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Cynthia meet Barry, two peas in a pod...
Cynthia why have you gone there
- Thread starter THE KOD
- Start date
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Cynthia meet Barry, two peas in a pod...
Rick Badie / My Opinion
McKinney?s actions a reflection on her, not the entire race
By RICK BADIE | Thursday, April 13, 2006, 06:20 AM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My sister called the other day. And like most chats with my siblings, the conversation segued into current events.
We worked our way through Katie Couric?s network leap, dissected the Iraq War and landed on the McKinney Incident. You know the story.
On March 29, Rep. Cynthia McKinney had a run-in with a U.S. Capitol police officer who stopped her as she skirted a security checkpoint. He didn?t recognize the six-term congresswoman. She supposedly hit the white officer with a cellphone.
First, she charged racism and alleged racial profiling. Then, with support razor thin, she apologized.
My sister, Joyce, didn?t take a swipe at McKinney like former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) did. And she didn?t call her a ?ghetto slut? like Neal Boortz, the Atlanta radio talk show host, did on his show. Mr. Boortz disliked the fact McKinney traded in her ?classy? cornrow braids for what?s being called an afro. The talk master took responsibility and rightly apologized for his remarks.
My sister has taken the Mc-Kinney confrontation seriously and personally. She looked beyond politics and partisanship. She looked internally.
?She?s an embarrassment to the black race,? she told me.
It sounded like something my late parents would say. They always told us to never embarrass the family or the race. Carry yourself with respect and dignity, they?d preach, even when you know you?re being spit on. It stuck with all 11 of us ? to a degree.
Now, I?m grown. Got my own kids to raise. And a perspective that veers from the wisdom of Mom and Dad when it comes to the burden of shame.
The way I see it, what other people do or don?t do has no bearing whatsoever on me. McKinney is her own person. She makes her own choices. Just like me. She can play the role of conspiracy theorist or yell racism on the Capitol steps. And when she or anyone else black does it, right or wrong, it?s no reflection on me.
No more than Timothy McVeigh or DeLay represent all of white America. I?ve yet to hear a white person utter embarrassment or shame for any miscreant. The action may be condemned, but not the whole race.For them, the association with race and skin color doesn?t run that deep.
And it shouldn?t for me. Or my sister.
It?s taken me years to get to this point. Now, when I see stories like this McKinney mess, I view it totally differently. I don?t condone the action. Nor do I equate it to me. It?s one controversial act. Committed by one person. Not an entire group.
Joyce is fiercely proud and independent. She spent 20 years in the Air Force, got out and earned a bachelor?s degree. Now she works for the Veterans Administration in the Midwest.
When we talked on the phone, I told her why she shouldn?t harbor embarrassment because of McKinney, that she doesn?t represent the flock.
She listened. Seemed to understand.
Sometimes a little brother does know best.
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McKinney?s actions a reflection on her, not the entire race
By RICK BADIE | Thursday, April 13, 2006, 06:20 AM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My sister called the other day. And like most chats with my siblings, the conversation segued into current events.
We worked our way through Katie Couric?s network leap, dissected the Iraq War and landed on the McKinney Incident. You know the story.
On March 29, Rep. Cynthia McKinney had a run-in with a U.S. Capitol police officer who stopped her as she skirted a security checkpoint. He didn?t recognize the six-term congresswoman. She supposedly hit the white officer with a cellphone.
First, she charged racism and alleged racial profiling. Then, with support razor thin, she apologized.
My sister, Joyce, didn?t take a swipe at McKinney like former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) did. And she didn?t call her a ?ghetto slut? like Neal Boortz, the Atlanta radio talk show host, did on his show. Mr. Boortz disliked the fact McKinney traded in her ?classy? cornrow braids for what?s being called an afro. The talk master took responsibility and rightly apologized for his remarks.
My sister has taken the Mc-Kinney confrontation seriously and personally. She looked beyond politics and partisanship. She looked internally.
?She?s an embarrassment to the black race,? she told me.
It sounded like something my late parents would say. They always told us to never embarrass the family or the race. Carry yourself with respect and dignity, they?d preach, even when you know you?re being spit on. It stuck with all 11 of us ? to a degree.
Now, I?m grown. Got my own kids to raise. And a perspective that veers from the wisdom of Mom and Dad when it comes to the burden of shame.
The way I see it, what other people do or don?t do has no bearing whatsoever on me. McKinney is her own person. She makes her own choices. Just like me. She can play the role of conspiracy theorist or yell racism on the Capitol steps. And when she or anyone else black does it, right or wrong, it?s no reflection on me.
