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Politics : I Will Continue to Continue, to Pretend.... -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sully- who wrote (19091)	3/31/2006 1:24:43 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

Capitol Police To Issue Warrant For McKinney's Arrest In Illegal Activities No Agenda A local news station reports... <<< Capitol Hill police plan to issue an arrest warrant today for Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.). The warrant is related to the incident Wednesday when McKinney allegedly slapped a Capitol Hill police officer. Charges could range from assault on a police officer, which is a felony carrying a possible five year prison term, to simple assault, which is a misdeamenor. McKinney has canceled a news conference that she had scheduled for this morning to discuss the incident. McKinney issued a statement yesterday saying she "deeply regrets" the confrontation with the police officer. >>> Naturally, Nancy Pelosi, who makes any minor transgression by a Republican into a big deal, said, "I would not make a big deal of this," Of course not, McKinney is a Democrat... As we reported before, this is McKinney's fifth time having a conflict with law enforcement... Here's the part that really gets to me... <<< Merle Black, a professor of politics at Emory University, says that while the scuffle was rare for an elected politician, it's unlikely to cost McKinney more than a few votes. Black says McKinney is in damage control -- cutting her losses by not insisting on right or wrong. >>> It's no surprise that a Democrat would not suffer from their own illegal activities or corruption.... The media conveniently protects them... noagenda.org wsbtv.com noagenda.org upi.com

To: Sully- who wrote (19091)	4/3/2006 6:28:10 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

The case for considering censure or expulsion of Rep. Cynthia McKinney BY JAMES TARANTO Best of the Web Today Monday, April 3, 2006 11:04 All Attitude, No Gratitude Rep. Cynthia McKinney, who last week was accused of battering a U.S. Capitol policeman with a cell phone, held a bizarre press conference late Friday afternoon at Washington's Howard University, reports the Hill: <<< Standing against a backdrop of two-dozen Georgia schoolchildren holding signs that read "God Bless Cynthia" and "Is Cynthia a Target?" McKinney told a dozen assembled TV cameras that the officer was at fault, implying that her race, gender and politics had played a role in the incident. "Let me be clear, this whole incident was instigated by the inappropriate touching and stopping of me--a female, black, progressive congresswoman," she said. "I am certain that after a full review of the facts, I will be exonerated." A lawyer for McKinney, James Myart, asserted that his client acted in self-defense. "Congresswoman McKinney, in a hurry, was essentially chased and grabbed by the officer; she reacted instinctively in an effort to defend herself," he said. . . . "[McKinney,] like thousands of average Americans across this country, is too a victim of the excessive use of force by law enforcement officials because of how she looks and the color of her skin. Ms. McKinney is just a victim of being in Congress while black," Myart, her lawyer, said. >>> McKinney seems clearly to have been in the wrong. The officer approached her when she walked around a metal detector. As a member of Congress she is entitled to do so, but she was not wearing the lapel pin that identifies her as a member, and thus she committed a breach of security. (Slate reported in 2002 that "she refuses to wear her member's pin.") McKinney does not claim to have identified herself before the officer approached, so that as far as he knew, he could have been dealing with a terrorist or a dangerous psychotic. Nor has she publicly denied that she struck the officer. Indeed, when her lawyer says "she reacted instinctively in an effort to defend herself," he seems to be justifying the alleged assault rather than denying it. McKinney's answer to all this is, essentially, Do they know who I am? Earlier Friday she published on her Web site, then withdrew, an even more bizarre statement, which Atlanta's WSBT-TV has reproduced. She began by acknowledging that this isn't her first run-in with the Capitol police (quoting verbatim): <<< I have served as a Member of Congress for more than 11 years. Throughout my tenure in Congress, I seem to evoke memory loss, especially from certain police officers who claim not to be able to recognize my face while I go to work everyday, representing the people of Georgia's 4th Congressional District. Washington, DC and local newspapers, as well as authors of books, have carried my "working while black" stories of such encounters on Capitol Hill. In fact, the movie American Blackout candidly captures just such an encounter in one of its more humorous moments when after a two-year hiatus from Congress, a black police officer recognizes me and welcomes me back to Washington, and then just across the street, a few yards away, a white police officer approaches me to ask me what office I am with. In the film I remark, "Some things never change. That's what Tupac said." >>> YouTube.com has the clip, in which the white cop is perfectly polite and apologizes abjectly as soon as he realizes McKinney is a congressman. It seems clear that she has an attitude problem, and that this accounts for her history of run-ins with the Capitol Police. An encounter between a congressman and a Capitol policeman is not analogous to one between an ordinary citizen and cop. The Capitol Police work for Congress; they are the only federal police agency that is not part of the executive branch. That means that when a Capitol officer comes face to face with a member of Congress, it is the latter who is in the position of greater authority. This is why the white cop in the "American Blackout" clip suddenly turns submissive when he realizes who McKinney is. McKinney's behavior toward the policeman last week might or might not have reached the level of a criminal assault; police and prosecutors will decide in due course whether to pursue charges. But her disrespectful attitude toward the Capitol Police is that of a petty tyrant, not a put-upon citizen. The officer who stopped McKinney was doing his job, which is to protect her and her colleagues. She owes him not only an apology but her gratitude. Lefty blogger John Aravosis notes that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Organization for Women both sent representatives to McKinney's press conference, and he is rightly appalled by what this says about the dissolute state of "the big-monied liberal advocacy groups": <<< The only thing more pathetic than McKinney is that NOW and the NAACP would lower themselves to attend this ridiculous farce of a press conference. Have they nothing better to do than pander to someone who belittles legitimate concerns about race and gender and political bias? Pathetic liberal groups, and pathetic Democratic members of Congress. Their funders should cut them all off until they prove the worth of their continued existence. >>> The House, meanwhile, has the power to investigate its members' behavior and to censure or expel them if appropriate. Even if McKinney's alleged misconduct doesn't result in criminal charges, Congress has a duty to police itself. opinionjournal.com hillnews.com slate.com wsbtv.com youtube.com americablog.blogspot.com

