Slap in the Race: A Special Report
Saturday, April 8th, 2006 • Filed under Assaults
We’ve got some breaking news…from two days ago. Rep. Cynthia McKinney has admitted to and apologized for her crimes against our sanity.
WASHINGTON D.C. (San Francisco Chronicle) — Under increasing pressure from House Democratic leaders, Rep. Cynthia McKinney took to the House floor Thursday to apologize for an incident in which she allegedly assaulted a Capitol police officer at a security checkpoint.
The incident with McKinney began when she tried to go around a security checkpoint, as members of Congress are entitled to do. She wasn’t wearing her members’ lapel pin, and it appears an officer did not recognize her.
She was challenged, but didn’t stop. When an officer tried to stop her, and apparently touched her, McKinney allegedly struck the officer in front of witnesses.
Since the slap heard ’round the world, McKinney stated that racial profiling had more to do with the incident than ensuring Capitol Hill’s security. You know, I’m sure racial profiling still occurs at airports and in rich neighborhoods and even at heavily guarded Barnes & Noble’s. But in this case? Come on, she would have sounded more plausible if she said the cop stopped her because of her hairstyle.
This just in, she also said during a CBS interview that the cop stopped her because of her hairstyle and that she believe it made police suspicious. Her comments sparked a flurry “Queer Eye” style insults from many right wing pundits including famed radio schlock jock Neal Boortz who said that McKinney “looked like a welfare drag queen.” It’s important to note, of course, that Boortz is balder than a blind guy with a Flowbee. A little jealous, are we Boortzy?
But thankfully, after two straight weeks of accusations, criticisms, yelling and constant shouting of “You go girl,” McKinney finally apologized to the officer and the police force over the whole not-so-slap-happy affair. Of course, a federal grand jury is now considering whether or not to indict her on assault charges and her fellow House members and even some Senators including former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay are calling for her to be investigated by an ethics committee. Tom DeLay is telling someone they need to check their ethics? Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle “a pot”?