About time! And McKinney should be thanking the Capitol police for only pursuing a misdemeanor charge.
Grand Jury to Hear McKinney Case (emphasis added)
MSNBC reported late Wednesday afternoon that a grand jury would hear evidence against Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-4th Ga.) on Thursday.
No word is available on how soon a warrant may be issued against McKinney.
The Washington Post reports Capitol police want McKinney prosecuted on a misdemeanor charge of assaulting a police officer. The fourth district congresswoman has said she’s a victim of racial profiling and insists she struck the officer after he touched her inappropriately.
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?The bottom line for us, we do pride ourselves in security,? said U.S. Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer. ?It wasn?t racial profiling. Anytime an officer does not know who the person is coming in the building, I direct them to stop that person. And even if you?r[e] stopped, you?re not supposed to hit a police officer, it?s very simple.?
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When 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.”‘
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She’s baaaaack!
A Georgia Democratic Congressman is speaking out against her actions.
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“Thinking an officer is racially motivated does not excuse hitting or pushing him,” said Rep. Jim Marshall, who is facing re-election this year.
And now Sonny Purdue is asking her associates that are running against him to speak up.
Perdue challenges political foes on McKinney flap
Gov. Sonny Perdue waded into the flap over DeKalb County Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney today, challenging his two Democratic rivals in the governor’s race to speak out about an incident in which McKinney allegedly hit a U.S. Capitol policeman who tried to stop her after she bypassed a security checkpoint.
“We have to be accountable for those people we associate with, and I think the silence is deafening,” Perdue said at a morning press conference. “I think we need to hear from those people who would associate with Congresswoman McKinney.”
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The Republican governor is up for re-election this year and will face the winner of a Democratic primary race between Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor and Secretary of State Cathy Cox. McKinney has endorsed Taylor’s bid for office and Cox’s husband, Mark Dehler, has contributed money to McKinney’s past campaigns.
Republicans have used those connections to call upon Taylor and Cox to denounce McKinney’s actions, which have made national headlines.
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Taylor and Cox ? both of whom need the votes in McKinney’s district to win the primary ? have referred all comment on the McKinney incident to the state Democratic Party. Voters in DeKalb County account for more than 20 percent of the total Democratic Primary vote.
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In response, GA Democrats are trying to bring up Ralph Reed, a Republican that has been caught up in finance scandals. But hey Democrats, Mr. Reed is not a US Congressperson being talked about daily in the national news.
Hat tip to reader misaligned_user.
April 5th, 2006 at 9:25 pm
Jury are funny sometimes, but we can only hope they get this one right and indict her for breaking the laws that she swore to uphold.
April 6th, 2006 at 1:36 pm
It’s really getting a little much. I’m sorry but Representative Cynthia McKinney, is taking this too far.
Ok, Rep. Cynthia McKinney, admits her lapel pin, which is her ID to get into the “peoples house” was absent from her clothing, and from all accounts she refused to pause when asked and a confrontation with an officer ensued.
Now she claims she was being singled out, even racially profiled, by the police. She stated at a press conference, “This whole incident was instigated by the inappropriate touching and stopping of me – a female, black, progressive Congresswoman.”
Maybe I’m just not getting it, But it appears that Ms. McKinney is making a big deal of nothing.
Those of us who work inside office buildings are aware that identification is necessary to get into buildings these days. 911 has caused us all to very understanding of security. We all have to show our ID to get into buildings these days. We use our ID’s to get on trains, planes, make purchases with our credit cards and so on.
No one is above the law, no one is above the rules. When I have visited the capitol, or go into another Federal building I have to show I.D.
I guess the bottom line is Rep. Mckinney, should have just done what other people have done. When she’s stopped by Capitol police, both with and without her pin attached to her jacket or dress, she should stop, says hello, and says who she is, show her ID and keep it movin.
The unpleasant confrontational situation could have been mitigated if Rep. Mckinney would stop taking herself so seriously regarding this incident. So what if some people think we all look alike, who cares?
She is an active member of the congressional black caucus. Rep. Mckinney should be addressing big ticket issues impacting her congressional district, African-Americans as a whole and Katrina victims.
Rep. McKinney should get a grip, apologize and keep it movin. Otherwise she may find herself with Republicans introducing motions to censure her behavior as conduct unbecoming a member of the House of Representatives.
Candidly, she should be proud and honored to wear her congressional pin representing the great state of Georgia.