No more than Timothy McVeigh or DeLay represent all of white America. I?ve yet to hear a white person utter embarrassment or shame for any miscreant. The action may be condemned, but not the whole race.For them, the association with race and skin color doesn?t run that deep.
And it shouldn?t for me. Or my sister.
It?s taken me years to get to this point. Now, when I see stories like this McKinney mess, I view it totally differently. I don?t condone the action. Nor do I equate it to me. It?s one controversial act. Committed by one person. Not an entire group.
Joyce is fiercely proud and independent. She spent 20 years in the Air Force, got out and earned a bachelor?s degree. Now she works for the Veterans Administration in the Midwest.
When we talked on the phone, I told her why she shouldn?t harbor embarrassment because of McKinney, that she doesn?t represent the flock.
She listened. Seemed to understand.
Sometimes a little brother does know best.
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Transcript of McKinney comments
Published on: 04/23/06
This is the partial transcript of a question and answer session held Saturday in Chamblee with Congresswoman Cynthia Mckinney. She regularly holds such sessions in her district. This session was taped by CBS 46 news. .
? Question: has anyone asked you about your confrontation with the Capitol police officer?
Answer: Actually you, media, are the only ones who are asking about that.
? Question: I'm sure you thought about this ? potentially someone might ask you about this, outside of the media, about the confrontation ? what would your response be, how do you explain it to the people of DeKalb County?
Answer: Well, actually no one has asked me other than you and so... I talk to my constituents about the things that are on their minds...
? Question: Do you think the incident will affect your chances for re-election?
Answer: You're talking about the incident I'm talking about issues.
? Question: You want to talk about issues, has the confrontation made it harder for you to focus on the issues? Has it been a distraction?
Answer: You're a distraction because that seems to be all you want to talk about ? but people here understand that my representation is much larger than any discreet incident
OFF CAMERA, WITH MIKE STILL ON:
? "This is crap ? they lied to Coz and Coz is a fool for believin' 'em. [Referring to aide Coz Carson]
? Anything that is captured by your audio while I'm not seated in this chair is off the record and is not permissible to use ? is that understood?
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Yes Queen McKinney - off the record when your standing. thats understood
Hard to believe that she really thinks that reporters want to interview her for any other reason. Maybe her public record is what reporters want to hear about.
Published on: 04/23/06
This is the partial transcript of a question and answer session held Saturday in Chamblee with Congresswoman Cynthia Mckinney. She regularly holds such sessions in her district. This session was taped by CBS 46 news. .
? Question: has anyone asked you about your confrontation with the Capitol police officer?
Answer: Actually you, media, are the only ones who are asking about that.
? Question: I'm sure you thought about this ? potentially someone might ask you about this, outside of the media, about the confrontation ? what would your response be, how do you explain it to the people of DeKalb County?
Answer: Well, actually no one has asked me other than you and so... I talk to my constituents about the things that are on their minds...
? Question: Do you think the incident will affect your chances for re-election?
Answer: You're talking about the incident I'm talking about issues.
? Question: You want to talk about issues, has the confrontation made it harder for you to focus on the issues? Has it been a distraction?
Answer: You're a distraction because that seems to be all you want to talk about ? but people here understand that my representation is much larger than any discreet incident
OFF CAMERA, WITH MIKE STILL ON:
? "This is crap ? they lied to Coz and Coz is a fool for believin' 'em. [Referring to aide Coz Carson]
? Anything that is captured by your audio while I'm not seated in this chair is off the record and is not permissible to use ? is that understood?
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Yes Queen McKinney - off the record when your standing. thats understood
Hard to believe that she really thinks that reporters want to interview her for any other reason. Maybe her public record is what reporters want to hear about.
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Capitol abuzz as elections qualifying begins
McKinney comes out swinging against Bush administration
By NANCY BADERTSCHER and JIM THARPE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/24/06
While the rest of state government was closed for Confederate Memorial Day, the Capitol was buzzing today as controversial U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney, Gov. Sonny Perdue and dozens of other candidates qualified to run in this year's federal elections.
McKinney, a Democrat, came out swinging against the Bush Administration, reiterating her criticisms of the President on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and Iraq War.
"Now we're talking about a nuclear strike on [Iran]," she told reporters. "This is something the American people can't even imagine. In the midst of one failed war, we're talking about starting another war."
Her father, former state Rep. Billy McKinney, said the campaign is about to "whup some Republicans."
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You know the media hates your guts when they print something like this right during a grand jury deliberation accusing Cynthia of
swinging at a cop with her fists.
Man they are ruthless.
