McKinney Walks
By Captain Ed on National Politics
Captain's Quarters
Rep. Cynthia McKinney will not face charges for her assault on a Capitol Hill police officer in an incident started by her refusal to stop and show identification at a security checkpoint. The Washington Post reports that the grand jury could not find probable cause for an indictment, according to the office of the US Attorney handling the case:
<<< A grand jury has declined to indict Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) in an incident at a House office building where she admitting hitting a police officer who tried to stop her from entering after she failed to show identification.
The grand jury found "no probable cause" after an "extensive and thorough" investigation, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.
"We respect the decision of the grand jury in this difficult matter," U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Wainstein said in the release.
The grand jury's decision closes the case that had sparked much debate on Capitol Hill about race and the conduct of legislators and the police assigned to protect them. McKinney is black and the officer involved in the March 29 scuffle, Paul McKenna, is white. >>>
Let's set that record straight. The only reason race got mentioned at all was because Cynthis McKinney used it as an excuse for slugging an officer after she breezed through the security checkpoint without wearing her ID pin. That covered up the real issue, which is the sense of entitlement that some of our elected officials feel to disregard laws that they insist the rest of us obey, including passing through those same security checkpoints, which I have done on a couple of occasions. Had I simply walked around their checkpoint, I would have also been chased down and physically stopped from proceeding -- and deservedly so.
Race baiting was the only defense McKinney could offer, and the same people who keep sending her back to Congress ate it up. So did the CBC in a shameful abandonment of the police officers who put their lives on the line to protect them. McKinney offered only the bare minimum of apology, stating that "there should not have been any physical contact in this incident" -- which leaves the strong implication that the police officer started it by stopping her from proceeding. In oher words, her apology only conveyed regret that people can't understand that it wasn't her fault.
One wonders how the Capitol Hill police will react. McKenna got a lot of support from his union, and they may retaliate by tightening security at the entrances of the buildings. My guess is that the lapel pins will be the first thing to go and that ID badges might be required. They may get mad enough to stage a limited walk-out, shutting down the offices in one of the House buildings as a protest. I doubt they will sit back and do nothing.
In the meantime, someone should get a copy of the dictionary to the grand jury and a Toastmasters club membership for the US attorney. If someone hits a police officer with a cell phone while he is performing his duties, and witnesses and even the suspect confirms it, how can that not rise to the level of "probable cause"?
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