McKinney is distraction, say the Dems

[sabra]

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/040406/news4.html

McKinney is distraction, say the Dems


The bizarre scuffle Wednesday between Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) and an unnamed U.S. Capitol Police officer is winning the spirited congresswoman few new friends in her caucus. In fact, some Democrats are trying to distance themselves from her.

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.

...

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.”

[MadAsHellNewYorker]

1. Maybe if you "moderate dems" stood up and supported Censure or some other

high profile action, these stupid stories wouldn't be the buzz.

[saigon68]

36. some Democrats are trying to distance themselves from her.

WORTHLESS ASS-CLOWNS

[OKthatsIT]

54. and that's their loss...Rep McKinney IS THE BEST!

I can say A LOT OF DEMS could learn mucho from her...her voice, her dedication, her heart is in it...it's people like Cynthia that will get this country turned around.

AND ISNT IT INTERESTING, that the week Charliie Sheen stole the spotlight on 9/11 TRUTH...that they go after Rep McKinney. They dont fool anybody!

[saigon68]

73. I agree Rove et al are slugs and maggots

[rodeodance]

44. well, it it wasn't before-it sure is now!

[Radio_Guy]

47. Exactly!

McKinney isn't the distraction. It is the media's distortion of what happened that is the distraction. And there wouldn't be a distraction if bigger news like Bush's censure and/or impeachment was underway.

[henslee]

2. I have no time for a source cited as an anonymous mod. Dem. aide.

[NaturalHigh]

3. Exactly!

It's impossible to pay attention to anything important because Cynthia McKinney has to hold a press conference and play the victim again. She's a distraction and an embarrassment, and she gives Republicans a chance to hold her out as an example of Democrats.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Sterling]

6. Not just race riots

Actually airial bombing of blacks by whites. Everything in Oklahoma gets taken upa notch or two. McKinney does make Dems look bad, she is what a Dem should be and in comparison the rest pretty much suck.

[NaturalHigh]

10. Was that directed to me?

If so, yes, I know all about the Tulsa race riot. Lots of cities were having them back then. What does that have to do with Cynthia McKinney other than some pathetic attempt to make all of this a racial issue?

[mazzarro]

5. Whoever Are These Unnamed Dems They Sure Idiots

That is also what they say about Feingold and his call for censure. The wussy Dems sure know how to build up their dreadful solidarity amongst party officials and members.

[onehandle]

7. Republicans are going to snowball this.

"McHenry and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) plan to introduce a resolution today to show appreciation for the Capitol Police."

We don't need this. She's my Rep and I love her, but she needs to get off TV.

[LA lady]

11. Union

I posted this resolution thing earlier. It is going to make it hard for the Dems.

The Fraternal Order of Police unaimously supports the Capitol Hill police man and I hate to see us tick off a Union this large.

[goclark]

12. De Lay didn't get off TV, he had a smile on his mug shot

and he had his face in the camera the entire time.

And, they gave him big bucks at fund raisers and laughed at his stupid jokes.

CHENEY didn't get off the TV ~ he used it when he wanted to ~ of course he laughed about the incident and so did 'Lil George.

Cheney was fund raising the entire time, he did not skip a beat.


And last night, DE LAY gave Tweety an exclusive interview and Tweety was trying to find away to praise him this morning, just glowing about being called by DE LEADER De Lay.


So now, when Cynthia McKinney gets on TV to explain her side of the story ~ she has no right to upset our party leaders.

She must be calling them all kinds of names! Where were they when she STOOD alone for their sorry asses? Where were they!!!!

[rman]

8. So - "SOME" ANONIMOUS Dems did A LOT of eye-rolling.

Not entirely unexpected, i must say.

[rman]

9. And somehow "SOME" = "the Dems"

What do they take us for?

[951-Riverside]

13. This Dem doesn't consider it a distraction

She brought this attention upon herself she can't go around smacking cops then claim racism.

My advice to McKinney is wear your pin or show your ID its that simple you don't have to hit people when they ask you for simple ID you're not the freaking queen capital hill.

[leesa]

14. Also a set up, I would imagine. She's always such an easy target for

them. They need to have someone to play the 'Dems are bad card too' as so many of their bright and shining stars are about to be hauled away to jail. It would be so easy to set up this sort of situation with one of the fascist White House Brownshirts.

[toopers]

50. Especially when her reaction is so predictable!

eom

[underpants]

15. Delay has to resign and you all are still talking about THIS?

PUUUUHLEASE

[Ian David]

16. (GOP Resolution): Capitol Police To Be Commended (for assaulting McKinney)

Web Editor: Michael King
Last Modified: 4/4/2006 11:06:15 AM

According to published reports, two Republican members of Congress are set to introduce a resolution commending the U.S. Capitol Police department, which has been accused of racial profiling by Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-4th Ga.).

