House to Vote on Praising McKinney Police

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON - House Republicans, reacting to the confrontation last week between Rep. Cynthia McKinney and a Capitol Police officer she is accused of hitting, pressed for a resolution Tuesday to commend the police force for its professionalism.

Democratic leaders did not defend McKinney or her charge of racial profiling.

"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."

Rep. Steny Hoyer (news, bio, voting record) of Maryland, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, said all lawmakers, staffers and visitors in the building have a responsibility to obey Capitol Police. "I think we all should cooperate fully," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060405/ap_on_go_co/mckinney_scuffle

[Nostradammit]

1. McKinney Police? McKinney Police???!!!

:wtf:

Is that what it says on their uniforms now?

Keerist! The AP has sold its soul to the devil.

[saigon68]

32. OBVIOUSLY A BLACK WOMAN THE POLICE RECOGNIZED AS A

CUSTODIAN THERE TO CLEAN A FEW TOILETS

[Bacchus39]

41. yeah but the black women who are secretaries or custodians

or staffers certainly have to show their identification I bet.

[Laughing Mirror]

2. Welcome to the United Police States of what once was part of America!

Enjoy your stay in prison, unless you are rich and white, and don't forget to wear that pin, even though it is not a requirement.

"There is no requirement, by the way, for any member (of Congress) to have an ID ... and there is no requirement for us to have a pin, which is our identifying pin ..."

Sheila Jackson Lee, Democracy Now, 4 April 2006.

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/04/04/1419259

Somebody should enlighten Pelosi. And Pelosi, one other thing: Please tell us why in clear terms you have joined the Cynthia McKinney lynch mob, and why you have consistently refused to do anything to reinstate Cynthia McKinney's seniority.

Answer these questions Nancy Pelosi.

[Critters2]

40. Without the pin

they are expected to go through the metal detectors. Why is that so hard to grasp?

[nofurylike]

3. oh, now there's some real experts on racial profiling, buncha ultra-

privileged white butts.

blecccch!!

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

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

[Laughing Mirror]

6. Hear! Hear!!

Chain her to the operating table and extract those strident vocal chords of hers, without anesthesia. That'll teach her to question our way, the right way of doing things. That'll teach her to mess with us!!

[UpInArms]

25. This is brought to you by the very same people that voted to

change the cafeteria menu to "Freedom Fries". :grr:

[Hobarticus]

7. Interesting...

What does her hair and wardrobe have to do with anything?

And why the smirk?

[geek tragedy]

17. She changed her hair style--made her tougher to recognize.

She went from braids--which she had worn for YEARS--to a big Afro. Probably why the cop didn't recognize her.

Anyhoo, this reminds me of the whole Oprah/Hermes flap.

[LostinVA]

19. She changed her hairstyle quite a while ago

NOT just right before the incident.

[Evergreen Emerald]

21. The hair style change is a red herring

She has been going through the security system for 15 years. They would recognize her.

[LostinVA]

22. I know -- I just meant that all this "sudden hairstyle change" talk

isn't even close to accurate... just one more lie....

[Bridget Burke]

24. Don't those people all look alike?

(Note: I'm channeling someone else!)

[toopers]

36. I doubt the cop has been there 15 years . . .

and the congressional ID book that the police are suppose to study had an older picture of her with the braided hair. This is an honest misidentification that was blown way out of proportion by overreaction.

[radfringe]

5. Meanwhile yhe Rubber-stamp House Republican choir

gathered and sang praises for DeLay

[msgadget]

8. "The lack of Democratic support for McKinney is notable..."

Gee, didn't we just see that phrase in regards another democrat in the spotlight?

[Gman]

9. You want hate? This is hate

[MaryBear]

29. This is not hate. It is maneuvering.

It is worse than hate. It is sick maneuvering to take the focus off Bush co.

