Maybe now you will believe the report was valid. Looks like Gore's team got hold of her and reminded her who had copies of her FBI files. Just another women made to look like a fool for Al Gore. Can't let any inferences Al is actually racist at his core enter the contest.
At least she didn't have to do jail time like the Buddhist fund raising lady.
Friday September 8 6:30 PM ET
Congresswoman Disclaims Gore Comment
dailynews.yahoo.com
By JEFFREY McMURRAY, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - A black congresswoman who asserted Vice President Al Gore (news - web sites) has a low ``Negro tolerance level'' backed off Friday, saying the claim was in a draft statement not meant to be released.
Rep. Cynthia McKinney's office issued a statement on Aug. 29 related to a lawsuit brought by three black Secret Service agents in which she said Gore's ``Negro tolerance level has never been too high.''
``I've never known him to have more than one black person around him at any given time,'' said McKinney, D-Ga.
After a week of Associated Press efforts to reach her for comment, her office issued a new statement late Friday.
``These remarks originated in a draft of a press release that was in the editing process and were never intended for public distribution. I disclaim all of those comments,'' she said in the new statement.
The lawsuit contends black agents are passed over for promotions on Gore's security detail. The agents contend the vice president has done nothing to address the situation.
``That these black officers had no response from Gore's staff is symptomatic of a larger problem,'' McKinney's original statement said. ``Gore would like these problems to just go away, but they'll never go away if they're not addressed.''
Gore campaign spokesman Chris Lehane said the vice president had a ''25-year record of fighting for African-Americans.'' Donna Brazile, a black woman, heads Gore's campaign.
After McKinney issued her retraction, a campaign spokeswoman said it was clear the congresswoman didn't want the statement to come out and that Gore was pleased to have her support.
Secret Service spokesman Jim Mackin said 30 percent of the agents assigned to Gore's detail are minorities or women, and 18 percent are black. In addition, blacks hold 40 percent of the ``whip'' positions - senior agents who occasionally supervise the detail.
Attorney Ron Schmidt, who represents the black Secret Service agents, said he does not believe Gore is racist ``and I don't think any of the agents do.''
``But they're very concerned Gore is brushing them off. It's disconcerting for these guys to put their lives on the line for the protectee while at the same time the candidate is acting with complete indifference toward them,'' he said.
In her later statement, McKinney said the Secret Service matter still deserves ``serious attention and vigorous investigation,'' but she warned Republicans not to use the earlier statement to ``divide and confuse the voters.''
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