It Appears McKinney Will Be Arrested.

[cali]

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Cynthia McKinney will be arrested next week. Granted, I know only what I've read, but this appears pretty outrageous to me. The policeman grabbed her arm before she allegedly struck him. This doesn't pass the smell test.

From the article:

Capitol Hill police are expected to seek an arrest warrant next week for Rep. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia, who was involved in a physical confrontation with a Capitol police officer Wednesday, police and legal authorities said Thursday.

Officially, the investigation of the incident, in which the DeKalb County Democrat allegedly struck a police officer who tried to stop her from going around a security checkpoint, is ongoing, said Sgt. Kimberly Schneider, spokeswoman for Capitol Hill police.

However, police have notified the federal prosecutor's office in Washington that they will be seeking an arrest warrant after the investigation is complete next week, said police and legal authorities, who spoke on the condition that they not be named because the investigation was not yet complete.

McKinney ignored a reporter's questions Thursday as she walked into the Capitol, before word of the planned arrest warrant. She could not be reached for comment later Thursday. . . .

<snip>


http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/stories/0331metmckinney.html

[AndyA]

1. I'm sure there's more to this story

but you don't hit police officers. Period. You just don't. And she should know that. Regardless of who was at fault, you do not strike back. She could have possibly filed charges against the officer for what happened, but this just makes it look worse for her.

In her position, I hold her to a higher standard. She should know better.

[panader0]

5. Yeah, you can't hit 'em. I was arrested for that.

[KittyWampus]

77. Surely, there IS more to story- like McKinney had no idea WHO grabbed

her arm from behind.

Stuff we don't know from this story:

Did policeman request McKinney stop?
Did policeman make his position of authority known?
Did McKinney turn around, definately SEE that it was a policeman, and THEN hit him anyway?

If someone grabs my arm from behind, with no warning, you damned well KNOW they'll at least get shoved.

[Poll_Blind]

107. Exactly! It appears to have been a reflex movement.

Until I see the video, that's my opinion too.

PB

[Dhampir Kampf]

110. But you've got to take the surrounding into account..

..This was right at the security check point, who else would grab her in front of the police officers?

I mean, no one in their right mind would assualt a congresswoman, right at a check point.

[BootinUp]

2. This will just make the cops

look like idiots. Both sides need to get over themselves and reconcile.

[cali]

4. I couldn't agree more.

I just can't believe that this can't be settled without arresting her.

[bunkerbuster1]

14. What's being "settled" is a Democratic congressman's arrest

The RW needs so very badly to have someone, anyone, under threat of going to the pokey to mitigate their horrorshow with Delay and god knows who else as Jack 'mOff continues to sing.

Was this a setup from the beginning? Probably not, but I don't think it's just good fortune for the Goopers that Cynthia's actually facing charges over this.

[flyarm]

64. i'll tell you..if anyone grabed my arm from behind..i am coming back

swinging...i don't care who it is..now when worried about security like McKinney has to be ..all congress people have to be concerned about nut cases trying to attack them physically..and if someone grabs one from behind..she had every right to swing at "whoever it was"...in fact the cop should be sanctioned for grabbing anyone but most especially a woman from behind..isn't every woman programmed today to hit first ask questions later???????

aren't we told over and over by media , by magazines..do not summit to anyone who would try to overcome us??

well i submit ..if a woman is grabbed from behind..she better damn well swing and swing hard at the perpetrator..
for all she would know it could have been a nut case with a knife or gun..how would she know??

if indeed the cop grabbed her from behind..he should be fired immediately..

i do not care one twit if he identified himself and still grabbed her from behind...women today are programmed to not trust even cops..as many nut cases pass themselves off as cops ..and then go on to abuse women..

when someone grabs a woman from behind..they get what they deserve..and have asked for..

no man can be hit from behind..and grabbing a woman from behind is also unacceptable!




fly

oh and warning..no one better ever grab me from behind...i practice it with my husband and son!!..i am lethal!

[ProdigalJunkMail]

85. let's dismantle your diatribe a couple of pieces at a time...

1 ) you swing and make contact on a policeman, you are most likely going down...accounts of this story seem to indicate that the officer called out for her to stop...when she did not, the contact occured. And sanction a cop for grabbing someone? Right. Their job there is to protect the capitol and if that means stopping someone, then grab they can and should.