To: Sully- who wrote (19091)	4/3/2006 7:16:39 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

Warrants To Be Issued For Idiocy In The First Degree By Captain Ed on Mouthbreathers Captain's Quarters Cynthia McKinney, the one-woman gang that can only hit straight, faces possible arrest for assaulting a Capitol Hill police officer after failing to properly identify herself or stop at a security checkpoint. Predictably, she and her supporters continued to throw more gasoline on the fire instead of simply shutting up and letting the entire incident pass: <<< 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 not something that should be blown out of proportion any further," Carson said. >>> Oh, the train has left the station on that, Mr. Carson, and quite a long time ago. McKinney practically dared police to arrest her last week when the assault first occurred. The Congresswoman could have simply apologized for not presenting the proper identification (the pin given to members that allows them to pass through the checkpoint) and for misunderstanding the officer's intent in stopping her. Instead, she made the embarrassing incident literally into a federal case by taunting Capitol Hill police for their alleged racism and sexism. McKinney and her supporters continued with their offensive offense today, continuing to claim that institutional racism in Congress caused the guards not to recognize her, blaming "racial profiling" instead. One Georgia politician, Alberta Abdul-Salaam, told the press that Congress and the White House have a well-planned conspiracy to attack black leaders, apparently involving the enforcement of procedures at security checkpoints. Another lunatic at her rally claimed that McKinney has been "set up" without providing any explanation of the plot. Did someone steal her pin? Was the Congresswoman told that the rules didn't apply to her, only to be shocked that the police take security rather seriously in our nation's capital? McKinney's Hill colleagues, meanwhile, have developed a serious case of selective laryngitis on this matter. Do leaders of her party think that security protocols are part of a plot against their African-American members? Do they support the notion that elected officials that are responsible for securing our nation against attack somehow bear no responsibility for cooperating with security procedures designed to make themselves and their staffers and employees secure from danger? Their silence speaks volumes about the support they give the police officers who risk their lives every day to protect them; two of them died in 1998 protecting them from an insane gunman. When the Democrats and their allies start condemning McKinney's demagoguery and exploitation of racial tensions intended on distracting people from her status as an arrogant, egotistical idiot, we can't take anything they say on security seriously. captainsquartersblog.com ajc.com

To: Sully- who wrote (19091)	4/4/2006 3:34:23 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