The resolution, authored by Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina and Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida, could be voted on this week, and is on the heels of McKinney’s altercation with a Capitol police officer last week.

<snip>

When the Capitol police officer grabbed McKinney’s arm, she turned around and struck the officer.

A federal prosecutor is now considering a request by the Capitol police for an arrest warrant for McKinney. That warrant could be issued as soon as Tuesday.

More:
http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=78193

[Syncronaut Seven]

17. No, this isnt about politics at all.

For Shame you stinking piles of horse shit. What would your mothers think.

[Onlooker]

18. Perhaps it should be amended

to also commend the Park Police for their work on the Vince Foster suicide case.

[Mandate My Ass]

19. that's just plain old ugly

exactly like their putrid souls.

[onehandle]

20. Your topic is misleading and false.

Nowhere in the article do they say "for assaulting McKinney".

[Syncronaut Seven]

22. We know what it's about.

We know EXACTLY what it's about. Don't let a few missing words keep you from discovering the obvious

[onehandle]

25. Adding to a topic heading is for clarity, not opinion.

4. When posting articles, always use the published title of the article as the title of the discussion thread. Additional information may be included in a thread title (in parentheses) if it helps to make the title more clear

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x87249

[Ian David]

27. That's why I put that in parenthesis per DU rules

I added that to clarify.

[onehandle]

31. You clarified your opinion, not the article's.

Nowhere does it say that was their intent. If DU starts letting people inject their opinion into LBN subject lines, it will turn into the Lounge overnight.

4. When posting articles, always use the published title of the article as the title of the discussion thread. Additional information may be included in a thread title (in parentheses) if it helps to make the title more clear

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x87249

[Ian David]

33. I'll concede that you might have a point there. n/t

[Moochy]

69. LBN Posts, not all messages in thread

Rule 4. applies to titles of the "discussion thread", not postings within the thread.

[Mike Daniels]

21. So, restraining someone for not following a command to stop is assault?

Give me a break.

I think this commendation is BS but McKinney's reaction meets the definition of assault more than the officer grabbing her arm under the circumstances.

[Syncronaut Seven]

26. You ever been assaulted by a cop?

I have no problem believing McKinney was assaulted. I also have no problem believing that it was a setup, political payback of the highest order.

You do know congresscritters are protected specifically from this type of abuse, No? Tom DeLay does, it has been part of his defense since day one.

This ain't no mis-understanding bub, this is war.

[qazplm]

38. political payback for what?

She isnt exactly a high powered member of congress. She isnt even a high powered member of the Democratic portion of Congress.

What has she done that would be deserving of payback?? And even if it was, were it payback the Republicans would have been smart enough to do it a bit closer to election time.

And if it was setup, she would have been arrested at the first opportunity.

[Ian David]

29. She showed him her congressional ID badge n/t

[Catrina]

30. So what was her reaction?? Do you have some information we don't

Was he 'whacked with a cell phone' or did she 'slap him' or was it just a 'poke' as we later heard? Is he hurt, did he have a bruise, a scratch, ruffled hair maybe, something that could help refute Cynthia's statement? How come the video conveniently stops at the part where the 'incident' took place? Or did it, is that another rumor also?

I read an article yesterday that said 'Cynthia McKinney apologizes for slapping a CH cop in her statement' ~ then the statement followed. If anyone bothered to read it, they would have seen that this was a lie. She neither stated she slapped the cop or apologized for it. So, we are dependent on this kind of reporting to decide what happened.

I disagree with your characterization of assault btw. I would consider it assault if any man, including a cop, layed a hand on me without permission, and especially if, as Cynthia did, I asked him to remove it several times and he refused. Maybe you have to have had it happen to you. If it feels like assault, it often is.

She should sue him and let the jury decide ~ there's nothing like a civil suit to get the facts out.

[crikkett]

37. the same cops are trying to say that she assaulted *them*

but, they know what they're talking about.

[MaraJade]

64. The legal definition of assault

Is the unwelcome laying of you hands on a person. For the police to touch her was assault.

I agree that she was stupid. I would have stopped and refused to cooperate with them and gone peaceable to
jail. THEN I would have contacted my attorney and made legal trouble for them for being racists. The scuffle was
stupid.

[mondo joe]

65. If it's that simple, any cop apprehending anyone would be charged

with assault, don't you think?

Or do you think there might be a provision for the police stopping someone in good faith?

