavory groups like the ones I listed; Majette--well, she's gotten support from (GASP) the GOP and Jewish groups--in certain respects, this race parallels the Hilliard-Davis race in Alabama (Hilliard holds similar positions to McKinney--although Hilliard did travel to Libya; Hilliard's antisemitc campaign was a whisper campaign--McKinney has her daddy doing that for her; Hilliard brought in--get this--Al Sharpton. I doubt if McKinney's going to make that mistake, but she will accept the Fruit of Islam as her bodyguards). According to those in the district (you'll have to check the McKinney threads), McKinney only helps those constituents that support (read "donate") to her campaign. Those that don't have been "adopted" by other congresscritters in Georgia for constituent services because McKinney refuses to do so. Why should a veteran who lives in McKinney's district have to call another congressman for assistance? That's just plain dumb.

I could get into the accusations that McKinney made about Bush knowing about 9/11 & grovelling for the $10 mil from the Saudi prince that Rudy Guiliani rejected, but that's fairly well-known. McKinney is extreme to the extreme; she wallows around with known antisemites like Louis Farrakhan, supports Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe, she plays the race card, has her daddy call freeper protestors "Nazis" and a whole lot more.

All in all, if the GOP candidate had a chance, this wouldn't be an issue. But the GOP candidate in that district does not. This is an issue between a Dem candidate that is so far left that she's disappeared from the face of the earth and someone who's moderate, someone who supports the Palestinians and someone who supports Israel--and someone who's dreaming about the day she'll be chairman of a subcommittee on the International Relations Committee so she can investigate human rights violations right here in the USA.

One thing I am curious about: McKinney says she won't "racially profile" her donors. Does that mean if McKinney got a campaign donation from the Aryan Nations, she wouldn't send it back?

[BufordP]

...Does that mean if McKinney got a campaign donation from the Aryan Nations, she wouldn't send it back?

Hehe...Green transcends all races. She'd proabaly keep it if she was low on cash.

Thanks for the info. Hopefully Majette won't be as "effective" as she hopes.

[sarasmom]

I could not listen to the debate.Was a "winner" declared?