My Ridiculously Inept Congresscommie (Who Now Faces Arrest!)

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by MrBigglesworth

I agree, but I'm still not sure what the 'strike' was or if she even knew it was a police officer.

I was just pointing out that you can't say she is a 'barking loon' or whatever for saying her race was a factor, she may be wrong or right.

Again, I think you're missing a certain "history" with her. I don't know THAT much about her, but I know enough to know that she is...... i'll be PC even.... "eccentric" compared to her peers....

You have to keep in mind that these guys from GA probably think having to explain the intricate details of this is like being questioned by someone when you say "Carrot Top is NOT funny" to provide details.

[johneh]

Well our Governor has already plead guilty to breaking the law & he is still in office with a 14% approval rating (lower than Nixon's when he resigned)

[JeeberD]

Haven't I read in this thread that she slapped him on the cheek and that he told her three times to stop before he tried to restrain her?

[st.cronin]

I don't think it matters what her history was. Labeling as racism actions which are what law enforcement is supposed to be doing is pretty far out. It needs some sort of support.

[GrantDawg]

Capitol police ask for arrest warrant for McKinney
Black leaders say McKinney victim of racial profiling

By BOB KEMPER, S.A. REID
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/03/06 WASHINGTON — Capitol Hill police on Monday asked a federal prosecutor to approve an arrest warrant for Rep. Cynthia McKinney for her role in a scuffle with a police officer last week, the prosecutor's office confirmed.
Capitol Police had no immediate comment so it's not yet known whether the intent is to file felony or misdemeanor assault charges against McKinney, a DeKalb County Democrat.
Coz Carson, a spokesman for McKinney, said the requested warrant should be dismissed if "this is a prosecutor who's not a politician."
"Any prosecutor with any sense can look at this thing and understand that it's something that should be blown out of proportion any further," Carson said.
The office of the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Kenneth Wainstein, must approve the request by Capitol Hill police before police can go to a judge to ask for an arrest warrant.
Officials familiar with the process have said a warrant can be obtained within a day, though that doesn't mean a warrant against McKinney would be.
McKinney was stopped by a Capitol Hill police officer last Wednesday as she tried to go around a security checkpoint in a House office building. Members of Congress are allowed to go around the ubiquitous checkpoints, but the police officer failed to recognize McKinney as a member of Congress and tried to stop her.
After calling to McKinney to stop, the officer touched her shoulder or arm. That prompted McKinney to spin around and the strike the officer, though there are conflicting reports as to whether she slapped him, punched him in the chest or struck him with a cell phone.
McKinney was not wearing a special lapel pin given to members of Congress to make them easier to identify. She also has changed her hairstyle since her official House portrait, the picture police would check to identify her.
Also Monday, black preachers, elected officials and activists in Atlanta cited McKinney's recent run-in with Capitol police as an example of racial profiling and called what happened to her disrespectful.
Concerned Black Clergy of Metropolitan Atlanta, along with members of the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials, announced their continued support for the sixth-term congresswoman at a morning meeting.
Supporters say the incident has been blown out of proportion and politicized. Her treatment, they added, was excessive and shows that black elected officials aren't immune to problems of double standards and racial profiling other African-Americans face.
"Racial profiling is a well thought out and planned attack on black political leaders," state Rep. Alberta Abdul-Salaam said Monday. "It's going from the gold dome down to the White House. It's happening and it's wrong."
McKinney was in attendance at the morning meeting and said she was grateful for the support. She would not comment on the incident, but instead focused on the work her office is doing on behalf of her 4th District constituents.
"You can rest assured I'm doing the work that you sent me to Washington to do," McKinney said. "Nothing is going to keep me away from my responsibility."

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by wade moore

Again, I think you're missing a certain "history" with her. I don't know THAT much about her, but I know enough to know that she is...... i'll be PC even.... "eccentric" compared to her peers....

You have to keep in mind that these guys from GA probably think having to explain the intricate details of this is like being questioned by someone when you say "Carrot Top is NOT funny" to provide details.

That is a spot-on analogy. That may be the best analogy I've ever seen on this board. 5-stars!

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

That is a spot-on analogy. That may be the best analogy I've ever seen on this board. 5-stars!

[Crapshoot]

Did anyone see Jon Stewart's response ?

