Should McKinney be convicted in the court of public opinion -

[rman]

even by democrats/liberals - BEFORE THE INCIDENT HAS BEEN INVESTIGATED?

Who'd benefit from that?

Does it fit OUR sense of justice?

I for one would like to see the security cam recordings of the incident before drawing a conclusion.

[cali]

1. No,

but I sure wish she hadn't given that press conference and convicted the police officer absent facts.

[pretzel4gore]

2. free country not

plus, she's blaxk...that alone says justice is impossible (if the cop was blaxk, then doubly so)

[5X]

3. She has first hand knowledge of the facts. You do not. n/t

[cali]

8. did you actually

watch the news conference?

[H2O Man]

12. Well said.

I'm glad she speaks out. I suspect that is why she suffered the indignity to begin with. I doubt that Trent Lott or his poodle Joe Lieberman face similar aggression from "security."

[MADem]

16. Well, they don't use the same entrance--they are Senators, she is a rep

They are each one of a hundred, she's one of 400+.

Eventually, the full story will come out. I'm going to wait for it, and not get excited one way or another. The more visible this story is, the less time the media spends on the failed wars of Monkeyboy.

[H2O Man]

17. I realize that.

My point wasn't that they use the same entrance.

[fknobbit]

4. I assume she is in the right

if she was wrong we would be buried with "news"

[lostnfound]

14. Agreed. They'd be playing the videotape over and over

the way they did the (doctored-up) "Dean scream".

[MADem]

18. Well, they would have to GET the video first--it belongs to the Cap Police

The Dean Scream video was taken by network and cable news cameras.

Not equivalent at all.

Does anyone know if the tape has been requested by the media? It's unlikely it would be released in advance of any court action (or a decision not to go to court).

[Media_Lies_Daily]

43. If it showed what the GOPers are saying that it does,.....

...wouldn't this video be all over the media by now?

[MADem]

47. The Cap Police do NOT play politics

They are there, year in, year out, through GOP regimes and Dem ones, with Congress changing hands, the Executive Branch changing hands...they don't play that game. They can't, and stay sane.

If there's video, someone has to FOIA it, and they will decide if it can be released. If it is needed for some sort of action, we might not see it until after that action is concluded.

[TahitiNut]

5. Of course! Her hair style is great evidence!

:sarcasm:

Uhmm... how many people were killed in Iraq in the last two days again? :eyes:

[H2O Man]

15. Saddam had rape rooms.

Thus, we are safer with her hair being arrested.

[nonconformist]

6. I'm not even going to spend any effort on this distraction

And that's exactly what this whole overblown over-discussed mess is - a distraction.

[DemonFighterLives]

7. It is a distraction

but the ongoing smearing and swiftboating of Ms McKinney is important. If left to go on, she will find herself dead, another casualty of dubco.
She speaks her mind and stands in opposition to this *regime.
:donut:

[4th District Refugee]

9. Easy for you to say

She's supposed to be representing me in Congress, not implementing some personal agenda. I've stopped writing to her about legislation because she's perceived as such a nutcase that she's ineffective as a Congressperson.
BTW, I couldn't recognize her in the current news clips at first. In addition to the new hair, she's, ah, added to her womanly physique. Nothing wrong with that, but she does look a lot different than even a year or two ago.

[cali]

11. If you're going to level charges

don't you think you should make them a little less vague? What is her "personal agenda"? What legislation did you write her about? Who do you think perceives her as a nutcase?

[fknobbit]

19. If she was my Congress person I would be PO'd that she was detained

See US Constitution, Article 1, Section 6

[4th District Refugee]

20. Leveling charges?

I'm not sure that I'm being any less vague than Cynthia McKinney. She was touched because she bypassed a security checkpoint. She has stated that this is due to her being a black female congressperson. I won't discount that, because racism is inherent in America. But I'd like to allow for the possibility that the cop really didn't recognize her, given her changed appearance. He touched her, he didn't slam her to the floor, set a dog loose or anything like that.

