Did Cynthia McKinney call Al Gore a racist?

[Karmadillo]

Somerby tends to keep to the facts. Is there anything he missed that might explain McKinney's actions as discussed below?

http://www.dailyhowler.com/dh040606.shtml

<edit>

Of course, McKinney has long been helpful—to the Republican Party. As you know, it’s Hard Pundit Law; DC elites never discuss bizarre events from Campaign 2000. But our favorite McKinney Moment came from that race, when she called Candidate Gore a racist just as he began to pull away in the polls in September 2000. In Milbank’s column, Republican congressman David Dreier says the GOP should thank McKinney for her efforts this week. But then, they should have thanked her in 2000 too! For a concise review of the facts, here’s the start of a follow-up AP report, written one month after the original incident. Helpfully, this follow-up report hit the wire on the day of Bush and Gore’s first debate:

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (10/3/00): To her friends, Cynthia McKinney is a refreshing new face in a sea of congressional clones.
She's a single mother raised in the heart of the civil rights movement who is unafraid to speak out—even against fellow Democrats...

Just over a month ago, an embarrassing blunder jeopardized McKinney's relationship with her party's own presidential candidate.

Late one Friday afternoon, McKinney's office faxed news organizations a statement blasting Vice President Al Gore's low "Negro tolerance level" and accusing him of seldom having more than one black in his presence.

The statement came in response to a "report" by attorneys representing 250 black Secret Service agents in a discrimination lawsuit against their employer. They had alleged a secret quota within Gore's security detail that limited the number of black agents around him.

Later, the attorneys themselves backed off the charge, but McKinney's news release remained on her Internet site. In the subsequent seven days, she scheduled and then canceled four interviews with The Associated Press—and even more after that—to talk about the matter.

more...

[mdmc]

1. lots of folks felt disenfranchised in 2000

I feel that Gore was set to let w. wallow in the west wing, then blow him out of the water in 2004. Please look at Michael Moore's f-911 . Look at Gore as he refuses to hear the black congressional caucus protests... I hear that a lot of folks felt like they were disenfranchised, and that Gore was part of it.

[boobooday]

3. I think that was the most shocking scene in F 9/11

To see that the Black Caucus was the only group in Congress who had the guts to stand up for Democracy, and to watch as the Senate abandoned them, and us.

That one just crushes me, even now.

[mdmc]

14. me too boobooday

it makes me :mad:

[joeybee12]

5. Gore's refusal to hear the black congressional caucus and

McKinney's comments aren't really related. He refused when he was serving in his legal capacity (as VP) to verify the electoral college votes. The black caucus were all representatives who couldn't be heard unless a member of the Senate sponsored them--none did. Gore legally had to do what he did.

I have no recollection of Cynthia's comments about the secret service, or the lawsuit, so I can't comment on whether there was merit, but I do tend to think McKinney says something first and then thinks about its consequences later.

[mdmc]

15. can you understand that black voters felt that Gore didn't fight for them?

Black leaders that I know will privately (they all publicly support the Dems, lock, step) admit that they were disappointed that no senator (Gore didn't request a senator support the black caucus) supported the black caucus.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

43. But surely

The question we should be asking is not "do black voters feel that Gore didn't fight for them as much as he should have?" but "did Gore fight for black voters as much as he should have?"

I should stress that I don't know anything about the specifics of the case, but those two questions could well have completely different answers.

[mdmc]

45. point taken

peace and low stress

[mzmolly]

11. Please keep in mind that F911 did not show the entire story.

It did not mention that many senators said they'd not been asked to sign on and that if they had, it would have made as much difference as Boxer doing so in 04.

Moore supported Nader - he was saving face.

I love MM and his movies, but I know where he's coming from.

:hi:

[mdmc]

21. peace Mzmolly

low stress:hi:

[mzmolly]

63. Peace mdmc.

:hi:

[Adelante]

24. Actually, Barbara Boxer was asked *not* to sign on with the CBC

Specifically by Al Gore, according to her. I do not believe Al Gore is a racist. But his actions in 2000-2001 did contribute to African-Americans being denied their voting rights in parts of Florida in that election. There's no getting away from it and bless Michael Moore for documenting it. I'm willing to believe that Gore has "evolved" in the past couple of years, although I was never so sure he needed as much evolving as he's being credited with, but I'm not willing to change history for him. The residual ill will among black Americans over that horrific experience, however justified, does not make Cynthia McKinney any less a racist than she has shown herself to be, either.