"I believe in judging people not on the colors of their skin, but on their character. And you are batshit insane. "

[Ben E Lou]

House Democrats are now starting to distance themselves from her. One article I saw said the Pelosi and Cynthia are no longer on speaking terms. Even the AJC wrote an anti-Cynthia editorial today:

OUR OPINION
McKinney's arrogance crosses line

Published on: 04/04/06 In her embarrassing confrontation with the U.S. Capitol Police, U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney has demonstrated that while she may have changed her trademark hairstyle, her personal style remains as offensive as ever.
McKinney has been sharply criticized — and deservedly so — for allegedly striking a Capitol police officer who stopped her from going around a security checkpoint, a perk allowed members of Congress.
According to police accounts, the officer asked McKinney three times to halt before putting his hand out to restrain her. That's when Capitol Hill police — who asked a federal prosecutor Monday to approve an arrest warrant for McKinney — say the outraged congresswoman hit the officer.
The officer apparently failed to recognize the DeKalb Democrat, who was not wearing a special lapel pin given to the 435 House members to help police identify them. In addition, McKinney sports a new hairdo.
A smarter, less arrogant politician would have smiled at the officer who stopped her, extended a hand and explained: "I'm Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney from the great state of Georgia, and I appreciate your diligence in keeping the Capitol safe. Next time, I hope you'll recognize me." She would have had a pal for life.
But why make friends when you can make headlines? Two days after the scuffle, McKinney faced TV cameras and stayed true to form, charging the officer with racism.
"The whole incident was instigated by the inappropriate touching and stopping of me — a female, black congresswoman," she said.
McKinney's haughty position — that every Capitol employee ought to know her by sight and that she should never have to endure checkpoints like the riffraff — evinces the arrogance and ego that voters expect from elected officials. It may be inconvenient for self-important people such as McKinney to stop and show their IDs, but it's essential in these scary times of terrorist bombings and anthrax attacks.
In 1998, two Capitol officers were killed by a mentally ill man who opened fire at the main tourist entrance to the Capitol.
In the past, McKinney has complained that she's mistaken for the "hired help" in Washington. In the next election, DeKalb residents can help clear up that confusion by putting an end to McKinney's employment with them.

[Crapshoot]

Isn't the AJC the paper that has Cal "good ol " Thomas as one of its writers ? I think the article is fine, but is there something about the AJC's politics I'm unaware of (genuine question) ?

[GrantDawg]

This one shocked me:

This is a big deal? Sure shouldn't be

Published on: 04/05/06
There is a lot of bad news in black America.
After a decade of rising affluence, poverty (among blacks and whites) is on the upswing. Marriage is out of fashion, but diabetes, hypertension and heart failure are not. We die sooner than whites. And black men remain disproportionately shut out of the mainstream — unemployed, on drugs, in prison.

MOST POPULAR STORIES Prosecutor gets McKinney case Photos of topless teen lead to UGA student arrest Did Jesus actually walk on ice? Report: McKinney misused office fund 2-year-old swallows crack, dies
EMAIL THIS PRINT THIS MOST POPULAR
CYNTHIA TUCKER MY OPINION • E-mail Tucker Recent columns: This is a big deal? Sure shouldn't be My dad would want you to get a colonoscopy Fulton County soap opera: 'All My Assessors' Working class fight war while well-off defend it Don't bash film, bash lust for oil that it portrays Campbell even cheated on Lady Luck The devil made arsonists do it? Oh, heck, no