And the fact that Nancy Pelosi is trying to downplay the incident should say something about how she's perceived within the party. I don't see the anyone besides Danny Glover, etc. rushing to her defense.

Thank goodness, because I think it's killing us to have people like McKinney representing the Democratic Party.

[me b zola]

23. You wouldn't be posting from K Street, would you??

What is killing the Democratic Party is elected officials who have forgotten Democratic principles, values, and who refuse to represent their constituents.

Rep. McKinney has been one of the outstanding champions of the people with a wonderful progressive voting record. She has been smeared before, and sadly this entire affair reeks of another slime job. What's worse is that it beginning to smell as if the DLC is in bed with the gop--AGAIN--in an attempt to rid the party of anyone with the audacity to speak against the powers that be and actually represent the people who have elected her.


Psssssssshhhhhhhhaaaaaawwwwwwwwww.

[4th District Refugee]

24. Nope, I'm posting from Lawrenceville Highway

Which is within one mile of Rep. McKinney's office.

I'm a constituent, and she doesn't represent me in this case. Yes, she has a wonderful progressive voting record. But smacking a cop who might have made an honest mistake isn't a hot idea. She can fight the evils of the world without sounding like an egotist.

I can allow for the idea that this incident is indeed racially/GOP/Powers that be motivated. Why can't you allow for the idea that it may not be? And worse yet, that her reaction will just provide fodder for the Bushites. Elections are around the corner, and having a Democratic Congresswoman smacking a cop is fodder for the GOP. If it's a smear job...she fell right into it.

[Rainscents]

30. Mike Malloy will be at the Atlanta Rally with her

And he told his listener on Friday night, he will personally will be talking with her and get the FACT for his listener. You already pre-judged her and hanged her before the fact! SHAME ON YOU!

[4th District Refugee]

35. Hope they had a nice march together

Um, Mike Malloy is a radio show host. While it's nice he's supporting her, he is, after all, a radio show host. I was referring in my previous post to her lack of support and respect from other elected representatives, including those from our own party.

It's ironic that you say I'm pre-judging her. Isn't there quite a rush to judgment here to hang the cop involve and float conspiracy theories? Nobody (including me) disputes that he touched her, she hit him, etc. What's being disputed is why it all happened.

I do admit to pre-judging her to be lacking in good sense. If you want some examples of her not-so-bright behavior, there are plenty.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

45. Members of Congress and Congressional staffers are allowed...

...to bypass security. McKinney stated that she was wearing her Congressional ID, but not the lapel pin. She was physically confronted by an offer who came up behind her and actually grabbed her arm. She reacted by poking the officer with her cell phone and telling him not to touch her.

She is one of a total of fourteen black female Members of Congress...how much time and effort does it take to learn what she looks like in any manner of dress and/or hairstyles? That's part of the job description of the Capital Police, is it not?

As far as Nancy Pelosi is concerned, it is part of her job description to play this incident down as she would any other incident involving any other Democrat.

You're welcome to believe whatever you want, but I believe that the majority of Democrats, and some GOPers, view McKinney as a heroine for speaking out on various subjects to include the official version of 911. IMHO, your perception about McKimmey is wrong.

[lostnfound]

13. She still has the ability to vote -- that's effective.

I'm more interested in how she votes than anything else.

I think she's under a lot of pressure from the RW.

[devilgrrl]

36. You got it!

Gotta love how the mods seem to think it's a worth while discussion, especially the original flame fest, which is still alive and well. So lame that I won't bother with posting the link.

[pretzel4gore]

38. she's a patriot under attack

they're murdering criminals (klol) who are attacking Rep McKinney

[Cocoa]

10. no, and neither should the cop

[Rex]

21. Thanks, nice dose of sanity.

Finally! Someone who wants to see the tape! Me too! The Capitol Hill Cops said they had it ALL on tape...let's see it!

[Beelzebud]

22. She has spoken out on 9/11, and Bush War Crimes. It's not hard to see

whats going on here...