McKinney comes out swinging against Bush administration
By NANCY BADERTSCHER and JIM THARPE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/24/06
While the rest of state government was closed for Confederate Memorial Day, the Capitol was buzzing today as controversial U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney, Gov. Sonny Perdue and dozens of other candidates qualified to run in this year's federal elections.
McKinney, a Democrat, came out swinging against the Bush Administration, reiterating her criticisms of the President on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and Iraq War.
"Now we're talking about a nuclear strike on [Iran]," she told reporters. "This is something the American people can't even imagine. In the midst of one failed war, we're talking about starting another war."
Her father, former state Rep. Billy McKinney, said the campaign is about to "whup some Republicans."
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You know the media hates your guts when they print something like this right during a grand jury deliberation accusing Cynthia of
swinging at a cop with her fists.
Man they are ruthless.
McKinney signs bill praising Capitol police
By BOB KEMPER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/17/06
Rep. Cynthia McKinney, who faces possible charges of assaulting a Capitol police officer on March 29, this week signed on as a co-sponsor of a House resolution praising the work of the Capitol police.
McKinney, of DeKalb County, officially became a co-sponsor of a bill intended to "express the gratitude and appreciation" of the House for the department's "professionalism and dedication."
There are 40 other co-sponsors, though those lawmakers signed on in early April when the resolution was first introduced as a way of chastising McKinney for claiming that the confrontation with the police officer was racially motivated.
Under pressure from fellow Democrats and other black lawmakers, McKinney apologized for the incident April 6 and pledged at that time to back the resolution praising the police.
McKinney's spokesman could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
The grand jury weighing whether to indict McKinney on assault charges finished its sixth week of secret deliberations Wednesday without a decision. The jury can charge McKinney with a felony, a misdemeanor or simply decline to charge her.
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The Grand Jury finished six weeks of secret deliberations ?
How the hell long does it take to decide on something so simple. Would someone thrown in a patrol car for the same offense, get the same justice ?
Something is just not right about how Grand Jurys sit.
By BOB KEMPER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/17/06
Rep. Cynthia McKinney, who faces possible charges of assaulting a Capitol police officer on March 29, this week signed on as a co-sponsor of a House resolution praising the work of the Capitol police.
McKinney, of DeKalb County, officially became a co-sponsor of a bill intended to "express the gratitude and appreciation" of the House for the department's "professionalism and dedication."
There are 40 other co-sponsors, though those lawmakers signed on in early April when the resolution was first introduced as a way of chastising McKinney for claiming that the confrontation with the police officer was racially motivated.
Under pressure from fellow Democrats and other black lawmakers, McKinney apologized for the incident April 6 and pledged at that time to back the resolution praising the police.
McKinney's spokesman could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
The grand jury weighing whether to indict McKinney on assault charges finished its sixth week of secret deliberations Wednesday without a decision. The jury can charge McKinney with a felony, a misdemeanor or simply decline to charge her.
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The Grand Jury finished six weeks of secret deliberations ?
How the hell long does it take to decide on something so simple. Would someone thrown in a patrol car for the same offense, get the same justice ?
Something is just not right about how Grand Jurys sit.
McKinney probe enters 3rd month
Police unions criticize U.S. attorney
By BOB KEMPER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/05/06
Washington ? The grand jury investigation of 4th District Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney enters its third month today with no hint from the federal prosecutor about how much longer it will take to settle a case that legal experts said should have been wrapped up in a matter of days.
McKinney was accused of striking a Capitol Hill police officer March 29, and the case was referred to the grand jury April 5. The drawn-out process of deciding whether she should be charged with assault has police fuming that the DeKalb County Democrat is getting preferential treatment from a politically motivated prosecutor.
"Right from the start this U.S. attorney has handled this case differently from every other case," said Chuck Canterbury, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police. "And it's because she is a sitting congresswoman."
McKinney's office and the office of U.S. Attorney Ken Wainstein declined to comment.
The case comes at a time of heightened tensions in Washington. A series of arrests, indictments and criminal investigations involving at least five members of Congress have fueled disputes between Capitol police and Congress and between Capitol Hill and the Justice Department.
Republicans and Democrats alike furiously denounced a recent FBI raid on the office of Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) as a violation of the constitutional separation of powers.
And Capitol police, already angry over McKinney's case, bristled when superiors ordered them last month to drive Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) home rather than investigate the possibility that he'd been drinking after he crashed his car into a barricade near the Capitol. Kennedy later blamed the incident on prescription drugs he'd been taking and checked into a rehabilitation facility.