THE PARTY OF RACE-BAITING VICTIMS By Michelle Malkin April 04, 2006 How dumb are the Democrats? They let themselves be outmaneuvered on the Cynthia McKinney mess by two Republicans who will introduce a resolution today to commend the U.S. Capitol Police department, under attack by the McKinney mob for being racist: <<< "The 1,700 officers of the Capitol Police force risk their lives every day protecting constituents, staff and members of Congress," said Rep. Patrick T. McHenry, North Carolina Republican. "The right thing to do is to commend these men and women. They deserve a pat on the back, which is more appropriate than what they've gotten lately." The resolution, by Mr. McHenry and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, Florida Republican, which could be voted on this week, comes after increasingly harsh accusations by Mrs. McKinney, the Georgia Democrat who was stopped by Capitol Police last week for bypassing a metal detector... >>> The Hill adds: <<< McKinney has been aggressively publicizing the incident, calling press conferences on each of the past two business days and even attracting a mention on the front page of The New York Times, something that the dozens of House and Senate Democrats combined couldn’t match when they unveiled their homeland-security plan last week. Now, with McKinney facing a possible arrest warrant, the media frenzy is set only to escalate. The U.S. Capitol Police referred the issue to the U.S. District Attorney’s office for prosecution yesterday. All of the attention has some Democrats concerned that McKinney is drawing the limelight away from their policy goals and Republicans’ ethical missteps to focus on a momentary, disputed encounter in a Capitol Hill hallway. “There’s been a lot of eye-rolling,” said an aide to a moderate Democrat who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The national attention it’s been getting has been unfortunate. It’s becoming a distraction.” A Democratic strategist concurred. “This isn’t the view of Democrats that we want to project in the tough races, one of victims and race-baiting,” the strategist said. >>> When has it ever been otherwise? michellemalkin.com washingtontimes.com hillnews.com

To: Sully- who wrote (19091)	4/4/2006 6:31:26 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

Via Michelle Malkin update on.... ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO STAGE (edited) update: NBC official confirms that Dateline is working on the story... ...Mailbox is filling up with reaction to my blog post this morning about NBC's Dateline show and its apparent Nascar fans-must-be-racist sting. A sample: Reader Joanthan M. calls for "An Army of NASCAR Davids" (meme nod to Glenn Reynolds): Just had a thought I wanted to share - what a great opportunity NBC's news creation can provide to the blogosphere!. If word gets out to NASCAR fans (perhaps in part via your blog) that 1) NBC is trying to paint them as ignorant bigots, 2) they should be extra-super-duper nice to Muslims at the Apr. 8 race, and 3) they should bring their handheld video cameras to tape NBC taping them so that when NBC can't find any bigotry to air, they can expose Dateline as the one possessed with bigotry, of the anti-red stater race fan variety, that is. .... Chuck S. wrote to Dateline: Why don’t you attend a KKK rally somewhere? It may make for better TV. If you’re really looking for discrimination in America, take a conservative to an anti-war rally instead. .... E.L. Core's message to Dateline: What a great idea! Looking for ringers... I mean, looking for Moslems to expose America's abiding bigotries. You all are so brilliant, not to mention original. Here's another idea for you: why don't you send out a call for some other ringers... I mean, why don't you look for some Christian fundamentalists who would be willing to go into some intriguing arenas to see how they'll get treated. I don't mean NASCAR, of course. How about, say, the regular meetings of the San Francisco city council. Or a Broadway or Hollywood casting call. You could have the ringers... I mean, you could have the Christians prominently display a cross on their attire, or carry a Bible, or something like that. So, what do you think? .... Reader Mathias S.: I think NBC staging this kind of news is a great idea. I look forward to their next installment: when they send an orthodox Jew (preferably with a wearing a skull cap, full beard and carrying a Torah) into a mosque of "the religion of peace" and tries to sit with the women. Wackiness will ensue! I can't really grow a decent beard, but I would volunteer in exchange for a good life insurance policy (gotta take care of the family) and some body armor.

