Posted on 08/15/2002 6:49:41 PM PDT by Pat Bateman
Farrakhan coming to stump for McKinney
By BILL TORPY
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer
The already fiery election campaign between Rep. Cynthia McKinney and Denise Majette is likely to get more heated: Louis Farrakhan is coming to town.
The controversial Nation of Islam leader has scheduled a 6 p.m. rally Saturday in DeKalb County to urge support for McKinney, who is in the tightest race in her 10 years in the U.S. House.
The site of the rally had not been announced Thursday.
Steven Muhammad, a Nation of Islam member who heads the metro group Muslims Active Politically, would say only, "He's here to ensure that money does not interfere with a race, that the people's voice is heard in the 4th District, not the money of political lobbies."
According to the online version of Final Call, the Nation of Islam's newspaper, Farrakhan told McKinney during a July meeting, "We are going to fight like hell for you." McKinney's campaign manager, Bill Banks, said he knew little about the visit or why Farrakhan is coming.
"We have a lot of people coming in. They saw what happened to [U.S. Rep. Earl] Hilliard in Alabama," Banks said, referring to a black congressman who was beaten in a Democratic primary by an opponent who raised more than $1 million, much of it from pro-Israel donors concerned about his relations with American Muslims.
Majette has raised more than $1.1 million, more than half of that in the past six weeks and much of it coming from out-of-state Jewish donors.
McKinney has raised about $640,000. More than half of McKinney's donors have Arabic names and live out of state.
McKinney has been vocal in her support of the Palestinian cause. And she has drawn fire for suggesting that the Bush administration had advance knowledge of the Sept. 11 attacks but did nothing so the president's friends could profit from a military buildup.
Jewish leaders have been upset that McKinney refused to distance herself from Farrakhan, whom they criticized for anti-Semitic remarks. Farrakhan said in 2000 he wanted to overcome his differences with Jews, saying he had been softened by a battle with cancer and prayers for his recovery by people of all faiths.
Majette's campaign said in a statement, "Regardless of who comes to town, the voters of the Fourth District want to talk about better jobs, lower taxes, better schools and affordable health care."
The race has drawn national interest and both sides have big-name support. Majette has gotten financial support from U.S. Sen. Zell Miller and former Braves great Henry Aaron.
McKinney has had a visit from the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Banks said she is getting radio ads from former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, basketball great Magic Johnson and former presidential candidate Ralph Nader.
McKinney's known Farrakhan's been coming since July 23. She can't claim she had no knowledge of his visit:
WEB POSTED 08-06-2002 Farrakhan tells CBC: Black lawmakers must be free |
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On domestic issues, the leader of the Nation of Islam said he would go to Georgia to help politicize Black people to their own self interests and the need to retain Rep. McKinney.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) successfully helped to defeat incumbent Rep. Earl Hilliard (D-Ala.) in June. AIPAC joined other pro-Israel groups in helping to pour over $1 million into an aggressive ad campaign against the five-term lawmaker. Rep. Hilliard was targeted for his call for a balanced U.S. policy in the Middle East and enjoyed substantial support from Arab Americans. Rep. McKinney faces former judge Denise Majette, who is also Black, in the Georgia congressional primary.
"Cynthia keep doing it and keep strong," Min. Farrakhan said to the outspoken lawmaker, during the July 23 meeting. "There are many more that you dont see that recognize the truth of what you said," he continued, referring to Rep. McKinneys questions about what the White House knew before Sept. 11 terror attacks on the U.S. Later it was revealed that there had been some indicators and signs of potential attacks and that the White House and government agencies had received some information.
"We are going to fight like hell for you," Min. Farrakhan said to Ms. McKinney. "We were late with Congressman Hilliard to our regret, sorrow and loss. But dear Rep. McKinney, we will not let this happen again without the best fight that all of us can put forward," he said.
The Minister called the defeat of Mr. Hilliard an immeasurable loss for the Black community. But, he added, that if Mr. Hilliard, who was in attendance, wanted to return to office, he believed it could happen in the next election cycle.