It makes me sick that people on our side *cough*John Arvosis*cough* are too stupid to see what's going on here, and instead are sounding like neo-con parrots.

[Pastiche423]

25. And what happened when she spoke out?

They smeared her right out of her seat in 2002. I was furious when that happened. It was a IN YOUR FACE smear job.

I believe, especially since the capitol police will not release the tape, that they are starting it up again.

Show us the tape!

[rman]

26. "The Screwing of Cynthia McKinney"

The Screwing of Cynthia McKinney
By Greg Palast, AlterNet
Wednesday, June 18, 2003
http://www.gregpalast.com/detail.cfm?artid=229&row=1

Greg Palast is an investigative reporter for BBC television and author of the New York Times bestseller, "“The Best Democracy Money Can Buy".

[mondo joe]

27. Neither she nor the officer should be "convicted" in the court of

public opinion.

If either side has a case to make they should make it through the courts.

[rman]

28. McKinney stands accused legally, the officer does not

If McKinney is convicted in the court of public opinion, then it's all the easier to convict her legally - even if she is in fact innocent.

I'm not saying the officer should be convicted in the court of public opinion, but if he would be, there'd be little or no consequences for him.

McKinney and the officer are not equally victimized in this.

[mondo joe]

29. To the contrary - if he is convicted in the court of publlic opinion it

makes it easier for her to get off if charges are made, regardless of whatever actually happpened.

And there certainly woould be consequennces for him.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

33. That's A 100% Wrong Assessment In My Opinion

For Example:

Congresswoman Accuses Capitol Police Officer of Racial Bias
McKinney: Race sparked tiff with police
McKinney Says Police Officer Touched Her 'Inappropriately'
Lawyer says McKinney a victim in scuffle

[rman]

39. McKinney "accuses" police - said she'd press charges, or

is it a personal accusation? Looks like it's the latter.

As long as McKinney has not pressed charges against the officer, or has not said that she will do so, the officer does not stand accused legally.

The officer however has said that he will press charges against McKinney.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

44. The officer can do whatever he wants, but I'll bet there are.....

...more eyewitnesses that will support McKinney's story than there will be supporting the officer's story.

As far as being "accused legally", what exactly does that mean? You're not "accused legally" until someone presses charges against you. That hasn't happened in this situation, and probably won't.

[rman]

46. Well, at least it has been announced that charges will be pressed against

McKinney. Not so against the officer.
Though i agree there probably will be no charges against McKinney. Which won't stop the RW from trying to use this to turn public opinion against McKinney.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

42. IMHO, that should be "If" McKinney is accused.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

31. No, But Neither Should The Cop. Nor Should She Be Automatically Cleared Of

any wrongdoing just because that's the way we want it to be, and neither should the cop. Nor should people trying to be objective on the issue be slandered and attacked for daring to make deductions based on what is available.

Nothing wrong at all with us exploring the issue and making reasonable assumptions about what we feel occurred. We just need to do it responsibly.

[BuyingThyme]

32. You blatantly contradicted yourself.

[mondo joe]

34. You caught it too? Heh. Just imagine DU ever wanting to

convict someone in the court of opinion!

[rinsd]

48. LOL

Wasn't there a huge thread with people making the distinction between such "convictions" on a message board vs a court of law?

[rman]

40. by all means don't point out where and how

[fknobbit]

37. 'Lethal Weapon' 5

Actor, Danny Glover was expected to appear at an early-evening news conference Friday with McKinney at Howard University.

That gave Republicans material to keep the criticism flowing.

"Rep. McKinney appearing with the star of 'Lethal Weapon'? Not exactly the message you want to be sending," said Ron Bonjean, spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.

===================================


These guys would be comical if not so frikin dangerous.:tinfoilhat:

[FredScuttle]

41. "Not the message you want to be sending"?

Hastert's office has a hell of a lot of bottle accusing others of "sending the wrong message"....The "Delay" Rule, anyone?