2) Do not submit to an officer trying to stop you...and once again you are likely going down. Say it all you want...but try it...I can guarantee who will be in the right.

3) Yes, let's start firing cops for doing their jobs...good idea...

4) She was in a an area with many potential observers...I doubt that unless everyone there was involved (and there do seem to be witnesses and maybe even video...don't know about the video) she was in any danger...do you honestly think she felt she was in danger in the Capitol of the United States? If you do, why don't you ask her what she was thinking...nowhere in either of her statements to date does she indicate she felt in danger.

Your position on strike first and ask questions later sounds awfully familiar...

sP

[Dhampir Kampf]

111. This was in a federal building...

..if the security gaurd didn't recognize her, what the hell else was he supposed to do?

Just let her go? She could've been a potential threat to the building, and the people within it.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

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

[acmejack]

8. Not in the least

They flexed their muscles twice last week. Simply think Rachael Corrie or a couple of Professors who were vociferously defamed.

[cali]

10. Best example of a logical fallacy

I've seen in ages. WTF does the Capitol police have to do with with the IDF or the Justice Dept? Answer: Nothing at all. They? Get over yourself. We get a lot of silly conspiracy theories on DU, but this one is even more laughable than most.

[itzamirakul]

24. I don't think it is laughable that people can steal government secrets and

get away scot-free while a well-known Congresswoman may face arrest for "bumping" a policeman.

Maybe we live in different worlds. If so, I think I like mine a bit more than yours.

[acmejack]

57. Nothing to do with myself.

Nothing to do with a logical fallacy either, Cali. Replying to the post immediately above mine, not yours. There is absolutely no need to be rude or do prefer that to civility?

[itzamirakul]

74. Please be kind enough to point out the "rudeness" in my response...

eom

[wordpix]

71. BushCo won't be charged, either. This stinks

[Ian David]

100. Amazing how eager you are to bring Israel into THIS?

Wow...

They're going to arrest McKinney, yet nobody's confiscating the billions of dollars Yaser Arafat has hidden in swiss bank accounts.

Give me a break.

People can't make everything into an anti-semitic argument every time they feel like it without looking like a complete boob.

Not necessarily talking about you.

But I don't think I'll regret adding you to my ignore list.

Buh bye.

[johnnie]

6. She allegedly hit a police officer

I know many here hate the cops, but you still don't hit them when they are doing their job. She released a statement saying she regrets the incident occurred, which seems to me like she is admitting to hitting the cop.

[Burma Jones]

19. He wasn't doing his job

Part of his job, a very big part, is to know who's in Congress and who isn't.

I sure don't hate the police, especially the Capitol Hill Police, but, there's plenty of blame to go around - everyone should just apologize and get over it.

[Mike Daniels]

27. There's over 500 people in Congress

How in the world is one officer supposed to know everyone on sight?

She wasn't wearing ID and she refused to stop when asked. Let her get arrested, I really don't care.

[Burma Jones]

31. Capitol Hill Police are an elite unit

most of them do know.....

[Tesha]

52. The security guards in my husband's building seem to know who works...

> There's over 500 people in Congress
> How in the world is one officer supposed to know everyone on sight?

Curious...

The security guards in my husband's building seem to know who works
there and who doesn't and they even seem to know most of the 500 or
so by first name.

Maybe if she'd been white?

Here's the *EARLIER* instance where she was unrecognized:

> Wednesday's incident was not the first time a Capitol Hill police
> officer failed to recognize McKinney as a member of Congress. Her
> office on Thursday posted on her Web site a clip from a documentary,
> "American Blackout," that features one such encounter.
>
> The clip first shows a black police officer recognizing McKinney
> and welcoming her back to Congress in 2005, when she returned after
> a two-year hiatus because of a 2002 re-election defeat. It then shows
> a white officer approaching her and the filmmakers as they enter the
> Capitol grounds, asking McKinney and the crew to identify themselves.
> Told that McKinney is a member of Congress, the officers backs off
> and starts apologizing.
>
> "That's just the typical kind of treatment that I receive," McKinney
> says on camera. "So I'm not surprised and I'm not offended."

Tesha

[Lars39]

66. My BIL worked in the parking garage as an intern and was expected

to know everyone.

[KittyWampus]

80. "she refused to stop when asked". Sorry, but this is NOT a given.

that she was asked, to her face, to stop.