[mdmc]

27. thanks for the post

peace and low stress

[Teresa4ChrisCarney]

33. michael moore is a liar

it took him several years to come up with the lie that he had told Nader to stop what he was doing in Florida. Then he only told that wopper when he realized that he had lost credibility with the left for his disastrous support of Nader.

[cynatnite]

40. Got something to back that up with? n/t

[Bucky]

41. I specifically remember Moore telling Greens to hedge bets in 2000

He didn't make it up. Lots of Naderites considered him a traitor for losing his nerve the closer we got to possible Bush presidency. I often disagree with Moore. Well, occasionally, anyway. But in this he's right. He did publically state (and take flack for stating) that Nader-leaners could vote for Gore with a clean conscience. Since then, he's guilty of hyping his role in the Florida vote of 2000, but he really has honestly earned that "I told ya so"

[mzmolly]

64. He also deserves a big "I told ya so."

;)

[mdmc]

53. hey you got a link for that statement?

Moore didn't seem to apologetic in F-9-11.

[mzmolly]

62. Ahhh, that's right.

I do believe Boxer said that Gore asked her not to sign now that you mention it.

However, Gore isn't the reason voters rights were denied - The Bush's are. I am certain that his motive for asking (if he did so) was not to prolong the inevitable Bush pResidency. Regardless, I know many Senators said they were never asked to sign on and the movie did not give a balanced perspective IMHO.

Thanks for the well reasoned post.

:hi:

[Freddie Stubbs]

72. Her statement came before the election

[MrBenchley]

2. In a word, yes....she's as crazy as a shithouse rat

"Of course, McKinney has long been helpful—to the Republican Party."
Hard to say it better than that.

[mdmc]

20. I was wondering when we would hear from you on this subject

I know that you are not very supportive of Rep. McKinney ("crazy as a shithouse rat"), but I did not see you posting anti-McKinney tripe while she was down (last week). Did you make an effort to avoid criticizing her while she was down, or where you off line? For the record, I (a pro-McKinney dem) avoided posting regarding this event.

[Hutzpa]

44. Sweet!!!

Peace and low stress...loud and clear!

:hi:

[mdmc]

51. peace

low stress:hi:

[AtomicKitten]

48. there's much confusion here.

Those of us who didn't subscribe to Ms. McK buzzing a security checkpoint aren't anti-McKinney (or I certainly am not). It is possible to hold two seemingly opposing notions in one's head simultaneously.
I support her; I didn't support what she did. It's hard to see her as down as you have described it when she stood before a bank of microphones alleging racism. It was an invitation for discussion, discussion you seem to think should have been support her or shut up. Opinions do not fall into the you versus us meme as many try to categorize factions. It is that kind of scorched earth rhetoric that precludes nuanced analysis and incites personal attacks, of which I've had many. Flame away; I'm used to it.

[mdmc]

50. there is even more confusion atomickitten, allow me to explain

Way before McKinney's DC thing, some centrist and dlc'ers were awful toward Cynthia McKinney and Bernie Saunders. They were far more ruthless then the GOP against these two people.

Then, the McKinney thing hit the wires. Suddenly everyone was talkin about McKinney.

My post above was trying to figure out why an traditional, long standing McKinney hater did not post on all those McKinney threads. Just like I did not post tons of Mckinney support, although before this incident, I often would point to McKinney as a Dem that I fully support.

In other words, way before McKinney hit the cop, I was in an ongoing argument over whether she was a deficit to the dems or a role model. I noticed that the guys that used to argue that she was an abomination to the dem party were not now attacking her. My post above was trying to figure out why they didn't kick McKinney while she was down.

[AtomicKitten]

54. She's one of the few speaking out about BBV.

We all should be enternally grateful to those few in Congress willing to speak up. I know I am.

[mdmc]

55. me too

I still dont know why people that hated her did not attack her during this cop deal-i-o.:shrug:

[Terran1212]

52. It's too bad she offended DU's Jesus (Al Gore), but I'm still proud of her

Look at her history and what she has fought for. She has put her neck on the line many times for good causes and for those who can't defend themselves.

She may not be perfect, she may've done things a lot of us disagree with. But she's an amazing fighter and any of you would know that had you ever seen her give a speech or talk to her constituents, as I have.

These personal attacks are getting ludicrious.

[The Straight Story]

56. A question on all that if I may

Nothing against the lady - she at least has the guts to say what is on her mind most the time and not candy coat it. Would that all politicians were such so we could see how they really believe. Now I don't fully support her in this latest event but that is one event out of a sea of them, we cannot all agree all the time.