So if black activists and political leaders are looking for matters crying out for redress or reform or fairness, I could give them a list. Cynthia McKinney's complaints would not be on it.
If you're going to call a press conference and muster such prominent supporters as Harry Belafonte and Danny Glover, you ought to be sure the issue is important enough to command national attention. You should save that sort of clarion call for the most serious matters — renewing the Voting Rights Act or raising the minimum wage so that more black men can support their children. The precious spotlight of national news coverage should not be wasted on a spoiled and demanding congresswoman who thinks she's the Soul Queen of Capitol Hill.
Nor should the Abrams tank of political warfare — the charge of "racism" — be rolled out to fight every minor battle. Racism is a shadow of its former self, but it lives yet. You see it in the high rates of harsh discipline meted out to black boys in public schools. You can also see it in the disproportionate numbers of black men sent to prison for crimes they didn't commit.
Certainly, the legacy of racism is alive and well. You can see it in the self-destructive behavior of so many young black men — the internecine violence, the distorted self-esteem, the worship of thug culture. You can see the legacy of racism in the enduring rates of poverty and poor health among black citizens.
But McKinney's trumped-up charge of racism merely cheapens the term, so that it's less effective when it's needed to discuss genuine discrimination.
Immediately after the episode, McKinney — uncharacteristically, to be sure — issued a statement of regret, saying, "I know that Capitol Hill Police are securing our safety, and I appreciate the work that they do." But within hours, her stance had changed as she rallied supporters to her side to defend her against the depredations of a racist white police state.
(Now, I can understand McKinney's frustration over the fact that she is often unrecognized. I share that frustration. More times than I can count, I've been mistaken for McKinney, criticized for things she said or given advice about my braids. In fact, while McKinney wore braids until recently, I haven't worn them since sixth grade. Still, I've never slapped or slugged anyone who confused me with her. But if this keeps up, that could change.)
Last month, The New York Times ran a front-page story outlining the dire social and economic prospects for young black men. According to a number of recent academic studies, black men, despite the obvious successes of a few, are falling further and further behind, locked in place as a permanent underclass. "Especially in the country's inner cities, the studies show, finishing high school is the exception, legal work is scarcer than ever and prison is almost routine, with incarceration rates climbing for blacks even as urban crime rates have declined," the article said.
I waited for somebody to call a press conference. I waited for Jesse and Al to take to the streets demanding public policies that would bring black men into the mainstream. I looked for responses from the usual suspects — the NAACP, the Urban League and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. I heard nothing.
But a misunderstanding between a second-rate member of Congress and a Capitol Hill police officer has apparently become a full-blown crisis. So maybe I'm wrong about all of this. Perhaps I just need to adjust my perspective.
Perhaps the fact that one-third of young black men have police records is not a problem. Maybe the fact that 70 percent of black children are born outside the bonds of marriage is no big deal, and a 72 percent unemployment rate among black male high school drop-outs in their 20s does not signal a crisis. Maybe the serious decline in the marriage rate among black adults does not suggest the demise of a community.
No, indeed. The biggest problem facing black America involves a white cop who wouldn't give a black woman her props.
• Cynthia Tucker is the editorial page editor. Her column appears Wednesdays and Sundays.

[BYU 14]

Shocking maybe, but definitely spot on.

[Glengoyne]

Pinging Mr. Giggles

[MrBigglesworth]

Originally Posted by Glengoyne

Pinging Mr. Giggles

For what?

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

Isn't the AJC the paper that has Cal "good ol " Thomas as one of its writers ? I think the article is fine, but is there something about the AJC's politics I'm unaware of (genuine question) ?

It has a somewhat-balanced set of columns. However, the Editorial Board (which is responsible for that article) is decidedly left-leaning. The Editorial Board is also responsible for the AJC's political candidate endorsement, and those endorsements are heavily tilted toward the Democratic Party. It sounds like some former allies are trying to distance themselves from Cynthia now...

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Immediately after the episode, McKinney — uncharacteristically, to be sure — issued a statement of regret, saying, "I know that Capitol Hill Police are securing our safety, and I appreciate the work that they do."

This is the proper response. This is what someone who is not a "barking loon" says in such a situation. End of.

[Shepp]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

It has a somewhat-balanced set of columns. However, the Editorial Board (which is responsible for that article) is decidedly left-leaning. The Editorial Board is also responsible for the AJC's political candidate endorsement, and those endorsements are heavily tilted toward the Democratic Party. It sounds like some former allies are trying to distance themselves from Cynthia now...

That is a very conservative assessment of the AJC

[Glengoyne]

Originally Posted by MrBigglesworth

For what?

Just wondering if you thought that Jon Stewart or Cynthia Tucker were jumping to unsupported conclusions.

[Ben E Lou]

Soledad vs. Cynthia this morning.

[Ben E Lou]

Dang. I had heard snippets of it, but just watched it all the way through. They both got pretty pissy there at the end. Soledad sounded like she was ready for a straight-up catfight, especially the way she delivered the last line of the interview.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Dang. I had heard snippets of it, but just watched it all the way through. They both got pretty pissy there at the end. Soledad sounded like she was ready for a straight-up catfight, especially the way she delivered the last line of the interview.

Perhaps a Soledad vs. Cynthia could be the undercard to the Rosie O'Donnel vs. Naomi Campbell bout...

[st.cronin]

'much ado about a hairdo'???

[st.cronin]

'we're not the ones who turned this into a criminal matter' hahahahaha

[st.cronin]

'we don't know what happened' hahahahaha

[st.cronin]

I don't think that woman has a brain in her head.

[WVUFAN]

I applaude Soledad for this interview. Love the straight-shooting style.