[rfkrfk]

10. leading Dems should introduce a counter-resolution

will they, of course not

[HuffleClaw]

11. the democrats have really demonstrated a complete lack of spine

in this affair. what a complete disgrace. they SHOULD be risin en masse to protest the racial profiling of one of their own.

[geek tragedy]

18. Unless she wasn't racially profiled.

Funny that the Congressional Black Caucus hasn't protested. They must be racists too.

[goclark]

42. The CBC is too busy doing what the spineless

wonders like Nancy need to be doing!

The CBC is busy trying to IMPEACH Bush, STOP the Diebold Machines, STOP Racial Profiling for Anyone and STOP this WAR!

Those are the same issues that Cynthia is fighting( that's why they made her a target) and the CBC should be absolutely worn out from fighting battles ALONE that benefit ALL of us.

Conyers has been standing with other members of the CBC and meeting in the basement and treated like dirt fighting for our country.


Why must WE, African American Congress People have to fight all the fights!

Nancy should have been in that Basement with Conyers and the DSM, where was she!

[Zorra]

43. Maybe they have a video of the incident and are waiting for

the republicans to step into the noose?

I would think that there is video surveillance all over Capitol Hill.

[wookie294]

12. GOP scraping the bottom of the barrel for an issue

LMAO!!!!

[Peace Patriot]

13. Pelosi supported McKinney about as well as the other white Democrats

(with one notable, beautiful exception) supported the Black Caucus in their challenge of the illegitimate Ohio electors, after the most egregious violations of the Voting Rights Act that we've seen in this country since Segregation.

Barbara Boxer stood alone.

Nice going, Nancy.

[BigBearJohn]

14. I can't stand Pelosi.

[OKthatsIT]

35. me either...

[Freddie Stubbs]

20. Are African-American Democrats in Congress supporting McKinney?

:shrug:

[Bridget Burke]

26. Sheila Jackson Lee spoke out....

AMY GOODMAN: Your response, Congressmember Jackson Lee, to what has happened to her?

REP. SHEILA JACKSON LEE: First of all, I think all of us, including Congresswoman McKinney, respects the Capitol police and respects them for their responsibility and their job. But I believe that she is quite accurate in the fact that there are very few of us who happen to be African American women, and there are very few of us who would be so, if you will, difficult to be remembered, if you will, or to be able to be noticed. And frankly, many of us get either confused or asked for our I.D. or treated in a manner that is not necessarily accepting. And in this incident it was unfortunate. But it is the role of the Capitol police, of whom we respect, to basically know the members of the United States Congress. And if you are rushing toward a vote, a House vote -- and I think people should understand we have 15 minutes to cast a vote no matter where you might be in the entire capital of Washington, D.C. You might be in meetings off the Hill. You still have 15 minutes to vote. It's very difficult then to be stopped, while the clock is ticking, for to you cast your vote.

So I think this is a question, first of all, where it should be resolved away from the cameras. I certainly don't think an arrest warrant is appropriate. I hope that the arrest warrant is not issued so that there can be an issue on the Democratic side of the aisle, while there is an issue now with Tom DeLay on the Republican side of the aisle. And I hope that this can be resolved, respecting the Capitol police, respecting Congresswoman McKinney, who serves well in the United States Congress and serves her constituents. And most of all, I hope that we can reconcile this issue, so that we can continue our work. I think it's an issue that clearly has the opportunity to be reconciled outside the legal process and that any difficulty in identification can be solved in an administrative manner.

www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/04/04/1419259

So did Tom DeLay:

"Cynthia McKinney is a racist," Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, said on Fox News Channel, a day after abandoning his reelection bid under a cloud of ethics charges. "She has a long history of racism. Everything is racism with her. This is incredible arrogance that sometimes hits these members of Congress, but especially Cynthia McKinney."

www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/politics/3772835.html

Which is the more reasonable response?

[cassandra uprising]

39. thank you for posting this

I've worked in a state legislature and when the vote bell rang at the Capitol and loud announcements were made throughout the legislative office building, members would run through the buildings at mock ten to get to the chamber in time. Capitol police would nod and hold doors open. They respected the members and the process. The key issue here as Rep Lee says is respect.