To: Sully- who wrote (19091)	4/5/2006 10:04:29 AM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

The party of police-haters by Michelle Malkin Townhall.com Apr 5, 2006 There's only one thing more damning than the recent caterwauling of cop-bashing Rep. Cynthia McKinney and her race-mongering mob: The stone-cold silence of Beltway Democrats. While McKinney and her ilk sling wild charges of racism and conspiracy at the police, national Dems have yet to utter one clear word in defense of the men and women who protect their privileged backsides day in and day out in Washington. But, hey, don't question their patriotism. McKinney, who is black, is having the mother of all Beltway snit fits because, she claims, a white Capitol Hill police officer "inappropriately touched" her last week. After asking her several times to stop when she traipsed around a security checkpoint without proper identification, according to police accounts, the officer reportedly touched McKinney's arm or shoulder. In response, she struck the officer. You know, Rep. McKinney, as a fellow "woman of color," I have been pulled aside by government security agents numerous times for secondary screening at airports over the last few years. I've had my bra straps snapped, my thighs pawed, and my torso wanded. I've had my cell phone tested for bomb residue, my laptop inspected, and my handbags manhandled. My response was not to go postal or do a Naomi Campbell on the gropers. My response was to ask why they aren't doing more security profiling. McKinney is spitting venom about "double standards" of justice. But if I had done what McKinney did to the police officer just doing his job, I would be marking time in the slammer. Caught in an imperial act of lawlessness, McKinney is now conducting her own victim Olympics to deflect blame and responsibility: Lawyer James W. Myart Jr. called McKinney "a victim of the excessive use of force by law enforcement officials because of how she looks and the color of her skin. Ms. McKinney is just a victim of being in Congress while black." Harry Belafonte and Danny Glover, admittedly ignorant of what McKinney did on Capitol Hill, were on hand to add their tribal "uh-huhs" and "amens" to the blanket condemnations of white police officers. On Monday, an entire contingent of black leaders in Atlanta inveighed against law enforcement officers and lent McKinney their unconditional political support at a meeting of the Concerned Black Clergy of Metropolitan Atlanta in the Community Church of God. (Hello, church-and-state separatists?) "Racial profiling is a well-thought-out and planned attack on black political leaders," fumed state Rep. Roberta Abdul-Salaam. "It's going from the gold dome down to the White House. It's happening and it's wrong." Another instigated the crowd: "We know what time it is, and that's why the most progressive of us are standing here. Because we know that if you can come and get Cynthia today, you'll come and get us tomorrow." Yet another McKinney supporter rattled his tinfoil and asserted: "I believe this incident with Cynthia McKinney is a setup . . . I say the politicizing of this event was planned and staged! They decided to set this brave sister up!" McKinney later appeared on CNN to insinuate that the entire Capitol Hill police department had "problems inside with the treatment of -- or the respect for diversity -- let me say." She adamantly refuses to apologize for her treatment of the officer she hit. Two Capitol Hill cops died in the line of fire in 1998 defending politicians and government workers from an intruding gunman who waltzed passed a checkpoint in the same manner McKinney did. The Democrats' refusal to condemn the McKinney mob's smear campaign against the Capitol Hill police sinks to a new level of political cowardice. And stupidity. Republicans have already announced plans to introduce a bill defending the 1,700-member Capitol Hill police force -- reinforcing the Donkey Party's haplessness on public safety and national security issues. Contempt for law enforcement is a hallmark of the party of Ted Kennedy, Al Sharpton, Chuck Schumer, Jesse Jackson and the Clintons. New Yorkers won't forget the shameful attack on members of the Albany Police Department honor guard, who were cursed at and spat on by participants in the state Democratic Party convention in 2000. It's all of a piece. To quote a certain now-quiet Democrat senator from New York pandering to her black constituents: "And you know what I am talkin' about." Michelle Malkin is a syndicated columnist and maintains her weblog at michellemalkin.com. She has also authored books such as Unhinged and In Defense of Internment. Copyright © 2006 Townhall.com townhall.com

To: Sully- who wrote (19091)	4/5/2006 1:22:20 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