[johnnie]

29. There are over 400 people in Congress

That's a lot of people to filter out through everyone else walking around there. She didn't have her identity pin either.

I guess it would be the best thing if they all dropped it, but I still don't think the cop did anything wrong. If this were a Republican rep, I bet some opinions would be a little different around here.

[Touchdown]

69. But it wasn't a Republican rep.

...which is telling. It wasn't a white Rep either. Would this incident have ever happened had either of these been the case? If it did, would we even know about it? I'm sure Fox News would go after said Republican Rep with as much passion and gusto as they're going after McKinney now.:eyes:

[wordpix]

72. there is a tape but "doesn't show clearly what happened" WTF?

snip: Capitol Hill police have viewed a security camera videotape of the incident, which occurred in a House office building around 9 a.m. Wednesday. However, one official familiar with the tape said it doesn't clearly show what happened.

The tape, the official said, only shows McKinney walking around the security checkpoint, which members of Congress are allowed to do. It does not show her confrontation with the officer who, not recognizing McKinney as a member of Congress, tried to stop her and have her go through the metal detector. McKinney acknowledged that she was not wearing the special lapel pin given to the 435 House members to make them easier to identify.

[hexola]

25. Was it his job? did he ask her to "Stop"...

Not sure the cops handled it properly...

Did she even know it was a cop...?

Sounds like she just wheeled around...and bam!

[0007]

62. Seems like to me she was admitting her behavior and not

hitting the cop.

[KittyWampus]

78. How did she know it was a cop grabbing her? Did he identify himself?

I have yet to see a printed version of this story where the police say the policeman identified himself or even requested McKinney to stop.

As in "hey you there! Stop, police!".

[Ignis]

88. "HALT, POLICE" usually gets my attention.

I work in some high-security environments, and I've never known police officers to be shy about bellowing a command when they really want you to stop moving immediately. Physical contact should be reserved for serious incidents where a loud and clear warning has been ignored.

[johnnie]

91. A few of the accounts state she was asked by the cop to stop

I honestly can't see a member of the Capitol police just reaching out and yanking someone. I would bet they have had to ask someone to go through the detector once or twice in their career.

[Burma Jones]

7. You know, if she wasn't so uppity..........

She's wouldn't be a target for the Authority Fetishists

[qazplm]

12. difference between being uppity and stupid

she was stupid.

someone grabs your arm in the middle of a crowded building full of people, Capitol Hill no less, you do have a second or two to assess the situation before swinging.

It's not like she was grabbed in the dark parking lot of a shopping mall in a bad area.

[Burma Jones]

18. From what I understand, she hit the guy in the chest

I think it would be different had she hit him in the face....

I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt and say she had acted out of reflex. And just how hard could she have hit the guy?

Capitol Hill cops are there to protect HER and the other members of Congress, she was not supposed to be challenged, she has free access, the cop did not know who she was - but it IS part of his job to know, what's the cop going to say?, "they all look alike to me?"

[hexola]

26. They need to review their security policy...plain and simple..

How dumb is it to let "some people" walk around the check...?

That is just plain stupid...and is a set-up for a situation like this.

It would be inevitable...

They should be subject to security just like everyone else!

[paul_fromatlanta]

45. I hope this doesn't get me banned but that was one thing I liked about New

Gingrich - he tried to make congress have to follow all the laws the public has to follow.

[BootinUp]

49. not yet

but your being watched. :sarcasm:


:hi:

[paul_fromatlanta]

51. Ah well, such is the price of being outspoken :) Seriously why should

Seriously why should congress be exempt from their own laws.

Although in the case of the President I don't think he should have to defend against lawsuits while in office - the whole Paula Jones/President Clinton thing convinced me of that - it gives a lawsuit the power to reduce the president's ability to govern.

[BootinUp]

55. They shouldn't be

However, the police themselves can make a judgment here and maybe they already have. But I merely suggest that there will be a cost to both sides for making a point to prosecute over such a slight matter, or maybe it wasn't so slight, I did not witness it.

Did you mean to say they should or shouldn't have been able to proceed with trial against the President? I think they should. Where I have a big problem is the actions of the partisan Congress. I will never see how people can honestly believe that was a matter for impeachment. The Jones lawsuit had very little credibility, and was a red herring to force the embarrasing disclosures from the President. It is amazing to me the way the Republican congressman and Senators acted in their grab for power.

