I was really going to just let this one go without comment since I do think it's become a way bigger story than it needs to be.

You can read the whole story here.. To summarize for you, Cynthia McKinney is a member of the House of Representatives and as such is allowed to bypass standard security checkpoints when entering Congressional office buildings....provided she is wearing her Congressional pin. Well, last Friday she was not wearing a pin and was stopped (rightly so, I think) by a Capitol Police Officer while attempting to bypass security. After being called out to, McKinney ignored the officer and continued on her way, at which time the officer grabbed her arm to take her aside and talk to her. Then apparently she hit the officer in the chest with a cell phone, maybe more than once.

So over the weekend McKinney said the officer knew who she was and had let her pass many times before, and was claiming she was stopped due to racial profiling. I really don't know how she could have expected anyone to automatically recognize her, what with the drastic new dew and all, but still...the point is...SHE WAS NOT WEARING HER CONGRESSIONAL PIN. From what I understand it's protocol to stop anyone bypassing security that does not have a pin. McKinney made no apologies.

But then....the incident was taken before a grand jury to determine if charges should be filed against her for assaulting a police officer (with her cell phone). And wonder of wonders....today McKinney made a public statement apologizing for the incident and in support of the Capitol Police. Hey, I saw it live.....if you saw the look on her face you would say (like I do) it was the most fake "sincere apology" I have ever seen. Clearly she thought she had to do this to defray bad press over playing the race card over the weekend - especially given that she got no support on that from anyone in her party.

Although McKinney does not claim this to be the case (racial profiling idea aside) I do think this comes down to a sense of entitlement and privilege that she (and I'm sure many others) feel is their due as they are elected officials in the House. It's the whole "do you know who I am?" mentality.

And then today I caught a segment on one of the news channels where a democratic operative was claiming that the police officer had not done what he should because it was "his job to recognize members of Congress on site" - completely brushing aside the fact that MCKINNEY DID NOT HAVE HER FRIGGIN' CONGRESSIONAL PIN ON!!! Which is part of why I"m writing this.

I just wish for once everyone on both sides would forget about the spin and look at the facts. The officer's required to stop anyone that's not wearing a pin, with force if necessary. I think he was rather gentle with McKinney considering the circumstances. Her whole "he had no right to touch me" reasoning for striking a police officer is total and complete garbage.

I say if she hit the guy for whatever reason, she should be charged with the same crime any average citizen in that line would be charged with under the same circumstances.

And that...is all.

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Comments

Posted by: DrinkJack on April 7, 2006 09:04 PM

Posted by: Paula on April 7, 2006 04:48 PM

Posted by: aka_monty on April 7, 2006 09:51 AM

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