Instapundit ERIC MCERLAIN POINTS OUT something that hadn't occurred to me: <<< I'll leave the media bias charges to somebody else, but here's another angle that folks in the sports biz ought to think about: What in the world are the folks who run NASCAR going to think about this when they find out? Last time I looked NBC was still one of the circuit's broadcast partners, and now NBC News is attempting to provoke a racial confrontation at a NASCAR race, one that is sure to not only paint certain individuals as racists, but paint the entire NASCAR culture as racist too. If I were at NASCAR HQ, I'd be blowing a gasket about now, and getting on the phone to NBC Sports in New York. After all, this is ocurring against a backdrop of NASCAR's increased efforts to bring minority drivers and owners into the series, and expand its appeal outside of the traditional Southern fan base. In other words, something like this may very well cost NASCAR some money. And while there are undoubtedly racists at any large sporting event that draws literally hundreds of thousands of people each weekend, I can't help but think that NBC's choice wasn't a coincidence. >>> Nope, but it seems even dumber now. UPDATE: Hmm. A couple of readers say that this is NBC's last year of sharing in NASCAR broadcasts, after which the consortium will be to Fox, ABC, and ESPN. Is NBC trying to give NASCAR a goodbye kiss? Apparently, its coverage was poorly received: "Ratings for NBC's coverage, like those for Fox's, have consistently increased throughout the six-year contract. But NBC has often gotten a tepid or worse response from many die-hard racing fans, some of whom have complained that the network appeared to lack passion for the sport. . . . The network didn't believe the package was as valuable as what NASCAR was asking for it. When the new deal was announced in December, published reports said the agreement was for a total of $4.5-billion, or 61 percent higher than the previous deal signed in 2000." More here. sports.yahoo.com And reader Eric Hall offers a new assignment: "Dateline NBC ought to take some Christian-looking people to Riyadh and see how things work out. Don't forget the bikini-clad sister." ANOTHER UPDATE: Reader Betsy Gorisch emails: <<< My husband and I are serious NASCAR fans, and for a number of years now we have been underwhelmed by NBC's coverage of the latter half of the season. We've always thought that they cover the races as though they imagine that only a bunch of dimwits could really care about watching. Perhaps their single most annoying feature is something they call "going through the field." This feature consists of having a reporter discuss what's happening with each car, one by one, while the race is going on--what's up with the tires, what the team leader thinks about the gas mileage, and so forth--and meanwhile ignoring the race! It's insulting to anyone who actually wants to see the RACE. My favorite analogy for this tiresome exercise is to think of watching the bottom of the 7th inning of a World Series game, and the announcer cuts to a sequential close-up of each player while saying things like, "Well Bob, the right fielder is having trouble getting his cleats to hold the turf and the webbing on his mitt is too loose. His cup is tight, and he's going to have to do something about that before the next inning. Now let's move over the the center fielder." And so forth--and meanwhile the game is going on but you can't see what's happening. No one would put up with something similar in any other sport. This latest hidden camera exercise seems like a clueless PC parting shot at a sport NBC has never understood anyway. No real race fan likes the NBC portion of the season, and the Dateline guys are simply confirming what a lot of us have been pretty sure of all along--the whole network is contemptuous of its audience. It's no surprise that they would assume the stands are packed with a bunch of lousy bigots. Good riddance to them, that's what we say. >>> With NBC's financial woes, this kind of an attitude on the part of viewers seems like a bad thing. And in response to McErlain's question above, it's not so much what the NASCAR people will think, but what potential future sports partners will think. Meanwhile, does this mean (1) NBC's news is bravely independent of NBC's business interests, because they're willing to stick it to NASCAR; (2) NBC's news is only willing to stick it to NASCAR because NBC no longer has much of a business interest here; or (3) NBC's news is just as clueless as NBC's sports? MORE: More advice here: If I ran Fox, I'd be figuring out who NBC's Muslim "ringers" were and putting a not-so-hidden camera crew all over them during the race. This would totally blow NBC's story out of the water. Also, throughout the broadcast of the race I'd be replaying clips of the original faked Dateline story about the trucks catching on fire and making snarky comments about keeping the Dateline crew away from pit road. Heh. Indeed. Damian Penny:: "Next up: NBC is going to try sneaking Bibles into Saudi Arabia. Yeah, right." http://instapundit.com/archives/029519.php ericmcerlain.com sptimes.com crankyinsomniac.blogspot.com damianpenny.com