[Catrina]

56. He did a super job!! Not! Ever heard of Abramoff? The K Street Project?

Oh, why did Newt have to leave his speaker position? Do the 'rest of us' fool around on our sick spouses and go their hospital beds to get them to sign papers, making sure we get as much as we can before they die?

I'm afraid your example is not a very good one. Republicans don't follow the rules 'the rest of us' have to follow and haven't for quite a while. You've heard about them changing the ethics rules just so Tom Delay's illegal behavior becomes legal? I could on, but try to find a better example of someone who 'follows the rules like the rest of us'.

Cynthia is a great representative of the people. I'd like to see the video. I bet she thought she was being assaulted. I can imagine the hate-mail she gets, the threats from freepers ~ I doubt she intended to 'hit' (which probably was 'push' as in 'pushed away from her') a police officer. She's not a stupid woman.

[paul_fromatlanta]

82. Those are all other issues with Newt - My point was specific

That I liked one plank in the contract with America

"FIRST, require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply equally to the Congress;"

[Catrina]

84. We have a contract with America, it's called the Constitution which Newt

and his cohorts have shredded since they took over (most likely with the help of machines and crooked money) Congress in 1994.

Newt's so-called 'contract' was not with America, it was with Corporations and his words were completely empty regarding laws applying to Congress that apply to the rest of us.

Quoting someone who is so ethically challenged does not bolster an argument. It was more than apparent that Newt did not live by or believe his own words, either in his personal life or in his political career, so why would you quote him?

He's a disgrace, and part of the problem this country is facing today ~ it's called extreme hypocrisy. 'Don't pay attention to what I do, but listen to what I say, because I'm better than you and the rules are different for me and my lofty friends, no matter what you think, but I hope you're dutifully fooled by my words'.

Now, had you quoted one of the founding fathers, we could have focused on the words themselves, not have to consider the source and what they mean coming out of the mouth of a known liar, deceiver and cheater, because as you know, when that is the filter for any statement, it must be analyzed to see what it actually means. It's a shame they do this, and so diminish our trust in public officials.

[chimpymustgo]

9. Sure...bring this before a DC jury. Good grief, this is bullshit.

Is it on tape? Somebody grabs you...it's not telling how you might react.

[paul_fromatlanta]

13. i would think there are multiple cameras at the entrance to the capital

And I wonder if the tapes are public in the same way that 911 calls are public and have to be released.

[Saturday]

16. They mentioned on MSM that....

their were no tapes or pictures. If it were my job to let some (but not all) people pass by me without going through security you better believe I'd know who they were and what they looked like...all 500 plus of them.

[paul_fromatlanta]

20. apparently there is at least one tape

From the article

>>Capitol Hill police have viewed a security camera videotape of the incident, which occurred in a House office building around 9 a.m. Wednesday. However, one official familiar with the tape said it doesn't clearly show what happened.<<

[Chiyo-chichi]

11. Let me be the first to say "FREE CYNTHIA MCKINNEY!"

I prolly not the first but... FREE CYNTHIA anyway!

[Democrat 4 Ever]

23. I can't believe that everyone doesn't just apologize and get over

themselves. McKinney, first and foremost, should never hit a cop. Period. That is an altercation that you just aren't going to come out ahead on no matter your status, who you know or your thinking that justifies that behavior. To me it is the same logic as mouthing off to a police for stopping you for a ticket. The cop may be completely in the wrong but you don't get brownie points by pissing off the authority figure with the ticket pad and pen. There is a time and a place to fight every injustice.

Second, Tweety last night said that Capital Police should know the face of each and every Congress person in the building. (Apparently before he went to work for the Dems and long before he started shilling for the repugs he pulled a stint as a Capital cop and said they studied their photos so they would recognize them on sight.) He was actually taking up for McKinney (I know, I know, he had his flip flops on the wrong feet yesterday) and he felt there were some racial overtones to the whole incident.