What most angers the police about the McKinney case is that it involves an assault ? no matter how minor ? of a police officer. Police reported that McKinney hit an officer in the chest after he failed to recognize her as a member of Congress and tried to stop her from going around a security checkpoint, something members of Congress and their aides are typically allowed to do.
"It's obviously frustrating for us," said Andy Maybo, head of the Capitol Hill police union. "This sends out the message that it's OK to hit a police officer ? and it's not, regardless of who you are."
In legal terms, McKinney's case "is as simple as you can get," said George Washington University legal expert Jonathan Turley. Usually anyone who hits a police officer is immediately arrested on felony charges, police and legal experts said.
In political terms, however, Mc-Kinney's case is far from simple. "It is loaded with emotion, and I think the U.S. attorney is being very, very conservative in how they approach this."
Given the political sensitivity ? made all the more delicate by Mc-Kinney's early accusations that she was the victim of racial profiling ? legal experts said it's understandable that no decision has been made.
"That would be unusual for a run-of-the-mill case, but this isn't a run-of-the-mill case," said Frank Carter, former head of the public defender service in Washington whose clients included White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
He said many cases like McKinney's never reach a grand jury because they're settled quietly and privately, avoiding a public spectacle. "This ... begged for that," he said.
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Three months to make a decision to charge her with assault?
Three months ?
No wonder our goverment can't get anything done. They just sit on their hands sweating.
Police unions criticize U.S. attorney
By BOB KEMPER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/05/06
Washington ? The grand jury investigation of 4th District Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney enters its third month today with no hint from the federal prosecutor about how much longer it will take to settle a case that legal experts said should have been wrapped up in a matter of days.
McKinney was accused of striking a Capitol Hill police officer March 29, and the case was referred to the grand jury April 5. The drawn-out process of deciding whether she should be charged with assault has police fuming that the DeKalb County Democrat is getting preferential treatment from a politically motivated prosecutor.
"Right from the start this U.S. attorney has handled this case differently from every other case," said Chuck Canterbury, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police. "And it's because she is a sitting congresswoman."
McKinney's office and the office of U.S. Attorney Ken Wainstein declined to comment.
The case comes at a time of heightened tensions in Washington. A series of arrests, indictments and criminal investigations involving at least five members of Congress have fueled disputes between Capitol police and Congress and between Capitol Hill and the Justice Department.
Republicans and Democrats alike furiously denounced a recent FBI raid on the office of Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) as a violation of the constitutional separation of powers.
And Capitol police, already angry over McKinney's case, bristled when superiors ordered them last month to drive Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) home rather than investigate the possibility that he'd been drinking after he crashed his car into a barricade near the Capitol. Kennedy later blamed the incident on prescription drugs he'd been taking and checked into a rehabilitation facility.
What most angers the police about the McKinney case is that it involves an assault ? no matter how minor ? of a police officer. Police reported that McKinney hit an officer in the chest after he failed to recognize her as a member of Congress and tried to stop her from going around a security checkpoint, something members of Congress and their aides are typically allowed to do.
"It's obviously frustrating for us," said Andy Maybo, head of the Capitol Hill police union. "This sends out the message that it's OK to hit a police officer ? and it's not, regardless of who you are."
In legal terms, McKinney's case "is as simple as you can get," said George Washington University legal expert Jonathan Turley. Usually anyone who hits a police officer is immediately arrested on felony charges, police and legal experts said.
In political terms, however, Mc-Kinney's case is far from simple. "It is loaded with emotion, and I think the U.S. attorney is being very, very conservative in how they approach this."
Given the political sensitivity ? made all the more delicate by Mc-Kinney's early accusations that she was the victim of racial profiling ? legal experts said it's understandable that no decision has been made.
"That would be unusual for a run-of-the-mill case, but this isn't a run-of-the-mill case," said Frank Carter, former head of the public defender service in Washington whose clients included White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
He said many cases like McKinney's never reach a grand jury because they're settled quietly and privately, avoiding a public spectacle. "This ... begged for that," he said.
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Three months to make a decision to charge her with assault?
Three months ?
No wonder our goverment can't get anything done. They just sit on their hands sweating.
the u.s. attorney seems to be afraid of taking any position on this case.....there must be a disease going around wash.where people are afraid of doing the right thing.
McKinney deal may be in works
Lawyer rejects talk of any negotiations
By BOB KEMPER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/07/06
WASHINGTON ? Federal prosecutors investigating the confrontation between Rep. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia and a Capitol police officer have been talking privately with McKinney's office in hopes of resolving the case without the spectacle of an indictment and trial, officials familiar with the talks say.
