Current mood:	Indignant
Current music:	"Dear Me"--Lorrie Morgan

In Which A U.S. Congresswoman Fangirls Herself And Plays The Race Card.

So yeh see, dahlinks, it's like this:

Due to security concerns about, ya know, terrorists or assassins or just plain nutty voters, everyone who enters a Capitol Hill building in Washington, DC has to go through the metal detectors--except members of Congress. Congresspersons and Senators have spiffy little pins they wear on their lapels (or, as my former boss did, on chains around their necks) that identify them.

SO...the chain of events unfolds as follows:

(Background Info: There are 435 members of the House of Representatives, and 100 Senators.)

Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney strolls into a Congress building without her identifying pin--right past the metal detectors.
Capitol Hill Police officer yells at her to stop, then runs after her and grabs her by the arm.
McKinney flips out and hits him.
Charges may be filed against her as a result.

Link to the story: http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/03/29/mckinney.scuffle.ap/index.html

NOW...the ZOMGRACISM!!! accusations unfold as follows:

McKinney: "this whole incident was instigated by the inappropriate touching and stopping of me, a female, black congresswoman."
Republican Congresspersons: "HUH?! You're joking, right, lady?"
Democratic Congresspersons: *hide faces* "Er...maybe she's going a bit overboard...uhhhm...she's not with us, I swear." *wince*
McKinney: "I wasn't wearing my ID, but they SHOULDA RECOGNIZED ME ANYWAY, ZOMG!!!!111"
McKinney Supporters (and Lethal Weapon star): RACISTS!!!! RAAAAAAAYYYY-CIIIISTS!!!!!111ONE!

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/03/31/mckinney.police/index.html

(Repeat Background Info: (for those who might have missed it the first time) 435 United States Representatives, 100 United States Senators running around Capitol Hill at any given time.)

Now, people, I've worked at the U.S. Capitol, and gone scrambling in and out of the House Office Buildings including the one where this happened. There are a zillion people, members of Congress, Congressional staff, reporters, lobbyists, tourists, "concerned citizens", and a few psychos running around those buildings in and out at any given moment. (I once nearly got myself in trouble for following my boss past the metal detectors without thinking.) Those security officers have their work cut out for them, especially at times like right now when Congress is in session and there is a major piece of controversial legislation in the news.

Yet McKinney is bitching because they didn't recognize her without her Representative pin.

"Because she was assaulted and placed in impending fear of her safety, she responded," he [McKinney's lawyer] said. "This case has just begun and we're going to fight, and we're going to use the U.S. Constitution."

Fine. I guess the next time somebody runs past the metal detector and the cops don't stop him, and he blows up an office building and kills everybody, Cynthia can congratulate herself that she stopped the cops from "assaulting" people.

Myart further called the incident racial profiling and said there was "no excuse" for Capitol Police not recognizing his client, and Raffauf said she was stopped solely because of her race, gender and politics.

Her politics? If the cop didn't recognize her (inexcusably or otherwise) how the hell could he have known what her politics were?!

McKinney acknowledges she wasn't wearing one [Congressional ID pin] when she was stopped, but concurred with Myart that police should know who she is. "The pin is not the issue," the six-time congresswoman said. "The issue is face recognition."

Again: Five...hundred...thirty...five...faces, she expects those cops to recognize. Oh, no, I'm sorry, just the racial minorities need to have facial recognition, I guess.

The 51-year-old legislator was surrounded by more than two dozen supporters at the Friday news conference, some carrying handwritten placards that read "Recognize our congresswoman" and "Is Cynthia a target?"

Geez.

This woman needs to put the race card DOWN and apologize to that poor officer for HER stupidity. The man did NOTHING wrong. In this post-9/11 world, especially at our nation's capitol, that woman should have known better than to run around there without ID.

How is it this woman is still in Congress and my boss lost her election? (grumble)

ETA: More articles on the subject containing more headdesk-inducing quotes...

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/03/31/D8GMPKR81.html

Her lawyer, James W. Myart Jr., said, "Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, like thousands of average Americans across this country, is, too, a victim of the excessive use of force by law enforcement officials because of how she looks and the color of her skin..."Ms. McKinney is just a victim of being in Congress while black," Myart said. "Congresswoman McKinney will be exonerated."

Several Capitol Police officials have said the officer involved asked McKinney three times to stop. When she did not, he placed a hand on her and she hit him, they said.

Oh, yeah, she's the victim all right! Yes, sir! That was "excessive force," that's for sure! Bad cop!

http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=78068

The incident has become the topic of much-heated debate on talk radio and for Democrats and Republicans on the Hill. Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi on Thursday labeled it "a mistake, an unfortunate lack of recognition of a member of Congress." She added that the police officer was not at fault. "I would not make a big deal of this," said Pelosi, D-Calif.

Ron Bonjean, spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., responded: "How many officers would have to be punched before it becomes a big deal?"

Hate to say it, but I'm with the Republicans on this one. McKinney needs to be charged for assaulting an officer. She wasn't following the security procedures meant to protect both her, her staff, AND her constituents, and she attacked security for doing their job.

EATA (Edited Again To Add): A link to a highly-amusing pic. So very painfully accurate.