I'm betting there is a little behind the scenes by the "majority" party "ratching" up the rhetoric to hassle McKinney. Them being so concerned about safety and all. Isn't it funny that this is what the MSM decides to keep mentioning when all the other lies, etc. that has come out this week on Chucklenuts, Dead Eye & Co.? No, of course not, they would never do something so mundane to give Chimpy cover.:sarcasm:

And why wasn't this on tape? I can't imagine there is a single square foot of both houses of Congress that doesn't have a gazillion cameras pointed in every direction. Come on, don't those coppers know there are terraists everywhere?

[peaches2003]

32. It is

The tape show her breaching security by going around the metal detector and she fully admits she did NOT have on the Congressional Pin that members are supposed to wear for identification. This she admits and apologizes for on her website, so it is not a matter of opinion.

She did not stop when told to, so the rest of the incident is not on tape as she had moved beyond that point where the camera was. Yes, she then showed ID after the incident where she had to be stopped, but up until then she has admitted she was at fault.

Why should she be allowed to go around the detector with no ID visible that she was a member of Congress? She also has said her hairdo was so redically different that she can understand not being recognized.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

50. Thanks for the info, I didn't have all of the facts. I still believe tho

that is should be called no harm, no foul situation. An over reaction by all parties after the fact. McKinney owes the Capital Police an apology and the Capital Police needs to just let it slide.

You honestly think that if Frist was hurrying through security without his pin, had a hand placed on his shoulder and he reacted by pushing back that there would be a pending arrest for him? I'm thinking the cop would immediately start apologizing to him and the incident would be over and done.

I'm NOT condoning McKinney's behavior but I am questioning the political hay that is being made from the event.

[KittyWampus]

81. But did she ATTACK the cop? Was it INTENTIONAL. There's a huge

diffence. And arresting someone for hitting a cop, when they had no idea it was a cop, is idiotic and misguided.

[bigtree]

83. I remember all sorts of violations of the law by the republicans

in those buildings that didn't get prosecuted, like eavesdropping, stealing documents, and denying access to Democrats. I'm sure we can come up with more than a handful that didn't get booked.

They should settle this and preserve whatever dignity Rep. McKinney can regain.

[leveymg]

15. I thought Congress had immunity from arrest on Capitol grounds

Congressional Immunity is written into the Constitution. It states, and has been interpreted to mean, that a Member of Congress "shall in all cases, except treason, felony and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest" both while attending a session and traveling to or from the Capitol.

As to whether this is a felony or breach of peace is for the courts to decide. Frankly, if there was no serious injury, it was not a crime of moral terpitude and is instead simple assault. The whole thing should be dropped with an apology given on both sides.

[paul_fromatlanta]

22. There are apparently three or four steps required

>>The U.S. attorney's office must approve any warrant before police can take it to a judge for final approval. The prosecutor's office also would have to notify the Justice Department because the warrant would involve a sitting member of Congress.<<

[leveymg]

33. I guess these are the same steps if Bush & Cheney were to be arrested.

[paul_fromatlanta]

35. No, there are special procedures for constitutional officers.

[leveymg]

36. What are they?

[paul_fromatlanta]

37. The house has to impeach them and the Senate has to convict them

[leveymg]

38. What then?

What's the procedure for putting these on Constitutional Officers?

[paul_fromatlanta]

42. Its never happened... so far they always either resigned or been aquitted

It certainly looked like Richard Nixon was gonna be convicted but he resigned and his VP became President and pardonned him preventing further prosecution.

Bill Clinton and Andrew johnson were aquitted.

Nixon's first VP Spiro Agnew resigned and then plead no contest to charges- he got a fine and probation.

[leveymg]

48. So, the DC Cops could simply serve the warrant and lead * out the

front door of the White House?

Actually, it would be the FBI serving a federal warrant. No difference, really. Just curious about whether there actually is a written procedure for such things. They might want to put one on the books.

[Xithras]

118. Incorrect.

The President can be arrested and imprisoned just like anyone else if he commits a felony on US soil and the arresting officer has the balls to enforce the law. Impeachment is the process required to remove them from office, but being a constitutional officer doesn't exempt anyone from immediate arrest if a serious crime is committed.

Of course, there are all kinds of interesting loopholes here. If you arrested the president, for example, could he just write himself an executive order to set himself free? Legally, probably. How about pardoning himself? Legally probably. Of course, both of those could be overruled easily AFTER the president was impeached.

[Radio_Guy]

17. If anyone should be handcuffed and hauled away

It is the chimp himself. It saddens me that Cynthia barely touches a police officer and will be arrested for it while Bush kills thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and Afghanis and he probably won't even get a slap on the wrist.