[JediKooter]

The more I read about this lady, the more and more I believe she is just not in touch with reality. She can only blame herself for the situation. She forgot the pin, not the police officer. I wonder if a hispanic member of Congress did what she did and got roughed up a little bit, would Cynthia come running crying racism? I'm thinking....no.

[st.cronin]

Where did she get that lawyer? He's awful.

[Celeval]

Wpw. I love how she sat back and just didn't even answer the question(s).

I'm somewhat surprised that the race card is being played with the older, white, male lawyer, though.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Celeval

I'm somewhat surprised that the race card is being played with the older, white, male lawyer, though.

Kevin, you lived in DeKalb County. Why are you surprised???

[st.cronin]

Originally Posted by Celeval

Wpw. I love how she sat back and just didn't even answer the question(s).

I'm somewhat surprised that the race card is being played with the older, white, male lawyer, though.

Yeah, that's what struck me as odd. She could have easily found a black female lawyer who was just as incoherent as that guy.

[Celeval]

Originally Posted by Celeval

Wpw. I love how she sat back and just didn't even answer the question(s).

I'm somewhat surprised that the race card is being played with the older, white, male lawyer, though.

Anyone else think that about 30s in, the other lawyer who phoned in was like: "Oh, shit, I've got to get in there..."

[Celeval]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Kevin, you lived in DeKalb County. Why are you surprised???

:-D

[Solecismic]

Originally Posted by Cynthia Tucker

You see it in the high rates of harsh discipline meted out to black boys in public schools. You can also see it in the disproportionate numbers of black men sent to prison for crimes they didn't commit.
Certainly, the legacy of racism is alive and well. You can see it in the self-destructive behavior of so many young black men — the internecine violence, the distorted self-esteem, the worship of thug culture.

I agree with her calling McKinney to task for invoking the race card. McKinney ultimately hurts real victims of racism, who will face more trouble finding someone willing to pay attention. But I see a lot of problematic messages here.

Why is it only a shame when the violence is internecine (against other black people)? Why did she have to qualify that particular noun? How does she know who was sent to prison for crimes they didn't commit? Does the FBI keep statistics?

If young black men have such distorted self-esteem, and such worship of thug culture, then why isn't it surprising that they are more often disciplined in the schools?

I think Tucker is contributing to the same problem as McKinney. She wants different standards applied based on race. In each case, the harm to the cause is similar. McKinney trivializes racism in the workplace. And Tucker trivializes inner-city crime rates.

Tucker may be more dangerous. She's obviously more intelligent than McKinney, who is easy to dismiss as a nutjob. And her message encourages the black community to protect and excuse its violent element. Nothing keeps inner-city black people from getting what they need to succeed more than the violence that surrounds them.

I would hope that a strong, intelligent, black voice in the community wouldn't sell out her own people like that. But by following the tried-and-true politically correct line of her pals "Jesse and Al" (no last names necessary), she gains street cred. Which she seems to prefer to actually doing something to help the people most in need.

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by Celeval

Wpw. I love how she sat back and just didn't even answer the question(s).

I'm somewhat surprised that the race card is being played with the older, white, male lawyer, though.

Yeah, I found that to be somewhat funny. She did come across as a real piece of work though.

[MrBigglesworth]

Originally Posted by Glengoyne

Just wondering if you thought that Jon Stewart or Cynthia Tucker were jumping to unsupported conclusions.

I'm not so sure that you understood my point Blen. My point was that a horribly written, unfunny, baseless attack on President Bush filled with attacks that a majority of the people would call 'axiomatic' and that contained allusions to him having carnal knowledge of Condoleeza Rice would be ridiculed at best and closed at worst by the very same poster that posted this screed against McKinney.

About ten other posts of mine in this thread have said the same thing, look them up if you are still unclear.

[heybrad]

I'll need to remember if I commit a crime, that all I need to do is offer to sit down and discuss it with the other party. At that point, if they pursue criminal charges, it's no longer my problem.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

I agree with her calling McKinney to task for invoking the race card. McKinney ultimately hurts real victims of racism, who will face more trouble finding someone willing to pay attention. But I see a lot of problematic messages here.

Why is it only a shame when the violence is internecine (against other black people)? Why did she have to qualify that particular noun? How does she know who was sent to prison for crimes they didn't commit? Does the FBI keep statistics?

If young black men have such distorted self-esteem, and such worship of thug culture, then why isn't it surprising that they are more often disciplined in the schools?