Prosecutors for several weeks have been carrying on confidential discussions with the DeKalb County Democrat in what they characterized as an effort to reach a plea agreement, even as they were presenting evidence in the March 29 incident to a grand jury, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The grand jury has not yet decided whether McKinney should be charged, an official familiar with the proceedings said, and no decision is expected this week. The prosecutors have subpoenaed at least six witnesses to appear before the jury over the last two months.
McKinney's office rejected claims that there have been discussions of a plea agreement, saying the congresswoman has not been charged with anything and may never be, so there's no plea to negotiate.
"At this time, I have no comment as I am unaware of any 'legal case' regarding Ms. McKinney and [the] March 29 incident," William Moffitt, one of McKinney's lawyers, said in an e-mailed statement.
A spokesman for U.S. Attorney Ken Wainstein's office and a Justice Department spokesman declined to comment on the talks or even confirm they were occurring.
Negotiated settlements in cases as controversial and politically sensitive as McKinney's are common, according to former federal prosecutors and lawyers with experience in Washington's Superior Court. They said there is often pressure on the prosecutors from higher-ups at the Justice Department and possibly the White House to resolve such cases quickly and quietly.
The Justice Department declined to comment on McKinney's case. A White House spokesman said he had no information on whether McKinney's case had been discussed in the West Wing.
Capitol Hill police said they were dismayed that the investigation into McKinney's confrontation with the police officer is taking so long to resolve. They said failure to charge McKinney would send the message that it is all right to hit a police officer.
The incident occurred as McKinney was entering a House office building and started to skirt a security checkpoint, as members of Congress and their aides are allowed to do. When a police officer who did not recognize McKinney tried to stop her McKinney, struck him in the chest with her fist, according to the police report.
McKinney was not wearing a special lapel pin that would have identified her as a congresswoman, but House members are not required to wear the pins. She also had changed her hairstyle since posing for her official House photo, which guards can consult to confirm her identity.
McKinney and her lawyers said she was acting in self-defense after the officer touched her inappropriately. After the incident, McKinney held a news conference in which she said she was the victim of racial profiling by Capitol police, stopped only because she was a "female, black congresswoman."
Under pressure from fellow Democrats and black lawmakers, McKinney eventually apologized for the incident on the House floor.
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Lawyer rejects talk of any negotiations
By BOB KEMPER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/07/06
WASHINGTON ? Federal prosecutors investigating the confrontation between Rep. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia and a Capitol police officer have been talking privately with McKinney's office in hopes of resolving the case without the spectacle of an indictment and trial, officials familiar with the talks say.
Prosecutors for several weeks have been carrying on confidential discussions with the DeKalb County Democrat in what they characterized as an effort to reach a plea agreement, even as they were presenting evidence in the March 29 incident to a grand jury, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The grand jury has not yet decided whether McKinney should be charged, an official familiar with the proceedings said, and no decision is expected this week. The prosecutors have subpoenaed at least six witnesses to appear before the jury over the last two months.
McKinney's office rejected claims that there have been discussions of a plea agreement, saying the congresswoman has not been charged with anything and may never be, so there's no plea to negotiate.
"At this time, I have no comment as I am unaware of any 'legal case' regarding Ms. McKinney and [the] March 29 incident," William Moffitt, one of McKinney's lawyers, said in an e-mailed statement.
A spokesman for U.S. Attorney Ken Wainstein's office and a Justice Department spokesman declined to comment on the talks or even confirm they were occurring.
Negotiated settlements in cases as controversial and politically sensitive as McKinney's are common, according to former federal prosecutors and lawyers with experience in Washington's Superior Court. They said there is often pressure on the prosecutors from higher-ups at the Justice Department and possibly the White House to resolve such cases quickly and quietly.
The Justice Department declined to comment on McKinney's case. A White House spokesman said he had no information on whether McKinney's case had been discussed in the West Wing.
Capitol Hill police said they were dismayed that the investigation into McKinney's confrontation with the police officer is taking so long to resolve. They said failure to charge McKinney would send the message that it is all right to hit a police officer.
The incident occurred as McKinney was entering a House office building and started to skirt a security checkpoint, as members of Congress and their aides are allowed to do. When a police officer who did not recognize McKinney tried to stop her McKinney, struck him in the chest with her fist, according to the police report.
McKinney was not wearing a special lapel pin that would have identified her as a congresswoman, but House members are not required to wear the pins. She also had changed her hairstyle since posing for her official House photo, which guards can consult to confirm her identity.
McKinney and her lawyers said she was acting in self-defense after the officer touched her inappropriately. After the incident, McKinney held a news conference in which she said she was the victim of racial profiling by Capitol police, stopped only because she was a "female, black congresswoman."