[Burma Jones]

21. Go Ahead

Then it will appear as though the Capitol Hill Police are no more than The Republican Party's Goon Squad......

[Chiyo-chichi]

40. They should rename them "The Republican Guard."

Oh, wait. That was Sadaam's goon squad. "The NEW Republican Guard," then.

[Burma Jones]

44. Ba-Da-Boom

:yourock:

[Octafish]

28. Frist and Hastert's ''Plantation.''

Isn't that what Hillary called the place?

[cmd]

30. It's not the first time she has been stopped

Further on in the article you will find this clip.


Wednesday's incident was not the first time a Capitol Hill police officer failed to recognize McKinney as a member of Congress. Her office on Thursday posted on her Web site a clip from a documentary, "American Blackout," that features one such encounter.

The clip first shows a black police officer recognizing McKinney and welcoming her back to Congress in 2005, when she returned after a two-year hiatus because of a 2002 re-election defeat. It then shows a white officer approaching her and the filmmakers as they enter the Capitol grounds, asking McKinney and the crew to identify themselves. Told that McKinney is a member of Congress, the officers backs off and starts apologizing.

[Solomon]

34. You guys kill me. "Oh please mr. cop I should never have hit you, never

ever." Sheeesh. I guess the fact that he was a cop authorizes him to put his filthy hands on a women he knows to be a congresswoman.

And don't start with the "how do we know he knew she was a congresswoman" shit. They all know who the hell she is. It's getting so bad that even the Washington Post weighed in with two pictures showing that McKinney changed her hair style so the cop may not have known who she was. Why would they do this. Because they know that every cop guarding the capitol knows who the hell she is.

And she knows that they know who the hell she is. Why should she put up with such shit on the grounds of the people's house? "Oh please Mr. cop, you have greater authority than me, you have a steeenkin badge".

I once represented a very dark skinned man who had security clearance at the Naval Weapons facility here. For years and years the guards at the gate knew who this man was, saw him every damn day of his life. And every damn day they gave him shit before he could even get to work. They waived evrybody through, but him, they gave shit to everyday. One day he just popped. He got so distraught over the humiliation that he went nuts at the gate one day. I was able to save his job for him eventually, but I didn't envy what this man had to deal with everyday.

[NVMojo]

39. people lie all the time, including cops,

[NaturalHigh]

73. So do members of Congress.

[NaturalHigh]

41. If I had hit a cop, you can bet I would be in jail right now.

I see so many posts that want Republican congressmen and Bush and Cheney arrested for breaking the law, but somehow McKinney is deemed worthy of a free pass. She is not above the law, folks.

If she is arrested, she is not going to jail, not a chance. She'll be treated like a celebrity and get the attention she so desperately craves. At most, she'll pay a small fine and get a few months of probation.

[mondo joe]

46. I agree. And I dislike it whenever it turns out the law should apply

except to "my side".

And when it turns into "look what they get away with" it becomes hopeless. If we can't be consistent with our standards it will always just be politics instead of ethics.

[librechik]

67. since she is not, obviously there's some question whether it happened

in the way the witnesses describe. Otherwise, she would have already been before a judge. Like you or me.

[blondeatlast]

116. Yep and reports have said she'd bypassed the tattle gate many times.

I work in a bleeding LIBRARY and can't get out without going through the tattle gates.

This is bleeding CONGRESS, folks.

BTW< I've had a lot of respect for McKinney in the past, but to flout legitimate security precautions more than once is inexcusable, IMHO.

[mdmc]

43. God Bless her

:mad:

[ruggerson]

47. She is not some political cause celebre

She hit a cop. I don't give a rat's ass whether he touched her arm or not. If she was being arrogant and stupid by not responding to his request for ID, then she is in the wrong.

All involved, including the cop, should just apologize and get over it. And the last thing we should be doing is turning this into some kind of racial profiling, political issue, because it'll make us look incredibly stupid.

[gatorboy]

53. Here's a link to another incident:

http://www.wonkette.com/politics/cynthia-mckinney/cynthia-mckinney-knows-911-is-a-joke-in-your-district-164128.php

She's cute! :)

[wicket]

54. Oh lord

n/t

[Catherine Vincent]

58. I'll have to see the video.

If it was just a tap, then this cop is a wussie. And he's probably a repuke.

