Lets me get this Globe story straight. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney , a progressive democrat, walks past a House office Building security guard without her identifying lapel pin and did not stop when asked. She was asked three times to stop. When she kept going , he (the security guard) put a hand on her and she hit him. Without getting into the other details she declared that she was the victim of inappropriate touching and her aides claim racial profiling. The U.S. attorney is considering an arrest warrant. Her aides claim that the publicity surrounding this episode is political and not criminal.
Please share widely!
Someone else on the conservative side of the world is showing how the democrats commit hari-kari.
When I worked at the Supreme Court, we didn’t wear any “identifying pins” or other such jewelry. Why? Because the Capitol Police (who also guard the Court) were given a facebook of all incoming staff, and part of their job was to recognize all of us on sight immediately. We could bypass the metal detectors because the cops knew who we were.
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Now, admittedly, there are a lot more people who work at the Capitol than who work at the Supreme Court. Still, it seems perfectly reasonable to me to expect the Capitol Police at least to be able to recognize Members of Congress on sight. I would wager that any Washington Post reporter worth his or her salt could spot a Rep or Senator at 100 yards, and it’s unclear to me why the cops shouldn’t be able to do the same.
A little-known yet outspoken Democratic rep gets into a he-said/she-said with an officer and it’s a sign that the Democratic party is a disaster.
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The former house majority leader of the Republican party, who is currently under indictment, steps down from Congress in disgrace and it’s no big deal.
and political correctness as a defense, rather than a denial or simply an apology. No question Delay is a bad apple, but basically he has folded his cards and resigned. I am not sure that many conservatives agree with you that it is also in disgrace. My concern with her is the obvious embarrassment by many democrats with her arrogance and self righteous Jesse Jackson style of never having to say your sorry and blaming it on race etc. She is insignificent in the scope of things but I was surprised to see the Globe cover the story in page 3.
I’m not sure what to make of this story.
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First, I’ve read that members of Congress walk in without their identifying lapel pin all the time. The guards generally recognize members of congress, though in this case McKinney supposedly had a new hairdo. Was her new hairdo enough to make her unrecognizable?
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Second, the version of the story you posted is, according to the Globe, from “several police sources”. It’s possible they’re just reciting the officer’s side of the story. McKinney said she couldn’t tell us details from her side of the story because of possible pending legal action.
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McKinney could have acted inappropriately, or maybe the officer did, or maybe they both did — I don’t know. I don’t think we have enough available details yet to make that call.
People expect more tack and dignity out of there members of congress then this. Even if the officer was wrong, which I don’t think he was, there was certainly a better way to handle it than this.
Sorry to be snarky, but I think that you mean tact.
Any time I see a negative story about Cynthia McKinney in particular, my reaction is to wait and see. Given the history of sleazy attempts to bring her down, and the media jumping all over what turned out to be false information, I have to give her the benefit of the doubt now, rather than rushing to judgement – even when “judgement” merely means “believing what the newspapers write”. To put it simply, when it comes to her, I don’t.
“I don’t think any of it justifies hitting a police officer,” said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California.
Due to a million commitments, I’ve been pretty quiet around here (and at my blog) lately, but I had the chance to check back in this morning and thought I’d throw my 2 cents in here, since for the 3 years prior to this I was an aide on the House side of the Hill.
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(1) Cynthia McKinney is 100% nuts. Dems were afraid when she ran for re-election (she was defeated once and then sought the seat vacated when another Georgia Dem ran for the Senate) and this is precisely why.
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(2) The Capitol police have a million things to worry about. In my 3 years in the House, we were evacuated 4 times for legit concerns and did at least 10 practice evacuations. Thousands of tourists, lobbyists, staffers and members pass in and out of the many major exists to the House Office Buildings. Officers try to learn the faces of all the members, but 435 is a lot and the Members Pins were made for JUST THIS REASON.
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(3) I’ve personally seen Members, white and black, senior and freshman be stopped. If I was a Capitol Police officer I’d operate under a certain golden rule, “better safe than sorry.” Thats all this officer did and he should be applauded for it.
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(4)Finally … McKinney was wrong. The Capitol police officer would have apologized profusely if she had simply taken out her ID and said, “sorry, I lost/forgot to wear my pin.” I hasten to guess she was on her cell phone/blackberry and it was probably very important, maybe coming up with an ammendment that will be ruled out of order or drawing up legislation that will never be heard of. C’mon Cynthia, get some perspective.
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and I am 100% with the post that said, “McKinney slaps a cop its a massive story, Delay steps down and it barely makes a headline.” Good job media. Keep up the work.
thanks Ben.