[Sterling]

76. It depends

if that person was a US congress person on their way to work I think it's an assault. She was after all not committing a crime and was entitled to be where she was going to. So he unduly harassed and accosted her.

[Ms. Clio]

23. What happened to the word "allegedly?"

Why doesn't this sentence read, "When the Capitol police officer grabbed McKinney’s arm, she turned around and allegedly struck the officer." ?

[DUHandle]

24. Bush did give a medal to the

Actuaries who fudged the real expense of his drug program, so go figure.

[harlinchi]

28. The problem is these guys get 'cool points' for putting down...

...an African American. The raspy-voiced woman on MSNBC gets cool points for referring to the 'thug' vote. Boortz gets cool points for referring to the appearance of a member of the House as a 'ghetto slut' look. The supporters of and listeners to these folks agree with their sentiments.

If I'm walking forward and someone grabs me from behind, I respond aggressively. I cannot assume a law enforcement officer is doing the grabbing; I defend myself!

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Ron Mexico]

70. But if you're

just passing a metal detector and an area where cops are likely to be, it isn't the same as being grabbed from behind on a sidewalk. I would respond with agression on the street too, but not near a metal detector - at least not without the fraction-of-a-second glance to make sure it wasn't an officer I was about to belt.

As for the "cool points" thing you said, people like Boortz are painting all Democrats as race baiters who cry racism at the first opportunity, and this isn't what we need. JMO.

[martymar64]

32. Diaz - Balart is a Batistiano

His goal is the fascist takeover of Cuba. Believe absolutely nothing that Nazi says.
The lynch mob keeps on rolling!

[pepperbear]

35. a perfect example:

all the issues that need addressing, and the GOP shit-cans all that and jump at the chance to embarrass the opposition.


OH PLEASE TELL ME THE AMERICAN PUBLIC JUST ISN'T THAT STUPID!

Now the BIG Question (the one that when answered will say alot about the MSM): which story will linger: The Mckinney "assault" (just like COPS on TV!) or the resignation of Delay (just another stuffed shirt getting his come-uppance)?

The problem is that a financial scandal that results in shame, humiliation (not to mention a lost job) is nothing new in politics...but a congresswoman who decks a COP?

OMG, where's the popcorn?

edited for spelling

[MaraJade]

63. Apparently racial profiling was involved. . .

Rep. McKinney's whole problem was apparently caused when she dared to get a haircut and a restyle.

Apparently, the Capital Police involved think all black people look alike and were looking for a
"black woman in braids." When the Representative showed up in curls, they didn't "know" her despite her
having been at that building multiple times before. Apparently, black people must never change their grooming or
else they become unrecognizable to white men.

When called on this, they reverted to some lame excuse that she "wasn't wearing a lapel pin." The simple
fact is that to these police, all blacks look alike and they were apparently looking for braids only as
a means to identify her. What makes this even more lame and dangerous is that they would have admitted any black
person in braids as long as that person was wearing a small metal badge. If a suicide bomber showed up wearing that
badge, they would have let them in. All blacks look alike.

White people who think that all blacks (or hispanics, etc.) look alike shouldn't be police officers.

I think that McKinney handled the incident rather poorly. It would have been better had she taken identification
from the police in question, simply stopped there and used her cell to phone in a complaint. It the incident had happened
to me, I would have refused to identify myself and simply staged my own little "sit down strike" to force the police to
resort to drastic action. Then I would have gone peaceably to jail (or whatever). Once there I would have contacted my
attorney and made a big whopping deal of their racism. I wouldn't have scuffled with them at all. The scuffle was ridiculous and unprofessional.

I can understand her feeling of insult, but there were better ways to handle this obvious display of racism. A peaceable
resistance and allowing herself to be led to jail would have gotten much better results and the offending officers would
have been fired. Because she scuffled with them, chances are these racists will remain there to harass others in the future.

We black women need to remember that we must always be "twice as good" at everthing we do or we run the
risk of being stereotyped, labelled and belittled. We black women must always display a queenly bearing.

Too bad McKinney forgot this.

[Sterling]

77. Great assessment

I agree.

[rodeodance]

39. House GOP Weighs in on McKinney Incident (Resolution commending)

the Capitol police

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/politics/3770191.html

April 4, 2006, 11:44AM
House GOP Weighs in on McKinney Incident

By LAURIE KELLMAN Associated Press Writer
© 2006 The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — House Republicans pushed a resolution Tuesday commending the Capitol police force for professionalism after a confrontation between an officer and Democratic Rep. Cynthia McKinney.

