There was a security breach on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
The frightening incident happened at Longworth House Office Building.
WXIA-TV Atlanta has the story.
According to sources on Capitol Hill, U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) punched a Capitol police officer on Wednesday afternoon after he mistakenly pursued her for failing to pass through a metal detector.
Members of Congress are not required to pass through metal detectors.
Sources say that the officer was at a position in the Longworth House Office Building, and neither recognized McKinney, nor saw her credentials as she went around the metal detector.
The officer called out, "Ma’am, Ma’am," and walked after her in an attempt to stop her. When he caught McKinney, he grabbed her by the arm.
Witnesses say McKinney pulled her arm away, and with her cell phone in hand, punched the officer in the chest.
...According to the Drudge Report, the entire incident is on tape.
Drudge continues, "The cop is pressing charges, and the USCP (United States Capitol Police) are waiting until Congress adjurns to arrest her, a source claims."
No charges have been filed. Capitol Police spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider says that senior officials have been made aware of the incident and are investigating.
According to an UNCONFIRMED statement from McKinney posted on the Internet, she charges that she is the target of harassment by Capitol Hill Police.
The statement's writer says that she has been harassed by white police officers she says do not recognize her due to her recently changed hairstyle.
"Do I have to contact the police every time I change my hairstyle? How do we account for the fact that when I wore my braids every day for 11 years, I still faced this problem, primarily from certain white police officers," the statement says.
And here we have the race card.
I'm shocked! If this is legitimate, Cynthia McKinney is playing the race card! Unbelievable!
The writer details the incident, saying, "I was rushing to my meeting when a white police officer yelled to me. He approached me, bodyblocked me, physically touching me. I used my arm to get him off of me. I told him not to touch me several times. He asked for my ID and I showed it to him. He then let me go and I proceeded to my meeting and I assume that the Police Officer resumed his duties. I have counseled with the Sergeant-at-Arms and Acting Assistant Chief Thompson several times before and counseled with them again on today's incident. I offered also to counsel with the offending police officer."
This comment from House Speaker Dennis Hastert's spokesman is priceless:
"On a day when the Democrats are promoting their national security agenda, it's probably not a good idea for them to allegedly strike police officers."
Where in the Dems' "Bold Security Agenda" is the section on bolting from an officer attempting to enforce security?
Would that be found in the part about getting more spies? Perhaps it's in the "eliminate Osama bin Laden" section?
There are no excuses for refusing to cooperate with an officer whose duty is to secure Capitol buildings and protect the occupants.
McKinney acts as if she's above the law.
I can understand that McKinney tires of having to identify herself, but that's too bad. She has to deal with it.
Would she tire of having the officers be lax about enforcing security policies? Would it bug her if someone got past a checkpoint with an explosive and detonated it?
How many other members of the House have been asked to show ID on occasion?
I'm sure it happens. McKinney can't be the only one who has been asked to prove her identity.
For example, on any given windy day, a Congressman's comb-over can change suddenly and dramatically, making him virtually unrecognizable. Think about it. The numbers of congressmen sporting comb-overs is enormous. Can we really expect the Capitol police to be able to keep up with these extreme changes in appearance, changes that occur as quickly as changes in the weather?
Could it be that balding Congressmen with shifting comb-overs are being harassed by officers with thick, luxurious locks?
Obviously, McKinney is trying to take attention off of her cell phone assault of the officer by crying racism.
McKinney is a magnet for controversy.
From October 29, 2005:
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Federal Election Commission said today that Georgia Representative Cynthia McKinney must pay a $33,000 fine and reimburse as much as $72,000 to political donors after accepting excessive contributions in the 2002 election.
The fine alone exceeds the total amount in McKinney's campaign account through September 30. It was part of a conciliation agreement between the Georgia Democrat and the FEC.
The alleged illegal activity stems from McKinney's 2002 re-election campaign, which she lost in the Democratic primary to Denise Majette. McKinney was out of Congress for two years before winning the seat back in 2004 when Majette left to run for Senate.
...First elected to Congress in 1992, McKinney has seen her share of controversy as an elected official.
She once questioned the "Negro tolerance" of Democratic Vice President Al Gore. She also suggested on a radio show that Bush administration officials had advance knowledge of the September 11th terrorist attacks but kept quiet, suggesting a possible profit motive for defense contractors.
Read Jonah Goldberg's April 12, 2002 article,"Representative Awful."
Like McKinney herself, Goldberg pulls no punches.
He writes:
[T]here is ample evidence that Ms. McKinney is dumber than rock salt and more repugnant than Yasser Arafat's three-week-old underwear.
The idea that Don Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, and George Bush would start a war in order to get an additional few million when they have plenty of millions already, only makes sense to lefties who believe being rich is a sin (unless, of course, you're a rich liberal).
McKinney's hypocrisy is so concentrated it could eat through metal. The only politician I know of who actively tried to profit from Sept. 11, was Cynthia McKinney herself. She's the one who went whoring after Saudi Arabia's blood money after the attacks.
If Drudge is correct, and the entire incident is caught on tape, then we'll be able to determine who is telling the truth.
If McKinney is being accused of something she didn't do, if the tape shows that she behaved properly, then she is owed an apology by every person criticizing her for acting like a lunatic and abusing the officer.
However, given her history of unbalanced behavior and kooky statements, it seems highly unlikely that she deserves an apology.
__________________________________
The latest:The Associated Press is giving the Capitol Hill incident the best spin possible, citing the existence of "conflicting accounts."
I imagine it's McKinney's account that's conflicting with all the other witnesses and the officer.
Here is the "Statement of Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney on Capitol Hill Incident."
She writes:
(Washington, DC) - To the Members of the Capitol Hill Police:
Earlier today I had an unfortunate confrontation with a Capitol Hill Police Officer. It is traditional protocol that Capitol Hill Police Officers secure 535 Members of Congress, including 100 Senators. It is the expectation of most Members of Congress that Capitol Hill Police officers know who they are. I was urgently trying to get to an important meeting on time to fulfill my obligations to my constituents. Unfortunately, the Police Officer did not recognize me as a Member of Congress and a confrontation ensued. I did not have on my Congressional pin but showed the Police Officer my Congressional ID.
I know that Capitol Hill Police are securing our safety, that of thousands of others, and I appreciate the work that they do. I deeply regret that the incident occurred. I have demonstrated my support for them in the past and I continue to support them now.
This is a far cry from her previous charges of racism.
It sounds like a damage control mission to me, and AP is complicit in aiding the Dems.
McKinney's scuffle with the officer on the very day that the Dems' were highlighting security is really funny. Yes, Dems are tough on security but they refuse to walk through metal detectors or properly identify themselves.
It's been said so many times--
The only thing that saves the struggling Republicans are the hapless Dems.
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