My main question would be: What has she done for the betterment of folks (legislation, et al)? I am not saying she has done nothing of course, but I keep seeing sides of the whole mess bantering (much like I have been to be honest) without quantifying, perhaps in list form, what she has accomplished during her term(s) of office (speeches are a seperate but important addition to such as well). A good list would go a long way to enlighten folks (my ignorant self included). Time willing today I will compile as such, but was hoping others had such a list.

On this whole capitol police ordeal - I think the race card, as it were, is a big problem for me in that I think if it was a white congress member hitting a black cop we would be railing on the congressperson for racism and wanting to get away with it. Given McKinney's slapshots against Gore and others one wonders if she would have hit the cop had he been black. It could go on and on, I just don't see racism here, I see over-reaction that could had been diffused by saying something like "I was not paying attention and walked through, guard was hollering but I did not think at me, then he grabbed me and I thought it was maybe some nut case as I could not see behind me and I attempted to defend myself, sorry shit happens, end of story".

[Catrina]

74. That is more or less what she did say ~ but the distortions and vitriol

towards her have been incredible especially considering the far more egregious crimes that were being uncovered while the media, Democrats and of course the ever-ready radical righting and their propaganda machine, were busy twisting, changing and distorting the story.

So many times in the McKinney threads, eg, I saw angry posters demand that she make a statement, long after she had done so. When that was pointed out, they attacked FOR making a statement. Iow, to some people, for whatever reason, this woman can do no right and they were here on DU in force over the past week.

Interestingly, many of the 'noobies' disappeared afterwards, never having posted in threads other than those devoted to her.

I have a hard time understanding the hate evident iin many of the postings here on DU towards her. That level of anger has hardly been directed towards Scooter Libby eg, or Michael Ledeen, Doug Feith ~ even Cheney, considering the harm this cabal has done to the country.

I also wonder why an unknown cop's word has been taken (actually as far as I know he hasn't made any statements) over the word of someone who has consisently been right about this administration and who has challenged them when it took courage, certainly not seen the rest of her party, to do so.

[MrBenchley]

59. Other than pointing out that she's an antiSemitic loony

I only pointed out that she'd manage to become a public embarassment AGAIN.

[bloom]

65. So what did she do

that you call her "antiSemitic"

[MrBenchley]

76. You mean you don't know her history?

Very sad.

http://atlanta.about.com/library/weekly/aa092902a.htm

[bloom]

77. You're the one whose "sad"

You make an accusation and your "proof" is to a link that says: "Also there is the lingering rumors of McKinney's anti-Semitism" and something her dad said.???


:wtf: is that?

[Moochy]

79. WTF is that?

Par for the course. expect nothing less from the b.

[MrBenchley]

80. No, I'm not sticking up for an antiSemitic loony

who is a public embarassment.

[Pirate Smile]

4. I found this on wikipedia:

During the 2000 presidential campaign, McKinney wrote that "Al Gore's Negro tolerance level has never been too high. I've never known him to have more than one black person around him at any given time." The Gore campaign pointed out however that his campaign manager was black.<3>


Geez
:eyes:

[Karmadillo]

71. Ouch.

nt

[LittleClarkie]

78. What about the black woman he had as campaign manager, Ms. McKinney?

Or did Donna have to sit at the back of the campaign bus?

The race card is diminished every time it is played inappropriately.

[HamdenRice]

6. As a current Gore supporter I have to say she was right, but he changed

A lot of African Americans in the northeast have lingering bad feelings about Gore for his role in (I believe it was) the 1989 New York mayoral race between Ed Koch and David Dinkins, who went on to become the first black mayor of NY. Koch ran a kind of "black peril" campaign, which was truly awful and Al Gore came to New York to campaign for Koch. Most black New Yorkers concluded at that time that if Gore endorsed Koch's campaign message that Gore was a racist or at least had very negative feelings about black people.

Presumably or at least I hope Gore changed during his eight years in the Clinton administration. He must be more comfortable with African Americans because he hired Donna Brazille as his campaign manager in 2000 (even though she is like most of the DLC type consultants, a "professional election loser").

As an African American, I support Gore because I think he is the only major, viable Democratic leader who is willing to tell the truth about the abrogation of the Constitution under this criminal administration, and I assume he has evolved a lot on racial issues.

But McKinney is not "bat shit crazy" to have the beliefs about Gore on race that she has. She just seemed not to have recognized back then that Gore had evolved.

[mondo joe]

7. So you mean Gore USED to be a racist but might not be any more?

Jeez.