"I don't think it's fair to attack the Capitol Police and I think it's time that we show our support for them," said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., a sponsor of the measure. Ignoring a police officer's order to stop or hitting one "is never OK," McHenry said of the incident, which has exacerbated partisan tensions in the House.

Last week, McKinney had an argument with a uniformed police officer as she sought to enter a House office building. The officer did not recognize her. She refused his order to stop and struck him.

McKinney says she took action in self defense after the officer "inappropriately touched" her.

[Edgewater_Joe]

40. They'll Finish This After The DeLay Condemnation, Right?

RIGHT???????!!!!!

[rodeodance]

45. DeLay who?

[stepnw1f]

41. Frivolous

and will come back to bite them in their already deflated asses.

[grytpype]

42. And they wonder why black folks hate them. n/t

[jsamuel]

43. GOP: personal incident is more important than the country

Iraq War? who cares
NSA? who cares
Economy? who cares

incident between woman and officer... LEGISLATION!
incident between husband and wife... LEGISATION!
incident between teacher and student... LEGISLATION!
...
...
...

[Jane Austin]

49. Here we go again. Republicans piling on in a matter that will be before

the courts.

Hope this goes over as well as their butting in on the Shiavo case.

[rodeodance]

46. so seh makes the NYTimes but Dem Security Plan does not.

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.

[AngryAmish]

48. She is our greatest asset

Support her or you risk a lot.

[truthInCO]

60. Pelosi heaping on

Omg now Nancy is throwing her under the wheels of the bus!

"I don't think any of it justifies hitting a police officer," said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California. "If it did happen I don't think it was justified."

However the qualifier, "If it did happen". Maybe it didn't happen. I've heard the videotape revealed nothing.

[TankLV]

51. I find it extremely disgusting that some DU'rs are jumping on McKinney.

Absolutely disgusting.

There are SOOOOOO many black members of congress and she's sooooooo invisible all the time so this pig could not be expected to recognize one of what - 3 black in the entire fucking congress?!?!!

Give me a fucking break.

They should fire this racist pig ASAP!

THAT's the TRUTH!

Everything Cynthia has said about "incidents" in the past has proven to be TRUE. EVERYTHING.

I'll take Cynthia over some racise pasty white fat racist PIG anyday.

[OKthatsIT]

58. ditto

I totally appreciate her work and her heart.

[TankLV]

52. DEMS NEED TO GROW A SPINE! says TankLV.

Disgusting.

God bless Cynthia McKinney.

I wish we had a HUNDRED of her!

The DICK cheney SHOOTS a fucking person and walks, and this CONGRESSWOMAN is ACCOSTED by a racist PIG and the REPUKES want to file charges against HER!

This is INSANE!

And DISGUSTING.

[Guaranteed]

53. Yup. She needs to stop feeding this. nt

[lcbart]

55. Agree..... She is a distraction from important issues (n/t)

[Ian David]

56. Like gay marriage and steroids in baseball.

As long as the GOP has a super-majority in the house and senate, the more time we spend on stupid crap like Cynthia McKinney, the less damage the Republicans can do before we get rid of them in November.

So...

If any other congress people are reading this, I am not saying that you should assault a capitol police officer.

I'm just saying, that if you assault a capitol police officer, please make sure it gets debated on the floor of Congress.

Has anyone thought of assaulting a Republican Representative?

Under the GOP's own ethics rules in the house, isn't it true that in the event of a tie in the ethic committee, no investigation is undertaken?

So, if someone (say, Cynthia McKinney) were to assault a Republican in The House (say, Rohrbacher), then as long as the 5 Democrats vote against in investigation... then nothing happens?

In any case, I say we have an extensive debate on the subject.

For as many hours as possible.

[confludemocrat]

57. Typical-a whisper and smear campaign by gutless Dem factions

Undercutting the fighters in the party, like Feingold and her. See where that gets you. "Eye-rolling"? By who?

[Moochy]

68. There are some who say

some have said...

democratic insiders say...

A whisper campaign 100%.

Quoth the benchley: She's an anti-semitic Loon.

[saigon68]

75. One is Joementum Limpmann (dino) Conn

[IndianaGreen]

59. Everything is a "distraction" to the Beltway insiders

DLC = Distracted Leadership Council

[rfkrfk]

61. Trial of the Century

this will go on for years

I'm kinda suprised Hollywood is not more interested.

[HuffleClaw]

62. well, DUH. of course it is.

coming right before delay's debacle. convenient.

[Arkana]

66. Goddamnit.

All semblance of sanity has left this country.

This was a small incident that has been blown WAY out of proportion by both parties. The guard was wrong to grab her, and she is way out of line in what she's doing now. She's blowing an incident that shouldn't even have been publicized up into a fucking national crisis. The guard's most likely not racist--he's just stupid.