Under pressure from fellow Democrats and black lawmakers, McKinney eventually apologized for the incident on the House floor.
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Grand jury refuses to indict McKinney
By BOB KEMPER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/16/06
WASHINGTON ? A grand jury has declined to indict Rep. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia for allegedly striking a Capitol police officer in March, the federal prosecutor announced Friday.
The decision ends a case against the DeKalb County Democrat that has been rife with political and racial tensions.
"It is right, just and appropriate," McKinney's attorney, William Moffitt, said of the decision, which he learned about from reporters. "I'm ecstatic."
McKinney, arriving Friday night for the Boost Mobile Rock Corps concert at Atlanta's Fox Theatre, entered without responding to reporters's questions.
The decision comes more than two months after the Washington Superior Court grand jury was first given the case. U.S. Attorney Ken Wainstein called the investigation by his office and Capitol police "extensive and thorough."
"We respect the decision of the grand jury in this difficult matter," Wainstein said in a statement.
There was no immediate indication why the grand jury rejected the prosecutor's case. Wainstein said the Department of Justice does not normally comment on the status of investigations, "but has the discretion to do so when there is overwhelming public interest in a case."
Because the grand jury proceedings themselves are secret, "there will be no further comment regarding this investigation," he added.
When Capitol police turned the investigation over to the prosecutor in early April, officers said they believed they had built a case for charging McKinney with assaulting a police officer, a felony.
The decision comes just weeks after legal authorities familiar with the case said the prosecutor was trying to strike a deal with McKinney that would have resolved the case without a grand jury decision.
Andy Maybo, president of the Capitol Hill police union, said the decision was a blow to officers' morale.
"This is extremely disappointing to us, both the decision of the grand jury and the duration of time the investigation took," Maybo said.
"She hit a police officer," he said. "This is sending the message to the public that it's OK to hit a police officer, and it's not. It's not OK for anyone anywhere in this country."
The police union plans to hold a news conference Monday in Washington to discuss the decision in greater detail.
The police officer involved in the confrontation with McKinney, Paul McKenna, was not available for comment. Wainstein had called McKenna to his office to discuss the decision before making it public Friday, an official familiar with the case said.
In his statement, Wainstein said, "We ask the U.S. Capitol Police to protect our Capitol and to do so in a way that minimizes disruption and makes all feel welcome. This is a tremendously difficult job, and it is one that Officer McKenna and his colleagues perform with the utmost professionalism and dignity."
Former state Rep. Billy McKinney was at his daughter's re-election campaign headquarters in south DeKalb County when the news broke late Friday.
"Everybody was jumping around screaming and going on," he said. "The cloud has been lifted, and we don't have to worry about that anymore. All we have to worry about now is winning the election."
Cynthia McKinney faces two Democratic challengers ? DeKalb County Commissioner Hank Johnson and Alpharetta businessman John F. Coyne III ? in a July 18 primary.
Billy McKinney, who was a police officer for 21 years before retiring, said a grand jury indictment would have been a serious blow.
"One of our campaigners spoke to a man who said, 'I'm going to vote for her, but she ought not to have hit the police,' " he said.
The confrontation between McKinney and McKenna occurred March 29 as McKinney entered the Longworth House Office Building on her way to a House Budget Committee meeting.
McKinney started to go around a security checkpoint at the door, as members of Congress are allowed to do. But McKenna did not recognize McKinney as a member of Congress ? she was not wearing her congressional ID pin and had changed her hairstyle ? and tried repeatedly to stop her.
The congresswoman spun around and struck McKenna in the chest with her fist, a police report stated.
Shortly after the incident, when it appeared police were investigating the possibility of charging McKinney, the congresswoman called a news conference and declared that McKenna, who is white, had touched her inappropriately and tried to stop her only because she was a "female, black congresswoman."
Other African-Americans on Capitol Hill have said they were victims of racial profiling, being stopped and asked for identification while their white counterparts were waved through security. But the Congressional Black Caucus did not back McKinney's claim.
Black lawmakers and fellow Democrats instead told McKinney in a private meeting that she should apologize. Two days after the grand jury was given the case, McKinney appeared on the House floor.
"There should not have been any physical contact in this incident," she said. "I am sorry this misunderstanding happened at all, and I regret its escalation and I apologize."
Critics assert that the statement did not amount to an apology because it wasn't clear what exactly McKinney was sorry for ? hitting the officer or the public escalation of the incident.
Moffitt, McKinney's lawyer, noted that the March incident was only the most recent of a series of encounters between McKinney and Capitol police in which police failed to recognize her.
