Rep. Cynthia McKinney, D-Ga., center, walking down the steps of the House side of the U.S. Capitol after the last scheduled vote of the day Thursday, March 30, 2006 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke)
Posted on 03/31/2006 5:41:56 AM PST by maggief
Edited on 03/31/2006 8:39:58 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney planned to hold a news conference with her lawyer on Friday, but the original 11 a.m. time for it is supposedly being rescheduled, according to an aide in her office.
U.S. Capitol Police say there is surveillance video of a confrontation between an officer and Rep. McKinney, but they say the video will not be released.
McKinney released a statement saying she deeply regrets the incident, but was rushing to a meeting when the officer failed to recognize her.
McKinney says she was not wearing a lapel pin identifying her as a House member, but says she did display her Congressional ID.
Both McKinney and the officer agree that she went past a metal detector, which a Member of Congress is allowed to do.
But the officer says when he placed his hand on her shoulder, she struck him the chest.
Capitol police say they are investigating the officer’s complaint.
McKinney says that government security officers often fail to recognize her, and treat her like a criminal suspect.
Her critics in her DeKalb County district say she thrives on controversies she manufactures.
McKinney’s staff members are defending her by distributing a clip of her from the new film “American Blackout.” McKinney is showing the filmmaker around the capitol grounds, and a security officer fails to recognize her at first, and stops her.
“That’s just typical of the type of treatment I receive. It’s typical. So, I’m not surprised and I’m not offended,” McKinney said. “Okay. Thank you. Some things never change. That’s what Tupac said.”
McKinney and her aides say that even now, in the midst of her sixth term in the House, Capitol Police constantly stop her and treat her like an intruder or terrorist until she can prove to them she is a Member of Congress.
Still, she says she is expressing deep regret about her most recent confrontation with an officer, who says that this time, she struck him after recognizing her.
“I think she needs a little lesson in diplomacy and aplomb,” said DeKalb County voter Fern Garber.
In McKinney’s district, mostly DeKalb County, many voters are as frustrated with McKinney as she is with Capitol police.
“I think that the person was just doing his job. And I don’t see any harm in that, not recognizing her,” said Jennifer Bassaragh.
Constituent John Love said, “I can understand her being upset. But if she actually struck the officer, that was wrong.”
McKinney’s supporters think Capitol police need to improve.
“I think she’s still going to do a good job, and she’s capable of doing a good job in representing us -- it hasn’t changed,” said Thomasine Caramouche.
DeKalb County voter Valery Singleton said, “I think overall, she's still doing a pretty good job. I would vote for her again.”
This being an election year, McKinney’s Democratic challenger for the nomination this year, DeKalb County Commissioner Hank Johnson, was quick to condemn her as an embarrassment to the state of Georgia.
“She can no longer effectively represent the citizens of the fourth district, simply because nobody in Congress pays any attention to her at this point,” Johnson said.
McKinney’s office has not responded to a request by 11Alive News for an on-camera interview. Capitol police have not filed charges against McKinney as of this point, but they say the case is under investigation. It is not known whether the officer will press charges against McKinney personally.
McKinney's office says that the Representative will speak in a press conference on Friday at 11 a.m. 11Alive.com will carry that press conference live.
A huge SMUG cloud alert!
What kind of film is this *American Blackout*?......please tell me it's not what I'm thinking...
Oh darn ! I wanted to see it!
BARF!
http://festival.sundance.org/filmguide/popup.aspx?film=6675
Ian Inaba's American Blackout is a stylish, intelligent, and provocative documentary that looks at the historic and systematic disenfranchisement of the black vote through the lens of the political career of Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-Georgia). George W. Bush's narrow victory in 2000 launched an historic investigation into Florida's election process. Public focus was on dysfunctional ballots and the Supreme Court litigation, but Inaba's inquiry leads him to Congresswoman McKinney, who investigated the private company hired by the state of Florida to generate voter lists, which effectively shut out the black vote and handed Bush an unlikely victory. While tracking McKinney's career, Inaba reveals a host of ways in which black political power is systematically squelched, ranging from the slander that assailed McKinney when she stood up to the Bush administration on 9/11 and Iraq, to the political machinations that disempowered the black vote in the Georgia Democratic primaries and the Ohio presidential election in 2004. Inaba reminds us that African Americans have long fought a war inside our country for their right to vote, and unfortunately that war rages on today. American Blackout emotionally revitalizes the core of our power as American citizens–the right to vote–and effectively reveals that the fate of black voters is inextricably tied to the fate of all Americans.— Shari Frilot
Figures!.....thanks..
Right.
Why should We The People see how our elected officials behave themselves while working for US
Here's a question: If she were white & the cops were black....would the tape be released?
This woman is a member of Congress and she quotes a gang related dead rapper?
Good Grief!
Smug cloud indeed! The DC Capitol police are represented by a huge percentage of blacks. This isn't racist by any stretch of the imagination. It's Cynthia grandstanding for publicity.
I heard on the local news here in Washington, DC this morning that the Capitol Police Officer that Rep. McKinney hit intends to press charges.
Tell me that picture doesn't say all that needs to be said.
Is it just me, or does that picture just look like a pimp who just bailed out his "ho's"
Who's the pimp to her left...?
There was an earlier post here on FR, based on an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article, that the capitol police were going to notify the federal prosecutor that charges would be filed.
I'm still not going to hold my breath.
"It was da JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOS -- !!!"
Nothing new there. Move along.......
This should be a hoot!
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