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.
Regards, Ivan
Part time Dark Lord of the Sith
McKinney to Black journalists:
'Search for truth'
by Maynard Eaton
ATLANTA (FinalCall.com)Dekalb Countys 4th District Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney has been belittled by vicious critics as an off-the-chain "wacko" and a polarizing political maverick. But to her support base, she is a passionate, courageous, savvy and substantive internationally acclaimed progressive politico; and she proudly promotes a 14-page paper detailing what she has delivered for her constituents since she was elected in 1993.
Rep. McKinney (D) is now being challenged by another Black femaleformer Judge Denise Majette. Despite her outspokenness and shrill insightfulness on issues that ring true to liberal and enlightened thinkers, political pundits predict Ms. McKinney will again prevail despite a Majette poll reviling the colorful congresswoman with a 60 percent negative job performance
<snip>
"Cynthia McKinneys reelection is absolutely imperative," adds Minister Ray Muhammad, southeastern regional representative of the Nation of Islam. "Weve witnessed what happened with the dastardly defeat of Alabama Congressman Earl Hilliard, and we certainly believe there was an outside influence that was used to bring him down as a Black leader. We will not allow Congresswoman McKinney to be victimized by a similar fate. We need her voice and vision and verve in Congress."
Min. Muhammad accompanied Rep. McKinneyboth flanked by members of the F.O.I.when she swept into and out of an overflow meeting of the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists to present her case. Later, Min. Muhammad talked about the singular significance of Rep. McKinneys political prestige to a battery of Black reporters.
I think she's actually a Christian. I don't believe there are any Muslims in Congress.
GAG.
This is one person from the 4th that disagrees a WHOLE lot. I'll be at my polling place *with bells on* next Tuesday, doing the unthinkable, but necessary - asking for a *Dim* ballot for the express purpose of voting her "voice and vision and verve" right out of Congress.
Doing a search on "McKinney" in the Final Call's search engine returns 67 hits. There just aren't barf bags that large.
This says so much doesn't it?
If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)
Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.
Thanks to AT&T, I have to wait until Sunday afternoon until a "technican" (I probably know more than the tech does) comes out to "look" at it.
I said, why the heck can't I just bring the modem in to swap it? The cable idiot on the phone said I dunno, that's company policy.
Just damn.
My ISP had been rejecting emails from me since yesterday, so I cannot send the usual mass emails to editors & opinionators- and we are running short of time.
McKinney needs to be exposed to as many voters as possible for the bigoted, racist shill that she is.
If you want to take a crack at email activism, look here:
Ignorance Making You Ill? Cure It!
for links, tools, & instructions about how to contact a pile of different people, and how to send a link to this story right here ( or anywhere else ) to a "mass email" using Outlook Express.
Do not eat anything before voting on a "Dim" ballot. The janitor at your polling place will thank you and your ballot won't be smudged.8^D
This 7th District voter applauds your vote!
Think of Hilliard & McKinney as two peas in a pod politically: pro-Palestinian, pro-Arab, pro-Saddam, pro-Farrakhan, etc. Both Hilliard and McKinney raked in the dough from CAIR, American Moslem Council, you name it, with McKinney getting donations from those with extremist ties on 9/11. Their opponents, Artur Davis and Denise Majette, respectively, are more centrist, pro-Israeli and have raked in the dough from (heaven forfend) Jews, and in Majette's case, !GASP! Republicans. All four candidates are black, but in the Hilliard race and in the McKinney race, those candidates have played the race card, all accusing their rivals of being Uncle Tom (or Aunt Tomette).
Hilliard lost to Artur Davis 56% to 44%, and Hilliard's comments on election night were not very gracious, to put it kindly. We'll find out the results of the McKinney-Majette race on Tuesday night.
You are so right. Also, thanks for giving me a heads up on the search. If my stomach feels strong enough this evening you can bet I'll be out there reading my fill. I need that reminder to justify how I will vote this Tuesday.
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