"Over the course of several incidents, an apology [to McKinney] would be appropriate," Moffitt said. But, he added, "Let's hope it's over now."
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How do you slam a cop in the chest and get away with it ?
I suspect that the lawyer that told her to claim racial profiling is what got her out of this. They would have had to show how many blacks were stopped as opposed to all races etc etc. It would have been a nightmare to prove in court.
Once again......... If it dont fit you must aquit comes into play.
By BOB KEMPER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/16/06
WASHINGTON ? A grand jury has declined to indict Rep. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia for allegedly striking a Capitol police officer in March, the federal prosecutor announced Friday.
The decision ends a case against the DeKalb County Democrat that has been rife with political and racial tensions.
"It is right, just and appropriate," McKinney's attorney, William Moffitt, said of the decision, which he learned about from reporters. "I'm ecstatic."
McKinney, arriving Friday night for the Boost Mobile Rock Corps concert at Atlanta's Fox Theatre, entered without responding to reporters's questions.
The decision comes more than two months after the Washington Superior Court grand jury was first given the case. U.S. Attorney Ken Wainstein called the investigation by his office and Capitol police "extensive and thorough."
"We respect the decision of the grand jury in this difficult matter," Wainstein said in a statement.
There was no immediate indication why the grand jury rejected the prosecutor's case. Wainstein said the Department of Justice does not normally comment on the status of investigations, "but has the discretion to do so when there is overwhelming public interest in a case."
Because the grand jury proceedings themselves are secret, "there will be no further comment regarding this investigation," he added.
When Capitol police turned the investigation over to the prosecutor in early April, officers said they believed they had built a case for charging McKinney with assaulting a police officer, a felony.
The decision comes just weeks after legal authorities familiar with the case said the prosecutor was trying to strike a deal with McKinney that would have resolved the case without a grand jury decision.
Andy Maybo, president of the Capitol Hill police union, said the decision was a blow to officers' morale.
"This is extremely disappointing to us, both the decision of the grand jury and the duration of time the investigation took," Maybo said.
"She hit a police officer," he said. "This is sending the message to the public that it's OK to hit a police officer, and it's not. It's not OK for anyone anywhere in this country."
The police union plans to hold a news conference Monday in Washington to discuss the decision in greater detail.
The police officer involved in the confrontation with McKinney, Paul McKenna, was not available for comment. Wainstein had called McKenna to his office to discuss the decision before making it public Friday, an official familiar with the case said.
In his statement, Wainstein said, "We ask the U.S. Capitol Police to protect our Capitol and to do so in a way that minimizes disruption and makes all feel welcome. This is a tremendously difficult job, and it is one that Officer McKenna and his colleagues perform with the utmost professionalism and dignity."
Former state Rep. Billy McKinney was at his daughter's re-election campaign headquarters in south DeKalb County when the news broke late Friday.
"Everybody was jumping around screaming and going on," he said. "The cloud has been lifted, and we don't have to worry about that anymore. All we have to worry about now is winning the election."
Cynthia McKinney faces two Democratic challengers ? DeKalb County Commissioner Hank Johnson and Alpharetta businessman John F. Coyne III ? in a July 18 primary.
Billy McKinney, who was a police officer for 21 years before retiring, said a grand jury indictment would have been a serious blow.
"One of our campaigners spoke to a man who said, 'I'm going to vote for her, but she ought not to have hit the police,' " he said.
The confrontation between McKinney and McKenna occurred March 29 as McKinney entered the Longworth House Office Building on her way to a House Budget Committee meeting.
McKinney started to go around a security checkpoint at the door, as members of Congress are allowed to do. But McKenna did not recognize McKinney as a member of Congress ? she was not wearing her congressional ID pin and had changed her hairstyle ? and tried repeatedly to stop her.
The congresswoman spun around and struck McKenna in the chest with her fist, a police report stated.
Shortly after the incident, when it appeared police were investigating the possibility of charging McKinney, the congresswoman called a news conference and declared that McKenna, who is white, had touched her inappropriately and tried to stop her only because she was a "female, black congresswoman."
Other African-Americans on Capitol Hill have said they were victims of racial profiling, being stopped and asked for identification while their white counterparts were waved through security. But the Congressional Black Caucus did not back McKinney's claim.
Black lawmakers and fellow Democrats instead told McKinney in a private meeting that she should apologize. Two days after the grand jury was given the case, McKinney appeared on the House floor.
"There should not have been any physical contact in this incident," she said. "I am sorry this misunderstanding happened at all, and I regret its escalation and I apologize."
Critics assert that the statement did not amount to an apology because it wasn't clear what exactly McKinney was sorry for ? hitting the officer or the public escalation of the incident.