"I am saying this to all of you, that any time we send a man to Congress, we dont send him there to represent Israel. We send him there to represent the suffering Black community. It is absolutely abhorrent that AIPAC would spend money to unseat a Black man who speaks for the interests of Black people. We are going to stop this, because it is you (Rep. McKinney) now, then if any one of you dare speak, you are next. You have to stand up as men and women for your people, otherwise we have no right to have any hope in you," he stressed.
Rep. McKinney, who is seeking her sixth term, has come under vicious attack, coupled with numerous death threats over her call for hearings on Capitol Hill to investigate prior knowledge, if any, of the Bush administration regarding the Sept. 11 attacks and votes related to rollbacks of civil liberties.
"I filed a dissent July 22, as the only no vote in the House Armed Services Committee on the War on Terrorism bill, a bill that authorized another $10 billion for war," Ms. McKinney told The Final Call. The bill included worrisome language that encourages military personnel to work with local law enforcement, she noted.
Rep. McKinney thanked Min. Farrakhan for his kind words and his call for CBC members to be free to act on their convictions. She also thanked Rep. Conyers for bringing the Minister to members of the Black Caucus.
She also believes the media intentionally misreported her words about Sept. 11 and the White House.
Min. Farrakhan cited AIPACs role in the unseating of former Illinois Congressman Gus Savage and others. "Everybody who does not agree with all of the tax payer dollars that Israel receives each year is called anti-Semitic. Why dont we say, you (AIPAC) are anti-Black? " Min. Farrakhan asked. "Because they have done more to prove that they are anti-Black than any of us have done to prove that we are anti-Semitic, including Louis Farrakhan."
Fortune magazine ranks AIPAC as the fourth largest lobby group in the country. Since the 1989-90 election cycle, pro-Israel interests have contributed $41.3 million in individual, political action committee and soft money contributions to federal candidates and party committees. More than two-thirds of that total, or $28.6 million, has gone to Democrats, according to Open Secrets, a Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group.
"I want to come to Georgia, wherever your district is and outside your district, and I want to tour, speaking in churches and town halls; wherever I can get to speak, to alert the Black people and the White people to what is actually happening here. The country has already been taken and now we have to take it back," Min. Farrakhan said.
Legislators able to attend the briefing were: John Conyers, Cynthia McKinney, Maxine Waters (Ca.), Eva Clayton (N.C.), Earl Hilliard (Ala.), Carolyn Kilpatrick (Mich.), Julia Carson (Ind.), Gregory Meeks (Fla.), Shelia Jackson-Lee (Tx.), Sanford Bishop (Ga.), Mel Watt (N.C.).
Photo: Rep. John Conyers and Min. Farrakhan at meeting with CBC
Credit: Eric Ture Muhammad
The skit ROCKED. I still remember one of the classic lines... Spock, are you outta of your Vulcan mind?
Any way Farrahan is a P.O.S., no good rat ba*tard that should take up with a bunch of other rat ba*tards in Libia.
Trajan88; TAMU Class of '88
p.s. t.u. SUX; Crissy Simms throws like a girl & cries like one.
I caught a snippet of HARDBALL tonight. Jesse Jackson was on to chastise Nancy Pelosi and Dick Gebhardt for not coming to stump for McKinney. Evidently, he's really torqued that the DNC isn't supporting the woman Neal Boortz callsss the cutest little communist in congress.
But folks, we really shouldn't enjoy this in-house democratic spat so much. With it so close, McKinney's people will be spreading the money around, big time, and I bet her goons will be out too. Atlanta is lucky the election is Tuesday...I'd hate for this to drag on any longer.
Other Georgia races are interesting too. Buddy Darden is running again. "Experience we can't afford", say his opponent's ads. I think people will remember how cozy with Bill Clinton Darden wanted to be. He got tossed before, don't know why he's running again, except ego.
Yeah, right. Her bodyguards are supposedly a bunch of NOI types, and the ones we saw at our McKinney FReep in May sure looked right for the part.
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