Has anyone been following the McKinney deal :?:

What's her problem!!!

She is an embarressment to the DEMOCRATS, BLACKS and LAW ENFORCEMENT!

I feel BAD for the COP who wonders what the HECK is going on......after all, he was just doing his job!

Someone NEEDS to tell this lady that the world DOES NOT revolve around her! :rolleyes: :blink: :o

Peace and love..................Andrew

Well, I had to side with the Republicans, but really, this woman needs to get a life. You can't go pulling the race card every time something happens that you don't like. She has no business being a representative if this is how she thinks.

I second that earthmother :good: She has no business being a "Lawmaker" either........ if she acts that way! :angry:

Maybe she needs a vacation or something :?: :blink: :lol: :)

Peace and love...............Andrew :Y:

I hope this is taken in the spirit it is given. Congresswoman McKinney won and re-won her congressional seat using overt appeals to her constituents (who I think are majority black) which reflect many things black Americans think and say among ourselves in regard to our place in America. I think that she is authentic in that she has tried to live her life in a somewhat open defiance of the status quo regardless of situation because it is assumed that the status quo was established by and for the majority.

This whole incident is ugly because it has placed her in the proverbial box. She cannot back down now without appearing to her district to have given in to the establishment. However, as a congresswoman, you are assumed to be apart of the establishment by the remainder of America and expected to abide by the rules of the establishment, in this case, the Congress and Capitol Police.

I understand Ms. McKinney's frustration, but as a black man in this country I know that one has to pick the time and place for such battles. She has now been determined, rightly, to be a militant which is unfortunate. She has placed the Democratic leadership and Black Caucus in an uncomfortable and embarrassing position. Fortunately, the 43 administration is so rife with corruption and embarrassments of its own that this will not have lasting damage to Democrats. However, it does speak to the judgment of one Congresswoman McKinney. She chose the wrong time, issue, and place for such a battle as she is finding out now through the paucity of support she has garnered from the aforementioned leaders.

This situation should be instructive to non-black Americans as to the permutations that black individuals have to consider for the most mundane of situations because of stereotypes and assumptions based upon race.

I'll try to flag down a cab now.....bye.

Loved your "most eloquent" :good: reply Nicholus :) I hope ya got your cab. :good:

I have found out thru time that we must "indeed" pick our fights and choose wisely when we do. This was neither the TIME or PLACE for this kind of fight. I hope Ms. McKinney is learning a valuable lesson!

"You don't mess with the man with the Gun" namely the Police!!! ;) :rolleyes: :)


Have a great evening...............Andrew :Y:

Nicholus, your analysis was sensitive, as always, and I weigh it seriously both because you're an intelligent person and because you have a perspective I can't possibly fully understand--that of being a black person in a primarily white society.

Having put this in perspective for us, I can better understand why McKinney reacted the way she did. It can be difficult for many of us white folk to understand how everything in your life ends up being seen through the lens of color when you're a black person in this society.

But I'm also glad to hear you say that she picked the wrong battle to fight at the wrong time, and I think you're absolutely right that she's now stuck between a rock and a hard place with no graceful way out.

As members of the GSC, we all can appreciate the link between the Black Caucus and President Gore. I must admit to you all that my eyes watered during Farenheit 9/11 when my black brothers and sisters were the ones who went into the well of the Senate to challenge the recount on behalf of a man I hold dear, Al Gore.

Ms. McKinney's actions may possibly be used to besmirch the image of the Caucus by the desperate neo-cons evidenced by the comments on this made just today by DeLay (by the way, BYE BYE HAMMER!). This is the aspect of this whole story I find most distressing. The Black Caucus enjoys a special place in the hearts and minds of most progressives in America. I will NOT stand for that to be tarnished by one congresswoman's poor judgment.

I didn't know anything about McKinney before all this. If the things they're saying in this AP article are true, she's a bit of a loose cannon. She hasn't said very nice things about Gore, either. <_<

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/20...ge_x.htm?csp=34

McKinney's softened image takes a blow
Updated 4/5/2006 8:09 PM

ATLANTA (AP) — When Rep. Cynthia McKinney returned to Congress in 2004, friends and foes saw a quieter, more amiable version of the lawmaker who once suggested the Bush White House had prior knowledge of the Sept. 11 attacks.
But now, as she aggressively defends herself for scuffling with a Capitol police officer, it is clear the makeover didn't last long.

"She's brought back the old Cynthia," said Merle Black, a political scientist at Emory University. "There won't be any more news stories about 'the new Cynthia McKinney.'"

In 1992, McKinney became the first black woman elected to Congress from Georgia. Known early on mostly for her flashy fashions, including braids and gold tennis shoes, McKinney had a brash style that made her a target for conservatives and an embarrassment to some of her more moderate Democratic colleagues.

She once said that former Vice President Al Gore had a low "Negro tolerance level" and that officials in the Bush administration had advance knowledge of the Sept. 11 attacks but kept quiet to allow friends to profit from the bloodshed.

She denounced New York Mayor Rudolph Guiliani for refusing a $10 million donation from a Saudi prince for the families of Sept. 11 victims. She has been criticized for her outspoken support of the Palestinian cause in Israel. In 1996, her father, longtime state lawmaker Billy McKinney, called her Republican opponent a "racist Jew."

McKinney was defeated in 2002 when voters in her majority-black district's Democratic primary replaced her with Denise Majette, a former judge. But two years later Majette left Congress to run for Senate. McKinney won her old seat back.

While she did not change her politics, McKinney softened her profile during her second stint in Washington. She largely avoided the fiery rhetoric and granted more interviews to mainstream media outlets. That all ended last Wednesday.