And the Democrats are right--the small media windows we get are being eclipsed by McKinney and her crusade. There are more important things that this country should be concerned with--that national security plan comes to mind.

[rfkrfk]

67. who gets to say the Magic Words?

the Attorney General
the Director of the FBI
?

actually, I don't think CM will do any jail time,
I would expect that she would be pardoned,
three ur four presidents from now

[rodeodance]

71. you said it nicely although perhaps the guard, like many whites does not

recognize his 'white privilege"??

.....This was a small incident that has been blown WAY out of proportion by both parties. The guard was wrong to grab her, and she is way out of line in what she's doing now. She's blowing an incident that shouldn't even have been publicized up into a fucking national crisis. The guard's most likely not racist--he's just stupid.

[Roaming]

72. She's an arrogant diva. This has NOTHING to do with race.

The Capitol police have stopped people of all races in the past. She blew by a checkpoint without wearing a pin and then wouldn't stop when the police officer tried to get her to stop so he could verify her identity.

She is making the Democratic party look bad.

[Tarc]

74. Agreed

I am very much embarrassed by this. False cries of "racial profiling" like this episode distract from the instances where profiling is actually a problem.

McKinney earned a lot of cred for being one of the sole, vocal opponents in COngress of the Bush 2000 swindle, but that isn't a free ticket for life to coast on. Today, she's an embarrassing nut.

[bridgit]

78. she got tagged big time for being an arrogant diva...

[Solly Mack]

79. I'm not distracted by the story

America is still a war crime nation - and I assure everyone in Congress - the CM story ain't even blip on my radar screen compared to that.

[bridgit]

80. well i mean that's it, chick needs to wear her freaking badge nothing...

to see here move along; while the entire republican admin from nixon to now is a festering pustule engulfing & devouring the civilized world!?!?

i wish she could have stepped outside her culture base momentarily, and i don't mean to upset her or anyone else's tumultuous ego; but her story is small potatoes

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/reprints/122805_weisman

'''Technology and the use of technology are going to be the most important tools we have in securing a range of areas, from the aviation domain to trucking to cargo shipping," said Brian J. Doyle, deputy press secretary for the Homeland Security department in Washington.'

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=nation_world&id=4055837

'Brian J. Doyle, 55, who is the fourth-ranking official in the department's public affairs office, was expected to be placed on administrative leave Wednesday.

"He said he would get on the computer when he got home from work so we knew he would be on," Rodgers said. "When (police) went to his door, he was on the computer in the middle of a conversation with the girl."'

[Solly Mack]

82. Well - I'll hazard my opinion on the event (for the first time)

I don't think CM is a distraction...I do think the exploitation of the event by those all too willing to attack CM over anything and everything is the distraction. Calling her a distraction is itself a distraction. It certainly adds to the media feeding frenzy.

CM has been a target since her return to Congress - so any little fart she lets will be the subject of constant debate and or ridicule for some folks. Whether her actions are real or imagined.

And I don't think a person defending themselves is a distraction either. You get tried in the Press, you plead your case in the Press...sadly, that's what America has come to.

And without seeing the video of the event - I can't comment further on the event.

I don't know the "facts" and I'm not gonna pretend I do.

But even still - I resent anyone suggesting that somehow this story distracts from the "important" things - it only distracts if you allow yourself to be distracted...and if you feed it.

See, I happen to believe people can hold more than one thought in their head at the same time. But maybe I'm naive...

And, just to add - "national security" ain't exactly in my top 10 either.

I'm not sitting around breathlessly awaiting for anyone to unveil a national security plan...

America's a war crime nation...unless we deal with that...not much else matters. Unless we seek prosecution of the guilty - America will continue along the exact same path of self destruction she is on now.


I honestly don't think this one can be called a growing pain, temporary madness,a learning experience or even be excused as "the times we live in"...how we judge the Bush Regime will determine America's future - and if they walk free for war crimes...America is doomed to repeat these years over and over and over.

CM hitting, slapping,swatting (whatever she was supposed to have done) a cop(for whatever reasons) just doesn't rise to the same level.

In the grand scheme of things - I wish this was the worst thing happening in government. Know what I mean?

And I know I'm a one note trumpet with the war crime issue...but I really, really believe "this is it" - This will make or break America and it all depends on whether or not Bush gets away with war crimes. Oh, America will still exist - it just won't be an America worth anything.

But that's just opinion.

[JNelson6563]

81. Gee just think

if she worked to publicize Dem policy as hard as she does herself and a personal slight.

No wonder we are the laughing stock. Ugh.

Julie