I think Tucker is contributing to the same problem as McKinney. She wants different standards applied based on race. In each case, the harm to the cause is similar. McKinney trivializes racism in the workplace. And Tucker trivializes inner-city crime rates.

Tucker may be more dangerous. She's obviously more intelligent than McKinney, who is easy to dismiss as a nutjob. And her message encourages the black community to protect and excuse its violent element. Nothing keeps inner-city black people from getting what they need to succeed more than the violence that surrounds them.

I would hope that a strong, intelligent, black voice in the community wouldn't sell out her own people like that. But by following the tried-and-true politically correct line of her pals "Jesse and Al" (no last names necessary), she gains street cred. Which she seems to prefer to actually doing something to help the people most in need.

Jim (and others):

This may be a missing piece for those who don't live in metro Atlanta: Cynthia Tucker is head of the Editorial Board at the AJC. She is quite far to the left herself, and usually marches lockstep with the party line of the liberal wing of the Democratic party, hence the "this one shocked me" from GrantDawg. The stuff you point out is very much par for the course for her. The only thing stunning or shocking about the article is that she, of ALL people, speaks out against McKinney.

That being said, that one didn't shock me. What a lot of Georgians miss about Cynthia Tucker is that she USUALLY but not ALWAYS marches lockstep with the liberal Democrat party line. If one pays careful attention to her, it is easy to see the one area in which she consistently bashes the liberal point of view in general, and the black leadership specifically: when the liberal point of view/black leadership is not doing enough, in her estimation, to help poor black people. Tucker seems to have a clear view that a (the?) primary purpose of liberalism is to help poor black people, and when the black leadership isn't doing enough to fix whatever her issue of the day is, she lashes out in her editorials against them.

It also doesn't surprise me because I would imagine that Tucker and McKinney know one another and have interacted many times. I saw it in my brief face-to-face interaction with her, and I had a conversation with my older brother today, who left with a similar impression after an encounter with McKinney: she's incredibly arrogant, aloof, and generally not a likeable person. Someone like Tucker, who doesn't need any favors from McKinney, would be more likely to take her to task, and to deliver a few pointed barbs along the way.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Celeval

Wpw. I love how she sat back and just didn't even answer the question(s).

I'm somewhat surprised that the race card is being played with the older, white, male lawyer, though.

I'm not completely. It is sort of the same mind set when a man hires a female attorney to defend him for rape. It is the "see, here is a WHITE man agreeing with me." Of course, she could have found an attorney that could have come across better than this guy. He is as bad as the one that was with her at her intial press conference.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Of course, she could have found an attorney that could have come across better than this guy.

Well, she hasn't exactly demonstrated the best decision-making skills.

[st.cronin]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Well, she hasn't exactly demonstrated the best decision-making skills.

I'm curious if there's any evidence, anywhere, that she can think by herself? Did she go to college? Has she ever had a hard job?

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

I'm curious if there's any evidence, anywhere, that she can think by herself? Did she go to college? Has she ever had a hard job?

From her bio...

Born in Atlanta, Georgia on March 17, 1955, Cynthia currently lives in south DeKalb County. She earned a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California in 1978 and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Cynthia was accepted into Berkeley's Ph.D. program and hopes to graduate from that institution one day. In 1984, Cynthia worked as a Diplomatic Fellow at Spelman College in Atlanta. She also taught Political Science at Clark Atlanta University and later at Agnes Scott College, a women's college in Decatur, Georgia.

Jerry Clower would refer to her as someone who was educated beyond her intelligence, most likely.

[duckman]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

'much ado about a hairdo'???

She used that same retarded line to open up her interview on FOX News this morning.

[duckman]

dola

FOX News is reporting that the case will be heard in front of a grand jury tomorrow. A staff member of Sam Farr will be called as a witness along with others.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Of course, she could have found an attorney that could have come across better than this guy. He is as bad as the one that was with her at her intial press conference.

I felt the same thing, usually I would say it was a wise move not having her talk much. But after hearing this guy stumble through his points, looking EXTREMELY uncomfortable along the way, I don't know what would be the lesser of two evils.

[Ben E Lou]

2 things...

1. She just apologized on the floor of the house.
2. According to a reporter in D.C., word is that she had a come-to-Jesus meetin' with John Lewis on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus, and that the CBC members are *FURIOUS* with her right now for the way she has handled this.

[BYU 14]

Would you say she is backing down at this point?

[stevew]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

2 things...