To: Sully- who wrote (19091)	4/5/2006 2:21:35 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

DeLay Says He'll File Ethics Complaint Against McKinney By: Robert B. Bluey Human Events Online Posted 04/04/06 Soon-to-retire Rep. Tom DeLay (R.-Tex.) said today he would file an ethics complaint against Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D.-Ga.) for striking a Capitol Police officer should no other House member do so first. DeLay’s comments came during a wide-ranging interview at his Capitol Hill office with reporters, including HUMAN EVENTS Editor Terry Jeffrey. “If nobody in this House files an ethics charge, I am,” DeLay said in response to a question about McKinney. “Her behavior is outrageous. And it’s not the only time.” DeLay was asked if he supported the Capitol Police’s actions following the incident with McKinney, which took place last week when she bypassed a metal detector and a police officer stopped her. “You bet,” he said. “It’s outrageous behavior,” he said about McKinney. “Had it been Tom DeLay, the Ethics Committee would have met the next day.” The subject of McKinney came up after DeLay recounted a fond memory he had of a Capitol Police officer killed in the line of duty. When asked about his best and worst days as a lawmaker, he said his best day was the GOP’s sweep in 1994. The worst day, he recalled, was July 24, 1998, when Capitol Police Detective John Gibson was shot to death by Russell Weston Jr. in DeLay’s office. Fellow officer Jacob “J.J.” Chestnut was also killed that day protecting the congressman’s staff from the gunman. The episode prompted DeLay to erect a tribute to Gibson on his office wall. He told reporters that a plaque he keeps in his office with the words “This Could Be the Day” serves as a reminder of Gibson, who had discussed its meaning with DeLay only two days before he was killed. Mr. Bluey is editor of Human Events Online. humaneventsonline.com

To: Sully- who wrote (19091)	4/6/2006 3:53:01 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

Grand Jury To Decide McKinney's Fate By Captain Ed on National Politics Captain's Quarters Prosecutors investigating the assault by Rep. Cynthia McKinney on a Capitol Police officer last week have decided to present the case to a grand jury to determine whether an indictment is warranted, CNN reported last night: <<< No more he-grabbed-she-slapped -- whether U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney should be charged over a confrontation with Capitol Police last week will be decided by a grand jury, perhaps as soon as next week, said federal law enforcement sources familiar with the case. Prosecutors have decided to present the case, and the grand jury will begin hearing testimony Thursday, the two 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. The Justice Department and the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, which is handling the case, refused to comment. >>> This may represent a bit of a punt on the part of the prosecutors, who already have a complaint and eyewitnesses that apparently substantiate the story. Under normal circumstances, they would have skipped a grand jury and simply filed charges against the offender. However, with McKinney screaming racism and her peers in Congress oddly silent, the prosecutors have made the politically wise choice to defer the decision to a grand jury. Given the evidence already in hand, chances are very low that the grand jury will find that the prosecutors don't have a case for indictment, let alone conviction. This should allow the embarrassment of the Democrats to simmer for a while longer. No coordinated effort has been made to support McKinney's charges of racism in the security details that protect Congress. A paltry few have repeated McKinney's assertions, but her party's leadership remains silent -- probably hoping that the entire affair will vanish. Even the Congressional Black Caucus has refused to officially comment on the controversy despite meeting with McKinney yesterday. They probably found ridiculous and embarrassing McKinney's insistence that guards should be trained to recognize the 535 members of Congress, on sight and within the two seconds it takes to breeze past a security checkpoint without identifying themselves. McKinney's problem is that she has cried wolf one too many times. Most people, even Congresspeople, can figure that between the two choices of a vast conspiracy among Capitol police to humiliate minorities and the foolish and egotistical insistence of one member who repeatedly refuses to adhere to security protocols designed to protect them all from harm, the latter comes closest to reality. The grand jury almost certainly will agree. UPDATE: Oh, so now she's sorry: <<< 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. >>> If that's the complete statement, it falls a little short. She says that the incident should not have resulted in "physical contact," but that became necessary on the part of the police when she refused to stop after blowing through the checkpoint. She should have apologized for striking the officer outright and not hiding behind this weasel-word construction. Nor, do I note, does she apologize for accusing Capitol Hill police of racism and racial profiling. She gave the minimal apology possible to try to get the story off the front pages. Once again, we have an egotistical blowhard demanding that everyone cater to her whims and smearing people who refuse to submit to her bullying. I suspect that the deafening public silence from the Congressional Black Caucus disguised some pointed advice from them to McKinney to shut the hell up before she undid years of work highlighting real racism in law enforcement. It shouldn't work, but it probably will; the story will quickly fade unless the grand jury decides to press charges anyway, and at some point we'll hear her colleagues demand that we "move on". I give it three hours. captainsquartersblog.com cnn.com news.yahoo.com