McKinney argued with a police officer who did not recognize her as she entered a House office building. Police said McKinney struck the officer as he tried to stop her. McKinney said she acted in self-defense after the officer "inappropriately touched" her. In interviews, she has repeatedly blamed racial profiling for the scuffle.

McKinney spokesman Coz Carson said the congresswoman was trying to publicize persistent problems of racism and racial profiling.

"The congresswoman was not looking for an issue or for any opportunity to get in the spotlight," he said. "She is doing what any good politician would do — bringing forward issues that don't usually get discussed on Fox, CNN or any of the other news shows."

The controversy has again made McKinney a political target for Republicans, who have tried to use the incident to question Democrats' dedication to public safety.

McKinney is not getting much more support from her fellow Georgia Democrats.

"Thinking an officer is racially motivated does not excuse hitting or pushing him," said Rep. Jim Marshall, who is facing re-election this year.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Yeah, I forgot about that comment about Al. Most unfortunate. The sistah definitely has issues.

I hate to say it, but she looks just a bit like a crazed person when she's speaking.

You know earthmother? I was thinkin the same thing. It would appear that she may be just a tad "unstable" :?: Like I said before........she needs a little vacation or something. :huh:

Peace to everyone ................Andrew

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/mckinney_scuffl...zkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

McKinney Apologizes for Incident With Cop
By MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press Writer

Rep. Cynthia McKinney, D-Ga., expressed "sincere regret" Thursday for her altercation with a Capitol police officer, and offered an apology to the House.

"There should not have been any physical contact in this incident," McKinney said in brief remarks on the House floor. "I am sorry that this misunderstanding happened at all and I regret its escalation and I apologize."

McKinney's comments came after the case had been referred to a federal grand jury for possible prosecution.

She had previously insisted she had done nothing wrong, and accused police of "racial profiling." She is African-American and the police officer is white.

McKinney, 51, has a history of confrontations with officers.

In this case, she entered a House office building without passing through the metal detector that screens visitors. Members of Congress are permitted to bypass the machines, but she was not wearing the pin that identified her as a House member at the time.

The officer, whose name has not been made public, has said he asked McKinney three times to stop. She did not.

Terrance Gainer, outgoing chief of the Capitol police force, has said that the officer placed a hand on her and she responded by hitting him. He said McKinney's race was not a factor.

The incident has embarrassed Democrats, including fellow members of the Congressional Black Caucus, none of whom have publicly defended her behavior in the March 29 incident.

Rep. Mel Watt, the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, has had no statement on the incident. The caucus' silence stands in stark contrast to it's investigations of past scuffles between the U.S. Capitol Police and members.

One such probe occurred in 1990, when the caucus investigated whether Rep. Mickey Edwards, R-Okla. poked a black female Capitol Police officer and shouted curses at her, after she had denied entrance to an Edwards staffer who did not have House identification card with her.

A year later, the CBC investigated an incident in which a Capitol Police officer allegedly denied Rep. Louis Stokes, D-Ohio, entrance to the garage of the Rayburn House Office Building because the officer did not believe Stokes was a member.

McKinney's apology came after an eventful day in which two witnesses to the incident were subpoenaed by the grand jury and Gainer for the first time pubicly defended the officer involved. It was not clear which, if any, of her colleagues had urged McKinney to make the statement she did.

Republicans initially responded by advancing legislation to commend the Capitol police for their professionalism. Several GOP lawmakers sported pins expressing their support for the police.

It was unclear how much legal jeopardy McKinney confronted. A grand jury has subpoenaed two congressional aides who witnessed the confrontation.

Lisa Subrize, executive assistant to Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (news, bio, voting record), R-Mich., and Troy Phillips, senior legislative assistant to Rep. Sam Farr (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., notified Speaker Dennis Hastert late Wednesday, as is customary under House procedure.

"After consultation with the Office of General Counsel, I have determined that compliance with the subpoena is consistent with the precedents and privileges of the House," both aides said in statements that a clerk read into the House record.

Bob Jackson, a spokesman for McCotter, said that Subrize witnessed the confrontation and immediately filled out a form for the Capitol Police, describing what she saw.

He and a spokeswoman for Farr declined further comment.

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who on Tuesday abandoned his re-election bid under a cloud of ethics charges, weighed in on Wednesday, saying McKinney "is a racist."

"She has a long history of racism," DeLay, R-Texas, said on Fox News Channel. "Everything is racism with her. This is incredible arrogance that sometimes hits these members of Congress, but especially Cynthia McKinney."

On Wednesday, McKinney had charged anew that racism is behind what she said is a pattern of difficulty in clearing Hill security checkpoints, arguing that officers assigned to protect Congress members should recognize her, even without her congressional pin.

"This has become much ado about hairdo," she said Wednesday on CBS' "The Early Show." McKinney recently dropped her trademark cornrows in favor loose curls.

The incident in a House office building has caused a commotion on Capitol Hill, where security in the era of terrorist threat is tighter than ever and where authorities had to order an evacuation just Monday because of a power outage. Capitol Police have turned the McKinney case over to U.S. Attorney Kenneth Wainstein.

:clap: This is good news :clap: earthmother.

I think Rep. McKinney needs to take some "anger management" courses and "knock that chip off her shoulder" :blink: :) !

Life is TOO short.................Andrew :Y:

Leave it to the media to over do it with this story. Yes, Cynthia McKinney has always been a bit strange, but enough is enough. It seems like this story is making more news than all the Bush Administration screw-ups going on at this very moment.

And let's not forget the on going struggles of that witch, Katherine Harris. Tom DeLay going down. What's happened to all these important stories??? Swept under the rug as usual anytime a Democrat does alittle bit of wrong, ignoring the massive wrongs the repukes keep getting away with. :angry:

You're right, AGIML, and I hate to say it, but it looks like they're going to get away with it again. We'll see . . .