[ecstatic]

8. yes, people can and do change

She might have been reacting to past events. I must say that F911 scene left a very bad taste in my mouth as well.

[HamdenRice]

9. I really can't know what was in Gore's heart in the 1980s, but

he endorsed a very ugly mayoral campaign. I don't think he is now, and at any rate, it's a peripheral issue to saving the republic.

[HamdenRice]

12. One more thing -- Gore may have been bitter, rather than prejudice

If I remember, Gore ran against Jesse Jackson in the 1988 New York Democratic primary (remember when Jackson was becoming a viable electoral politician?) I think Koch endorsed Gore in the primary. Although I believe Dukakis won New York, Jackson beat out Gore and Dukakis in New York City, which left Gore kind of bitter about New York's African American community. That's why I think he came to New York to campaign for Koch -- kind of returning the favor to Koch, but it backfired and gave Gore a bad rep in New York.

[KittyWampus]

13. Koch wasn't crazy back then & a fairly decent mayor. Dinkins sucked so bad

it was pathetic.

[HamdenRice]

16. You drank the cool aid, didn't you?

The Koch administration was utterly corrupt and incompetent in its last years. Remember when the borough president of Queens, Donald Manes committed suicide by plunging a kitchen knife in his own heart in front of his family, in the PVB scandal that went all the way up into city hall? Do you call that kind of administration "decent"?

Dinkins got a lot of bad press, but as someone who lives in New York and lived in Brooklyn then, I can tell you (and statistics bear this out) that crime began to drop during Dinkins' administration, although megalomaniac Guiliani was willing to take credit for it.

That whole "Dinkins was awful" mantra was just a continuation of the awful "black peril" campaigns of Koch and Giuliani, which Gore, to his discredit, bought into.

[mondo joe]

17. Right - and Gore was a racist because he didn't side w Dinkins.

There coudn't be any other reasons.

:eyes:

[HamdenRice]

19. I said people thought he was a racist because he campaigned

in an ugly, racist campaign. If you march with racists, people calling Dinkins a "schwartzer who should be a washroom attendant" -- yes that was a big Koch supporter talking point -- people will think you are a racist. Gore actively supported this campaign. It's a reasonable conclusion.

[mondo joe]

22. By that standard, McKinney is a big anti semite. Thanks.

[tammywammy]

23. There was a mention of the drop in crime due to Dinkins

in the book Freakonomics. They stated that the drop in crime (across the nation) had various reasons, but in NY Dinkins had hired a lot of new police officers in his push to have their vote in his re-election. Guliani and his police chief (I forget the name, but was only on the job about 18 months), had less to do with the crime drop than what they're given credit for.

[HamdenRice]

29. I remember the day crime dropped

It was during the Dinkins administration, and after a big fight with the police union, Dinkins police chief, who I believe was Ray Kelly, presently Bloomberg's police chief, basically said, the cops have to get out of their cars and walk the beat again. The police stopped just responding to calls and began the preventive policing revolution.

That day, there were cops walking along Kingston Avenue the main commercial strip where I lived. Crime changed literally over night.

That was derided as "community policing" by the coolaid drinkers, but it works.

[Adelante]

30. Exactly right

"Safe Streets, Safe City" was the name of the program and it worked. I remember, as well, a marked rise in civility practically overnight. It was pretty amazing.

[tammywammy]

32. to WesDem and HamdenRice

I don't live the in NY area (as you can see by my profile), and I had only heard of Guliani as the city cleaner-upper.

I highly recommend the book too. It's a very interesting read.

[HamdenRice]

37. Sorry Tammy, what book?

You recommended a book about the city, but don't mention it's title.

[HamdenRice]

38. Never mind ! You mean freakanomics nt

[Adelante]

28. I disagree, CS

David Dinkins made one mistake, and it was a doozy, In Crown Heights, when he let events rage out of control. But he was otherwise a terrific mayor. I still love David Dinkins to this day. A true gentleman.

[mdmc]

31. thanks for the post

I didn't know that about Koch and Gore.

I too am pro Gore. I voted for Nader in 1996 and 2000. I will campaign for Gore in 2008, most likely

[Teresa4ChrisCarney]

34. Dinkins was a horrible Mayor`

and that has nothing to do with his race. Gore's support of Koch came before Koch became such a dino. Gore probably supported Koch because he was the candidate they thought could win at the time. That may not be a really good reason to support someone, but it doesn't make Gore a racist.