To: Sully- who wrote (19091)	4/9/2006 4:42:58 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

Brass hats and brass tacks By Victor Davis Hanson The Washington Times Commentary Page April 8, 2006 Georgia Democratic Rep. Cynthia McKinney's recent run-in with a security official at the nation's Capitol reminded me of an earlier dust-up. On New Year's Eve 2002, while I was a visiting professor at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, the superintendent -- the distinguished three-star Vice Adm. Richard J. Naughton -- tried to enter the academy without wearing the photo ID required of all military and civilian personnel. Naturally expecting that the young Marine sentry on duty would recognize his all-important superintendent, Adm. Naughton boldly tried to pass. But instead, the Marine asked him to produce identification. Angry words and some sort of altercation ensued between the admiral and the enlisted man. Later, Adm. Naughton claimed he couldn't "remember" whether he had "touched" the guard, but he did concede he "might" have done so. After a lengthy, ultimately damning investigation, Adm. Naughton resigned -- first from his post as academy superintendent and then subsequently from the Navy altogether. During the investigation, some skeptics at Annapolis had doubted whether Adm. Naughton would pay any price. But his exalted rank, along with his race and gender, won no exemption. I mention the Naughton case to illustrate that such mix-ups at government checkpoints are not unusual -- and that eventually public pressure catches up with aristocratic arrogance and even the powerful are held to account. Cynthia McKinney recently had her own Naughton moment when she tried to enter the Capitol. Like the admiral, she took umbrage when confronted by a guard who didn't recognize her and was merely trying to do his job of protecting a government facility. She, too, found herself in some sort of physical altercation with a lowly subordinate. But that's where the comparisons end. All the facts are not yet known, and Mrs. McKinney is an elected official not subject to military accountability. But her reaction to this similar incident tells us a great deal about the pathologies of our current culture. [Mrs. McKinney issued an apology Thursday, saying the run-in and the ensuing controversy was a "misunderstanding."] After witnesses related Mrs. McKinney was asked to stop three times -- and replied with some sort of shove -- she went public at a press conference. There she resorted to the now all too familiar fallback positions unavailable to Adm. Naughton. Surrounded by celebrities like Harry Belafonte and Danny Glover, Mrs. McKinney said, "This whole incident was instigated by the inappropriate touching and stopping of me, a female, black congresswoman." Note how she covered all the bases to pre-empt a possible indictment, putting the onus on the aggrieved. Plus, in our star-struck culture, we equate celebrity with gravitas. So we are supposed to believe an otherwise clueless Calypso singer or action-hero actor lend credence to Mrs. McKinney's wild charges. Mrs. McKinney not only played the race and celebrity cards, but the feminist one as well -- as if the dutiful policemen had kept his job this long by allowing unrecognized white male elected officials to enter checkpoints without showing identification. And if race and gender were not enough, Mrs. McKinney evoked the standard sexual harassment code words "inappropriate touching" -- as if a randy guard were trying to grope the defenseless congresswoman. Mrs. McKinney realizes claims of victimization are keys to conning our system -- and that the more accusations of racism, sexism and harassment the better for turning the cowardly aggressor into the heroically aggrieved. Some official responses so far have been depressing. The leading House Democrat, California's Nancy Pelosi, initially dryly dismissed the incident: "I would not make a big deal of this." Fine, except Mrs. Pelosi recently referred to Vice President Dick Cheney's handling of his hunting accident as a "manifestation of the arrogance of the White House. They don't come clean with the American people. They think they are above the law and above accountability to the American people." Note Mrs. Pelosi's words "arrogance" and "above the law." Is deliberately slugging a federal security officer at a Capitol checkpoint less arrogant or illegal than Mr. Cheney's behavior after accidentally peppering a friend during a private hunt? So, what can we learn from the McKinney moment? Slandering someone as racist and sexist is now supposed to do for Democrats what the old wealth and power purportedly did for Republicans -- give them an unfair advantage and allow them to evade the rules. Progressives once gained credence because they insisted merit should outweigh class, money and connections. These days they are losing credibility when they insist race and gender should trump merit and facts. America has learned to apply the rules to a Vice Adm. Richard J. Naughton; now it must also insist on them for Rep. Cynthia McKinney. Victor Davis Hanson is a classicist and historian at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and author, most recently, of "A War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War." washingtontimes.com

