Posted on 04/09/2006 12:05:38 PM PDT by dukeman
Days ago, Cynthia McKinney was a heroine to local Democrats because she was standing up for disenfranchised voters everywhere.
The controversial congresswoman from Georgia was even worthy of taking center stage at a rally at one of area's most identifiable events: the Sarasota Film Festival.
But that was before McKinney was accused of striking a Capitol police officer and became this week's target for late-night comedians.
Now, Democrats are doing everything they can to distance themselves from McKinney, including canceling the rally.
It wasn't public pressure that caused the cancellation, said Democratic Party Chairman Henry Bright. It was the fact that McKinney was becoming too much of a distraction from the original reason they put on the rally: fair elections.
McKinney is in town to promote "American Blackout," a movie she stars in that accuses Longboat Key Republican Katherine Harris of helping Republicans steal the 2000 presidential election for President George W. Bush.
But the message of the movie was going to be overshadowed by McKinney's recent troubles, Bright said.
Since March 29, McKinney has been defending herself for striking a police officer who tried to prevent her from walking past a security checkpoint. Members of Congress usually don't pass through the checkpoints, but McKinney wasn't wearing an identification pin that members of Congress are issued.
McKinney called a press conference after the event in which she said she was a victim of racial profiling. McKinney is black.
"This whole incident was instigated by the inappropriate touching and stopping of me -- a female, black congresswoman," she said at a press conference.
Federal prosecutors are investigating the encounter.
On Thursday, McKinney took to the floor of the House to apologize for the incident.
"I am sorry that this misunderstanding happened at all, and I regret its escalation," McKinney said.
But the latest apology wasn't enough to stop Bright from canceling Saturday's rally.
Bright also said earlier press releases that called McKinney a heroine and included her name in big bold print didn't mean the rally was going to be all about her. It was the message of the movie she was involved in that was being celebrated, he said.
Republican Party Chairman Bob Waechter said he was disappointed that Democrats were canceling their event with McKinney.
"The Democrats choose odd heroes, and those heroes always seem to energize Republicans," Waechter said.
The movie is being shown at 5:45 p.m. at the Hollywood 20 theater.
Actually, scarily, that's true. It's in the constitution that an elected representative cannot be prevented from assuming and exercising his/her office.
I think any sane cop would stop a suicide bomber-congress member anyway, it sucks tho that in doing so the cop could be arrested.
I can't imagine why they would cancel this rally. Afterall, was it not Pelosi who said that this was a simple mistake--by the cop?
I'd have mistaken her for your average shoplifter.
LOL ... anything having to do with the federal government is yankee to me, regardless of geographic location. Yankee isn't a place, it's a state of being.
[McKinney is in town to promote "American Blackout," a movie she stars in that accuses Longboat Key Republican Katherine Harris of helping Republicans steal the 2000 presidential election for President George W. Bush.]
Yes, she is just THAT stupid.
"Also on the guest list was controversial Georgia Rep. Cynthia McKinney, the subject of a festival documentary, "American Blackout."
.........
"When McKinney -- who recently made national news when she struck a U.S. Capitol police officer and later apologized -- arrived at an afternoon screening of "American Blackout" at the Regal Hollywood 20, a raucous crowd cheered and chanted her name. "I'm here to raise concerns about the disenfranchisement of voters and to show support for Cynthia," said Jason Boehk, a Sarasota resident and Green Party member. "I admire McKinney's integrity, and I wish more politicians were willing to speak the truth and stand up with backbone."
"American Blackout" charges that blacks in Florida were unfairly prevented from voting in the 2000 presidential election. Former Secretary of State Katherine Harris is among the targets of the documentary.
McKinney was diplomatic when asked what she would say to Harris, if she encountered her at the festival dinner.
"I have had several conversations on the House floor with Katherine Harris, and they've all been positive," she said."
BTW, our local rag newspaper is currently engaged in a full-court press to make Katherine Harris look bad. They've done several hit pieces recently.
Really..I missed that..
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