1. She just apologized on the floor of the house.

Shit, she could have done that last week, and the whole mess would have blown over pretty quickly. Instead she goes on an offensive, and acts offensive.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by BYU 14

Would you say she is backing down at this point?

Hard to tell. Besides, if so, it may well be too little, too late. The case apparently went to a grand jury today...

Originally Posted by CNN.com

McKinney apologizes for scuffle with officer

Grand jury to hear testimony on incident, sources say

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Rep. Cynthia McKinney apologized on the House floor Thursday for a confrontation with a Capitol Police officer last week.
"There should not have been any physical contact in this incident," McKinney said.
"I am sorry that this misunderstanding happened at all, and I regret its escalation and I apologize," she said surrounded by colleagues on the House floor.
She said she would vote for a resolution expressing support for the efforts of Capitol Police.
McKinney's apology came as a District of Columbia grand jury was to begin hearing testimony Thursday related to the confrontation, sources said Wednesday.
A decision on whether the Georgia congresswoman will be charged could come as early as next week, federal law enforcement sources said.
Senior congressional sources said that two House staff members -- Troy Phillips, an aide to Rep. Sam Farr, D-California, and Lisa Subrize, executive assistant to Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Michigan -- have been subpoenaed to testify.
Police say McKinney struck a Capitol Police officer last week when the officer did not recognize her as a member of Congress and tried to stop her from entering a House office building when she did not present identification.
McKinney accuses the officer of "inappropriate touching" and racial profiling in the incident.
The Justice Department and the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, which is handling the case, refused to comment.
James Myart, an attorney representing McKinney, said he wouldn't be surprised if his client were indicted.
"Grand juries do what grand juries do," Myart said. "However, I would think that they would recognize that there simply is not enough evidence here to even bring an indictment."
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, which has declined to comment because the facts of the case are in dispute, met Wednesday evening to discuss the incident. McKinney was in attendance.
Also Wednesday, McKinney deflected questions about the confrontation, while the Capitol Police chief said the lawmaker should have known better. (Watch McKinney deflect questions -- 10:46)
Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer said McKinney didn't stop at an officer's request, then turned around and hit him after he grabbed her when she passed a security checkpoint.
"Any time an officer does not know who the person is coming in the building, I direct them to stop that person. And even if you're stopped, you're not supposed to hit a police officer. It's very simple," he said. "Even the high and the haughty should be able to stop and say, 'I'm a congressman,' and then everybody moves on."
But Myart said that Gainer and other officers went to McKinney's office after the dispute and apologized for the officer's conduct. Myart also questioned why McKinney wasn't arrested on the spot for assaulting an officer, if that is in fact what happened.
Citing potential criminal charges against McKinney, another of her attorneys, Mike Raffauf, said Wednesday his client would not discuss specifics of the case.
McKinney has acknowledged that when she was stopped she was not wearing the lapel pin given to lawmakers. The lawmaker said the identification pin is irrelevant.
"It doesn't have a face or a photo ID on it, and quite frankly it can be duplicated," she said.
McKinney and her attorneys insist that Capitol Police officers should be trained to recognize all 535 members of Congress on sight.
But while Myart has said McKinney was "assaulted" and that her reaction to the officer was appropriate, Gainer argued that McKinney has turned an officer's failure to recognize her into a criminal matter.
Gainer said race was not an issue and that he has seen officers stop and question white, black and Latino members of Congress. He added that officers are given photos of new members of Congress, but with 30,000 employees in the Capitol complex and more than 9 million visitors a year, officers have "to make sure we know who is coming in the building."
Republicans have seized the opportunity to take shots at the legislator. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, called McKinney a "racist" on Fox News Channel and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, downplayed the Georgia lawmaker's allegation of racial profiling.
"This is not about personalities. It's not about somebody's ego. It's not about racial profiling," Hastert said. "It's trying to make this place safer and working with the people that try to make it safer."
Also, two Republican members introduced a resolution Tuesday commending the Capitol Police for their "continued courage and professionalism." (Full story)
McKinney, 51, represents Georgia's 4th Congressional District, a majority-black, Democratic district on the east side of metro Atlanta.
First elected in 1992, she was defeated in a 2002 Democratic primary but made a comeback in 2004, winning her old seat after the candidate who had defeated her two years earlier decided to run for the U.S. Senate.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by stevew

Shit, she could have done that last week, and the whole mess would have blown over pretty quickly. Instead she goes on an offensive, and acts offensive.

Put me in the camp that believes that the apology came about due to the CBC meeting last night, and that it wasn't something she wanted to do.