To: Sully- who wrote (19091)	6/17/2006 4:27:33 AM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

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"? captainsquartersblog.com washingtonpost.com

To: Sully- who wrote (19091)	6/20/2006 8:34:44 AM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

Police Union Wants Ethics Probe of McKinney In Other Violations No Agenda After a federal grand jury refused to indict Rep. Cynthia McKinney for assaulting a police officer, local and national police unions are calling for the House ethics committee to investigate. <<< “Although she was not indicted by the grand jury, we hope that members of Congress will review her actions in light of their own rules within the ethics committee,” said Andy Maybo, chairman of the U.S. Capitol Police Fraternal Order of Police chapter. Maybo said he plans to send a letter later this week to the ethics committee, known formally as the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, requesting an investigation into the incident. A spokesman for the ethics committee did not immediately return a call for comment. While it is unclear what House rule the FOP members believe McKinney violated, the first rule in the ethics manual states: “A Member, officer, or employee of the House of Representatives shall conduct himself at all times in a manner which shall reflect creditably on the House of Representatives.” “Congresswoman McKinney’s assault on Officer [Paul] McKenna was not only unprofessional for her position as a member of Congress, but we believe it puts out the wrong message across America, that it is OK to strike a police officer,” he said. >>> noagenda.org thehill.com

To: Sully- who wrote (19091)	7/30/2006 8:06:23 AM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

McKinney Equates Security Stop With Bush-Merkel Neckrub By Captain Ed on National Politics Captain's Quarters Cynthia McKinney has decided to go down swinging in the runoff for her primary seat. However, she's not swinging at Hank Johnson, the man trying (and so far succeeding) in squeezing her out of Congress. Instead, McKinney keeps trying to use Bush Derangement Syndrome as a lever with her constituents, and has attempted to explain away her assault on a police officer by claiming molestation -- and using Bush as an excuse: <<< At Thursday's news conference, McKinney told reporters her altercation with a Capitol police officer in March had no effect on the primary election results and said the fallout was created by people who had a political agenda. "One of the things that the press was a party to was the ... spiraling of an incident," she said. McKinney likened her response — she allegedly struck an officer after he grabbed her from behind — to that of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who threw up her fists when President Bush unexpectedly massaged her neck at the recent G8 Summit. "This woman, who was touched from behind, had a reaction," McKinney said. >>> I'm sorry -- I must have missed where Angela Merkel hit George Bush in the chest with a cell phone. She put her arms up in surprise, and had McKinney done that on Capitol Hill, then she would have had no further problems. Instead, she wants to excuse her own behavior by deflecting attention to George Bush while claiming molestation. Let's please recall that McKinney disregarded a security post and repeated calls for her to stop. She was not sitting on a dais, minding her own business; she violated procedures that exist for her own protection. McKinney still can't admit that the incident was her fault. She wants voters in her district to believe that the police officer molested her in the halls of a Congressional office building and that her assault was self-defense. The police officer should sue for defamation. His union has already contributed to Hank Johnson, and perhaps they should consider an endorsement. Speaking of which, former mayor and Carter administration official Andrew Young endorsed McKinney yesterday -- which just about wraps up the nutcase contingent behind their leading politician. captainsquartersblog.com ajc.com!856934215&UrAuth=%60N^NUOaN\UbTTUWUXUWUZT[UcUWUcUaUZUaU%60UcTYWYWZV&urcm=y