[gatorboy]

59. Stangely enough, they have no video.

Or so they said on one news segment last night. You'd think that the congress buildings would be videotaped, especially the entrances. Hmmmmm...

[0007]

60. Yikes, a tiny bump would result in arrest? Think this was all

prearranged via the Carlyle Group and junior's crime cabal? I do!

[slackmaster]

61. If you or I did the same thing we'd be arrested too

Goose, meet gander.

[0007]

65. The big big difference my friend is Security knew who she was

and wouldn't recognize your ass from the next bird.

[slackmaster]

68. I've seen no proof that THAT guard knew who she was

Can you point me to some evidence that he actually recognized her?

And why wasn't she wearing her lapel pin to identify her as a member?

[0007]

86. LOL!! I bet your serious, no?

[slackmaster]

87. Yes I am quite serious - Are you?

I believe the guard was doing his job, which is to help ensure the safety of the members of Congress including Congresswoman McKinney.

I don't know how long he had been on the job, or whether he'd ever seen her before. If you are going to make a mistake in security it's best to err on the side of caution.

She had no business hitting him. A security guard is allowed to grab people by the arm when they try to bypass security. The guard deserves the benefit of the doubt, and McKinney deserves a fair hearing with a presumption of innocence just like anyone else.

[0007]

89. Now they're say she slapped him! What gives?

[slackmaster]

93. I don't know exactly what happened, nor do any of us here

Not much point in assuming anything.

[proud2BlibKansan]

96. Have you even read this thread

it is clear from many posters that the cops know all the congress critters; that is part of their job to know them and let them past security.

[slackmaster]

97. I've read all I can stomach and haven't seen any real evidence

That the guard knew AND recognized her at that moment. Just speculation and assumptions and generalities.

[guinivere]

63. She hit a cop.

You can't just go around smacking cops no matter who you are.

What's so hard about putting your id card pin on in the morning?

[gatorboy]

70. I smell a new talking point coming on...

I'd rather be smacked by McKinney, than shot by Cheney. :P

[shance]

75. Congressman McKinney's a threat with the truth, they know it, and they are

using a fake witch burning. It's not anything new or novel.

It's been happening for a while now, especially to women and those who are not privileged males.

[Radio_Guy]

76. That is why I would back her for President

She isn't affected by polls or the wind. She has her morals and standards and will stick with them. Unless someone better comes along, I'd love to see McKinney for President.

[951-Riverside]

79. Good.

If she was republican I would be even happier but my point is she can't go walking around secure areas without identifying herself had she taken a few secs to control her temper and just showed her ID she wouldn't be in this mess.

If they just let anyone in who claimed to be a Representative without checking ID we would have a real problem on our hands.

[truebrit71]

90. "They will be seeking an arrest warrant AFTER the investigation...."

Glad to see that they are keeping on open mind and not jumping to conclusions or anything....

:eyes:

The "warrant" will be front page news, the subsequent dismissal of all charges will be buried...

This is about trying to put someone in their place...

[lastliberalintexas]

92. Some of you people freaking slay me

Geez. When I was a freaking intern/staffer in DC, every security guard in the Rayburn Building knew who I was- as well as all other staffers, interns and even some of the pages. In fact, I was at the Capitol so much that I was recognized by most of the guards over there too. Do some of you seriously doubt that this guard failed to recognize a *member of Congress*? If so, he should be fired immediately.


Whether she should have hit him or even whether Congresscritters should be able to bypass security checkpoints are different issues. I'm simply pointing out that the guard knew who the hell she was because it's his job to know.

[slackmaster]

94. Was your tenure in DC before or after 9/11/2001?

I have a pony tail, goatee, and eyeglasses. People recognize me readily.

Is your appearance distinctive in some way? Inquiring minds want to know.

Do some of you seriously doubt that this guard failed to recognize a *member of Congress*?

There are over 400 members. They may get haircuts, change their manner of grooming, etc. at any time. They are supposed to wear lapel pins to identify themselves, to make the security guards' work easier.

[goclark]

95. I'm standing with Cynthia on this one

She is a very passionate patriot!

She calls it likes she sees it and I am sure that she has been baited by the Rethugs for her stand on the illegal War and other Civil Rights Issues.


