Posted on 04/01/2006 3:35:21 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
WASHINGTON — Rep. Cynthia McKinney on Friday declared herself the victim of a racist Capitol Hill police officer who her supporters said used excessive force when he stopped her from skirting a security checkpoint earlier this week.
"The whole incident was instigated by the inappropriate touching and stopping of me — a female, black congresswoman," McKinney said at a news conference, abandoning the apologetic tone she struck earlier in the week.
Capitol police are considering filing assault charges against the DeKalb County Democrat next week. But her lawyers said she was acting in self-defense when she struck the officer who tried to stop her.
"Cynthia McKinney, like thousands of average Americans across this country, is ... a victim of the excessive use of force by law enforcement officials because of how she looks and the color of her skin," said one of McKinney's lawyers, James Myart Jr.
McKinney spoke on the campus of predominantly black Howard University, surrounded by more than a dozen African-American children from South Georgia's Coffee County who held signs reading "Is Cynthia a Target?" and "Recognize Our Congresswoman." The children had been in town to tour Washington and visit McKinney, said their escort, Hal Pressley, president of the Coffee County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Singer and activist Harry Belafonte and actor Danny Glover also appeared with McKinney. They said they had come not in judgment of the facts of the case, but, as Glover put it, "to support our sister."
McKinney's lawyers said the white officer involved in Monday's scuffle should be investigated.
Police declined to address the racial accusations.
"We're currently investigating the matter. That's as far as it goes with us right now," said Sgt. Kimberly Schneider, the police spokeswoman.
But police union officials from across the country denounced McKinney's tactics and said the officer involved — not McKinney — was the true victim.
"There was no excessive force here," said Lou Cannon, president of the Washington, D.C., chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents Capitol officers. "If she's trying to turn this into a racial issue, people should ask, 'Why is she doing this?' This is an insult to all police officers."
The FOP's national board, meeting Friday in Nashville, unanimously approved a motion commending the Capitol Hill officer, who has not been identified, and condemning McKinney, who was stopped because the officer didn't recognize her. Bill Peacock, a former DeKalb County police officer and a delegate to the national FOP organization, introduced the motion.
"There were two avenues she could take, one being the high road — admitting her error — and the other is to use the race card simply because the officer was trying to do his job," said Peacock.
McKinney's press conference marked the first time she has spoken publicly about the incident, in which the officer, not recognizing McKinney as a member of Congress, tried to stop her from walking around a security checkpoint, which members are routinely allowed to do.
Several Capitol police officials have said the officer involved asked McKinney three times to stop. When she did not, he placed a hand on her and she hit him, they said.
McKinney, who previously had released a statement saying she "deeply regretted" the incident, avoided details Friday. She said lawyers had advised her not to because of the possibility of charges against her.
As she had previously, she acknowledged that when she was stopped, she wasn't wearing the special lapel pin given to the 435 House members to help police and staff recognize them. But she said the officer still should have recognized her because he was trained to do so.
"I do wear the pin when I remember to wear the pin," McKinney said. "But the pin is not the issue. The issue is facial recognition."
"She's a victim," said Pressley. "For Ms. McKinney not to be immediately recognized by the Capitol police was, in itself, an insult. She's recognizable from around the world, so in D.C., our capital, you would expect that almost any police officer would recognize her, with all the controversy attached to her name."
Pressley said a Capitol Hill police officer — "like someone who just came off a plantation" — once treated some black children he brought to Washington "like animals."
Michael Raffauf, one of McKinney's attorneys, suggested that powerful Republican lawmakers who run Congress may be behind the accusations and possible criminal charges against McKinney.
"I find it highly unusual that this thing has gotten so blown out of proportion," he said.
Police have said it was extraordinarily rare, and possibly unprecedented, for a member of Congress to strike a Capitol Hill police officer.
McKinney said members of the Congressional Black Caucus are backing her, though members of Congress who were supposed to attend Friday's press conference didn't show up.
However, an influential African-American lawmaker, Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-Calif.), came to McKinney's aid Wednesday night. Millender-McDonald, the ranking Democrat on the House Administration Committee, which oversees the Capitol police, called the House sergeant at arms, Wilson Livingood, amid rumors that McKinney would be arrested, her spokeswoman, Denise Mixon, said Friday.
Mixon denied Millender-McDonald tried to prevent an arrest.