Moffitt, McKinney's lawyer, noted that the March incident was only the most recent of a series of encounters between McKinney and Capitol police in which police failed to recognize her.
"Over the course of several incidents, an apology [to McKinney] would be appropriate," Moffitt said. But, he added, "Let's hope it's over now."
....................................................................
How do you slam a cop in the chest and get away with it ?
I suspect that the lawyer that told her to claim racial profiling is what got her out of this. They would have had to show how many blacks were stopped as opposed to all races etc etc. It would have been a nightmare to prove in court.
Once again......... If it dont fit you must aquit comes into play.
q.)where did they come up with enough lunatics to form a grand jury of her peers? .....
:thinking:
ans.)marion barry`s washington d.c......
:idea:
oh :yup
""yes, she hit
so you must acquit!""
/the ghost of johnee cochran
:thinking:
ans.)marion barry`s washington d.c......
:idea:
oh :yup
""yes, she hit
so you must acquit!""
/the ghost of johnee cochran
Last edited:
Capitol police want House action against McKinney
By BOB DART
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/19/06
WASHINGTON ? Capitol police will ask the House ethics committee to consider action against Rep. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia for allegedly striking one of their officers in March, police union officials said Monday.
They expressed disappointment with Friday's announcement that a grand jury will not indict McKinney for the incident in which Officer Paul McKenna said she hit him after he stopped her for bypassing a metal detector at the entrance of a House office building.
"Although she was not indicted by the grand jury, we hope that members of Congress will review her actions in light of their own rules within the ethics committee," said Andrew Maybo, chairman of the Labor Committee of the U.S. Capitol Police.
"This is solely about what is right or wrong," said Lou Cannon, president of the D.C. Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police. "It is wrong to assault a law enforcement officer who is performing his duties. No matter what your status, occupation or other factors, everyone must obey the law."
Maybo said the police union will send a letter this week to the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct seeking a review of the incident.
If the situation were reversed and an officer was accused of striking a member of Congress, there would certainly be an administrative investigation and possible sanctions, he said.
"Congresswoman McKinney's assault of Officer McKenna was not only unprofessional for her position as a member of Congress, but we believe it puts out the wrong message across America ? that it's OK to strike a police officer," said Maybo.
He said McKinney has yet to apologize to Capitol police or to McKenna.
"She made a decision to go in front of the House of Representatives and make a statement that she regrets that this incident occurred," he said. "This is unacceptable to us."
.....................................................................
Its pretty funny to me that she got off of this scot free so to speak. Very few people in America ever strike a policeman and get away with it.
Next time a cop touchs me in the wrong manner I am going to turn , slam him/her in the chest and scream ..... Cynthia McKinney !!! Cynthia McKinney !!!!
Then when the shit hits the fan, I will apologize for it happening but not to the policeman who I crushed.
By BOB DART
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/19/06
WASHINGTON ? Capitol police will ask the House ethics committee to consider action against Rep. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia for allegedly striking one of their officers in March, police union officials said Monday.
They expressed disappointment with Friday's announcement that a grand jury will not indict McKinney for the incident in which Officer Paul McKenna said she hit him after he stopped her for bypassing a metal detector at the entrance of a House office building.
"Although she was not indicted by the grand jury, we hope that members of Congress will review her actions in light of their own rules within the ethics committee," said Andrew Maybo, chairman of the Labor Committee of the U.S. Capitol Police.
"This is solely about what is right or wrong," said Lou Cannon, president of the D.C. Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police. "It is wrong to assault a law enforcement officer who is performing his duties. No matter what your status, occupation or other factors, everyone must obey the law."
Maybo said the police union will send a letter this week to the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct seeking a review of the incident.
If the situation were reversed and an officer was accused of striking a member of Congress, there would certainly be an administrative investigation and possible sanctions, he said.
"Congresswoman McKinney's assault of Officer McKenna was not only unprofessional for her position as a member of Congress, but we believe it puts out the wrong message across America ? that it's OK to strike a police officer," said Maybo.
He said McKinney has yet to apologize to Capitol police or to McKenna.
"She made a decision to go in front of the House of Representatives and make a statement that she regrets that this incident occurred," he said. "This is unacceptable to us."
.....................................................................
Its pretty funny to me that she got off of this scot free so to speak. Very few people in America ever strike a policeman and get away with it.
Next time a cop touchs me in the wrong manner I am going to turn , slam him/her in the chest and scream ..... Cynthia McKinney !!! Cynthia McKinney !!!!
Then when the shit hits the fan, I will apologize for it happening but not to the policeman who I crushed.