I love the 'why didn't she just wear her pin' comments I've seen posted. As if the woman (or any member) doesn't have enough on their minds that they have to remember putting on a stupid lapel pin.

With any arrest, from a legal prospective, would the officer/guard stopped every member without a label pin? How could this be proved? I'm no expert but I would love to be the paralegal assigned to this case and watch all the surveillance tape of every member who got the head nod vs who got stopped and questioned on their way to a vote.

edit typo

[MaryBear]

30. All the Dem's should call for investigation and not take sides!

Even Pelosi supposedly said "IF this happened."

There are other ways to combat this than to speak in favor of the police. How about demanding a view of the video?

[Freddie Stubbs]

33. Where is the Congressional Black Caucus in support of Ms. McKinney?

:shrug:

[yurbud]

15. I can see the Democrats want to defuse this, but do they have to stab

McKinney in the back and look like cowards in the process?

[barbtries]

16. this is absurd.

she's too smart and too honest and the mofos just can't stand it. gawd they are hateful sob's

[leesa]

23. I'm glad to hear Republicans will cooperate when the cops come for them

This is such a showboat designed to counterbalamce Delay. What crap!

[sweetheart]

27. duuh.. .i now see why

They believe that the police actually are untouchable,
because they themselves believe themselves and their authority untouchable.

The hubris of this corrupt racist party is outstanding.

[shanti]

28. this is unbelieveably stupid!!

the repukes are certainly trying to make hay out of it tho.

[antiblazer]

31. Dems need to counter!

This is such a non-issue, it is ridiculous that it has gone on for so long. Democrats need to say that the GOP is using this issue to distract from the REAL problems- *'s unjustified war on Iraq, GOP corruption, and illegal spying on Americans!

[TheVirginian]

34. It wouldn't have gone on for so long

If McKinney hadn't been the one so aggressively publicizing the incident for the last week.

[DubyaSux]

37. Can someone tell me....

....out of all the interviews she's given so far, which one has she denied she struck a police officer? She's been asked repeatedly, but I've not heard her deny the charge. She only cries racism and obfuscates.

With that being said, I would like to see where she's set the record straight.

[bemildred]

38. I'm sure glad they have time for this bullshit.

:puke:

[E-Z-B]

44. Can the House vote on praising Ronnie Earle next?

Only seems fair.

[E-Z-B]

45. Oh, then Prosecutor Fitzgerald next?

[Rich Hunt]

46. oh good lord

Here we go again, another blown-out-of-proportion racial incident. I mean, really - I'm tired of hearing about this.

[SaveElmer]

47. Two things...

1. From what I see and hear, and from the spectacular lack of support from any Democrat, including any member of the Congressional Black Caucus, who would surely be raising hell if this kind of alleged racial profiling were going on regularly, I believe made a huge mistake. SHe should not have hit the cop no matter what she thought the reasons were for her being stopped. And I do believe she hit him.

2. The Republicans are clearly trying to make hay out of this incident, and this ridiculuous resolution should be opposed.

[arikara]

48. How typically repuke of them

Bloody thugs. Next they'll give a commendation for community service to the men who "broomsticked" all those little boys. Then they'll give Delay his medal of honor for service to his country.

And most of the dems will jump up for the standing ovation so that they don't appear partisan. Then cheerfully join in on the lynch party for Cynthia McKinney.

[superconnected]

49. Had it actually happened, then it would have been up to the "cop"

to arrest her or cite her at the time.

The rest of this is way out of order. It's a hate-filled attack on a black woman Representative because she is a Democrat, by the incompassionate hypocrites posing as Christians.

The truth is, 1. they hate democrats, 2. They hate blacks and 3. they hate women.

We're with you Cynthia. Keep fighting the good fight. The only ones looking like lowlifes are the pitbulls attacking you.