"The congresswoman did not intervene. All she did was ask a question: 'Where are we now?' " Mixon said.
She said the conference call also included McKinney and Tad Vandermeid, legal counsel to House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.).
Mixon said Livingood did not specifically address whether there were plans to arrest McKinney, saying, "An investigation is going on." Millender-McDonald asked to be kept abreast of any developments, and Livingood agreed to do so, Mixon said.
Staff writer Scott Shepard contributed information about Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald and The Associated Press contributed an account of what officers said occurred in the incident with McKinney.
"Cynthia is scheduled to speak at a PEACE rally in Atlanta today. What could she possibly say?"
Let's see... admit that she screened "V" in Dick Parson's fifty million dollar office...say six times?
And took notes?
I'm wondering, was Cynthia McKinney and Sheila Jackson Lee twins separated at birth? Heck, maybe we will all get lucky and both of them will go to Mars and plant the U.S. flag. Oops, see the U.S. flag already there.
5.56mm
Whoa! Now that there is one scary image. The Fox and Friends weekend crew is all over this story today. Julian, of course, is being supportive of the nutcase.
Human shields?
Besides Cynthia, another scheduled speaker is Rev. Joseph Lowery who spoke so rudely to President Bush at Correta Scott King's funeral.
You noticed that ,too. Usually she has her hair in corn rows and looks very professional. Now so she can claim racism, she comes out with the 'Buckwheat look'. Disgusting.
I just did a search on NPR...not a word.
OTOH, Al Gore has found that "new look" he needs.
The dems have a HUGE kooky aunt and uncle problem that has and will continue to plague them.
Anyone who knows better- but is spouting and repeating this pack of lies, should be considered dangerous to American Security and detained as an enemy comabatant....
I realize I am dreaming here- but what is scary is that the media gives this idea a "legitimate voice". What is MORTIFIES me is that these people actually VOTE! The one's supporting and defending her behavior- AND the ones giving it a VOICE!
NUTS!
PURE NUTS!
This kind of rhetoric HURTS racial relations- it does NOT HELP!
I can't wait to hear what Herman Cain has to say about this today!
Danny Glover needs to get a grip on things.
He is an actor.
He is NOT a policeman, no matter how many versions of Lethal Weapon are filmed.
He is being used by others of his race because of his high name recognition.
Supporting a fellow "black" when she has a history of dodging the security officers shows a bigger problem
If McKinney is chronically late for her "important meetings", she needs to learn how to be chronically early inorder to clear the security stops.
She is NOT new to the process.
She is NOT exempt from the process.
The judicial system needs to place charges againse McKinney immediately.
The officer needs to get a medal for stopping a chronic complainer who is trying to skip her way around the process.
A new member of Congress needs to replace this stupid B####.
"I do wear the pin when I remember to wear the pin," McKinney said. "But the pin is not the issue. The issue is facial recognition."
The issue is should an idiot be a congresswoman, Cynthia?""
The pins were issued for a reason, I would think. If wearing the pin helps to expedite travel thru the halls of Congress, then this woman is deliberately trying the patience of all involved by "not remembering" to wear her pin.
I think she is as crazy as a crap house mouse and is deliberate in here actions to not wear the pin and in not being anywhere near on time.
If all the rest of us have to go to the airport an extra 1 or 2 hours early to clear security, which kills OUR precious schedules, then where is the burden of her being on time and wearing her precious pin.
The voters of Georgia deserve what they voted for, but I don't think Julian Bond ever wanted this kind of kook filling a chair in Congress. Martin Luther King must be spinning in his grave.
That's a personality he hasn't tried--progressive black female.
Campbell allegedly threw a Blackberry at her maid. She didn't "beat" her.
To do that, the policemen would have to have her MENTAL PICTURE on their brains all the time... and that is "cruel and unusual punishment." ROFL!
Isn't there ANYONE in the state of Georgia who has passed the classes and tests for beautician????
I couldn't get that hairdo with 2 jars of stickum and a 60 MPH wind here in Nevada.
Does this witch have a mirror at home?????
"Michael Raffauf, one of McKinney's attorneys, suggested that powerful Republican lawmakers who run Congress may be behind the accusations and possible criminal charges against McKinney. "
Vast Right Wing Conspiracy alert!
That was the person who was nominated to the head of the sign committee, probably because they were the only one in the crowd that could spell.
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