[HamdenRice]

36. Just curious -- did you live in NYC?

It's amazing that Dinkins has such a bad reputation, especially among people who don't live in New York City. I notice you are from Penn. Did you first hand experience life in the city during the Dinkins administration?

[Adelante]

42. Not true about Dinkins

And welcome to DU! :hi:

[mdmc]

46. I thought that he was a great mayor

for better then that rat worm rudy gulliani... better, although not richer, then Bloomie.

Welcome to DU... Hope..you...enjoy...it here... :shrug:

[politicasista]

61. Really?

I am a Gore fan as well, but I feel we should not ignore pre-2002 Gore.

While people change, I was mad that he didn't let the CBC challenge the Florida election, but I still like him.

It is no excuse to ignore his past public service. It's also unfair and insulting to him to jump on the bandwagon just cause he says what you want to hear by being "angry" (as the media says) and speaking out against the administration and nothing else.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. She mentioned him on Bill Maher

She said he is now saying the same thing about 9/11 that she got into trouble for saying in 2001.

[rman]

18. It is clear that McKinney did not in fact say "Al Gore is a racist"

I think the statement that McKinney made about Gore is factual.
At worst McKinney has suggested that Gore had mild racist tendencies, for which she had some probable cause.

Which won't stop the RW from using it to try and create devision within Democratic ranks.

[mondo joe]

25. So he's just a little bit racist?

Now we can not only read the hearts and minds of others, but we can do it so well we can measure in degrees.

Nice!

[rman]

35. this was not a matter of "reading the hearts and minds of others"

"Al Gore's Negro tolerance level has never been too high. I've never known him to have more than one black person around him at any given time." - McKinney (wiki)

I have no reason to think that statement is not in accordance with reality. If it is factual then McKinney's statement was not based on speculation or on mind reading, but rather was based on fact.

[mondo joe]

39. Then you ignored the fact that McKinney attributes this to his tolerance

level.

Nice.

[dsc]

49. he had two black college roommates

something she could have Oh I don't know asked him.

[Hutzpa]

57. I guess thats all fine and dandy then....

oh I had a white male sharing a house with me, but can I show you my white girlfriend?


:shrug:

[dsc]

58. She claimed

and I quote "Gore has a negro tolerence problem he can't be around more than one at a time". He had two, which is greater than one, college roommate who was black at the same time. That makes her statement false.

[NYCGirl]

26. So the statement "low Negro tolerance" is not racist — on what planet? NT

[MrBenchley]

60. "low Negro tolerance" is not racist..and

traipsing around the campaign trail with Louis Farrakhan doesn't betoken antiSemitism, and she never punched the cop she apologized for punching...the relentless honesty of Cynthia McKinney fans has been on full display this week, all righty (snicker).....

[SeveneightyWhoa]

67. So it's CLEAR that he "did not in fact say" that Gore was a racist.

Just that "Gore had mild racist tendencies".

Oh, okay. Totally different. :eyes:

[Freddie Stubbs]

73. No, she said that he had a "Low negro tolerence level" and

that she'd "never known him to have more than one black person around him at any given time."

She said this in 2000. Does anyone remember who Al Gore's campaign manager was in 2000?

Perhaps Ms. McKinney isn't a racist. Some people just do and say a lot of stupid things.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

47. Yup. She's a flake

nt

[Catrina]

75. That's insightful ~ I happen to think she's extremely bright and was

dead right about much of what we now know to be true, long before the cowards in the press and Congress had the guts to say anything about it.

Do you disagree with her on, eg, the Iraq war?

Should she have gone easier on Rumsfeld, maybe?

Was she right or wrong to help the 9/11 families force this administration to hold hearings on 9/11?

Do you think that people employed by the government to ensure the safety of members of Congress should be expected to be competent, or are content with the hiring of mediocre at best, individuals?

I have been referred to as a flake at times, I usually consider the source however. To some, all women are flakes, and especially if they happen to be black.

[oblivious]

66. Here's a right wing article listing all that is wrong with Cynthia.

One of those damn conspiracy theorists that doesn't believe everything the government says. Dangerous to have such people in power. They have the potential to ruin everything for the elite. So better ruin them first.

Cynthia McKinney (D-Conspiracy)
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/005/079tehyf.asp

[SeveneightyWhoa]

68. Wouldn't it be nice if..

..these people that don't "believe everything the government says" weren't, at least in this case, borderline batshit insane?

[oblivious]

69. Why do you say Ms McKinney is "borderline, batshit insane"?

Evidence appreciated.

[progressivebydesign]

70. I forgot about that. I have disliked her ever since, now I remember why NT