They hate her and all that she stands for...

I'll wait for her side of the story.

[suffragette]

99. And I'll stand with you and Cynthia

They have gone after her before because she doesn't back down on fighting for rights and calling them out for wrongs.

I want to hear what Cynthia says about this.

[goclark]

104. I just saw a photo of her new hairstyle ~ it's great IMO

and the bigots are already calling her all kinds of names and talking about her hairstyle -racist!

Why don't they lift DeLays sky piece off and see if they recognize him and let him through security.

We know the answer to that one ~ DeLay would breeze right through Security and they would be saying "Yes Boss" as they wiped the floor in front of his every step.

[suffragette]

117. She's rockin' the new do

OMG - you just cased me to picture Delay without the rug. Aackk! Bad enough with it.

And yeah, no way would he be grabbed or in any way prevented from entering.

[klook]

98. I'm extremely skeptical of this whole story

Rep. McKinney is one of the American Right's worst nightmares, and they will never hesitate to lie or misrepresent a situation to try to make her look bad.

Personally, I think she rocks.

[Pathwalker]

101. Woman, grabbed from behind, defends herself, gets arrested.

Gee, how strange that she did what every woman is taught to do in SELF DEFENSE CLASS when she is grabbed from behind BY A STRANGER. Have we criminalized self-defense by women now? I didn't get THAT memo - when did this happen???

Seriously, her actions in this instance are what we are taught to do in SELF-DEFENSE CLASSES!!!!!!!!!

[Nikki Stone1]

102. THANK YOU!

The cop should have identified himself. This sounds like retaliation for McKinney's outspokenness on 9/11

[Ian David]

106. It would have been okay if she'd just shot him-- in Florida, anyway n/t

[Dhampir Kampf]

115. When you are alone, and in a vulnerable position.

Capitol hill, near police officers isn't a vulnerable spot.

If Bush did this, would you defend him?

Being a woman isn't a handycap, and being a woman shouldn't give people the right to break the law.

She hit a cop. Bottom line

[BuyingThyme]

103. She screwed up. Don't try to denigrate the good things she does

by weighing them against the good things she does. That's known as idiocy.

[Pathwalker]

105. NO SHE DIDN'T! She performed a STANDARD self-defense

measure! Self-defense manuveurs 101: S.I.N.G.!!!!
S = Solar Plexus
I = Instep
N = Nose
G = Groin

If you haven't taken a Delf-defense class, you may not realize that the very action Cynthia McKinney did was the VERY FIRST step a person is SUPPOSED to take if grabbed from behind by a STRANGER. The fact that the person she DEFENDED HERSELF against was a police officer should change NOTHING!
And if you haven't taken the self-defense class, at least watch Miss Congeniality, where thse SELL-DEFENSE movements are shown.

[ShaneGR]

112. She hit a cop....

If I hit some cop because he tried to stop me from going through a security checkpoint I would be arrested, charged, and likely convicted.

So what's the difference again?

[Dhampir Kampf]

114. No self-defense was needed.

...She was at a check point with several people and officers.

No reason anyone would attack her there.

[BuyingThyme]

119. What a load.

[symbolman]

108. If you even get in the WAY of a Congressperson

at ANY TIME YOU can be arrested.. I was in DC filming and the cops told me, if you walk backwards and film them and they complain you'll be arrested, if you TOUCH ONE you WILL GO TO JAIL.

LAW, pure and simple. If she was grabbed from BEHIND then she could conceivable NOT KNOW WHO it was..

THis cop needs to go to jail, or back to school.

Really, can you imagine this happening to CondoLIESa? What if she changed her "GUMBY" hair? Would she have smacked them back? IS Cynthia supposed to have guards that slap the shit out of cops who impede her?

YOU DO NOT TOUCH CONGRESSPEOPLE, this stinks, and it's a set up..

[Freedom_Aflaim]

109. IF Bush hit a secret service agent, I would not give him a pass

I cant say that I feel obliged to give Cynthia a pass either.

Hitting law enforcement officers who are just doing their job is pretty poor behavior..I don't care who you are.

[ShaneGR]

113. Yup, just because she's a liberal Dem

Doesn't mean I give her a pass on striking a police officer trying to guard the US Capital. If he tried to stop her, touched her arm, and she hit him for it.... she broke the law. Period.