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Cynthia Ann McKinney
Democrat, Georgia (1993-2002; 2005- present)
Update: August 7, 2006: McKinney lost in the Democrat
primary to Hank Johnson, former county commissioner,
who pulled in 59 percent of the vote.
For other 2006 defeats, resignations, retirements,
What's with her? The Honorable Cynthia A. McKinney has a knack for drawing attention and controversy. Fourteen years ago, when she was first elected to Congress, she had a run-in with Capitol police, complaining that an officer did not recognize her as a member of Congress. She wasn't wearing the lapel pin that identifies Members. Capitol police posted her picture with a note telling officer to memorize it. She had several similar experiences with Capitol police and when Secret Service agents at the White House failed to recognize her in 1998, she wrote to President Clinton: "I am absolutely sick and tired of having to have my appearance at the White House validated by white people."
AP Photo
McKinney went after Bush following 9/11, charging that Bush knew about the terrorist attacks in advance; she called for a Congressional investigation in February 2002. There was a backlash against her, and McKinney lost her seat in 2002. By 2004, she was back McKinney was only one of three lawmakers to call for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
In late March 2006, there was another incident with the Capitol Hill police. McKinney entered a House office building without passing through the metal detector. Members of Congress are permitted to bypass the metal detectors, but she wasn't wearing her Member's lapel pin, and she'd recently changed her hair style from cornrows to a looser, frizzy style. The officer asked her to stop three times; she did not. The officer placed his hand on McKinney and she responded by hitting him with her cell phone. The cop is white, and McKinney is black.
Then McKinney whipped out the race card. She was a victim of "racial profiling" and "inappropriate touching." But not too many people were buying it. "She has a long history of racism," said Tom DeLay. "Everything is racism with her. This is incredible arrogance that sometimes hits these members of Congress, but especially Cynthia McKinney."
Democrats were embarrassed, particularly members of the Congressional Black Caucus, none of whom came to her defense publicly. In fact the CBC told her to cool it. Republicans launched a piece of legislation praising the Capitol Police for their professionalism. Finally, with little support from her colleagues, McKinney reversed herself, and went to the floor of the House and apologized: "I am sorry that this misunderstanding happened at all and I regret its escalation, and I apologize. There should not have been any physical contact in this incident."
Meanwhile, a grand jury is investigating the incident. It is a felony to strike a Capitol Hill police officer.
Update: On June 16, 2006, a D.C. grand jury decided not to indict McKinney, who said she was pleased that she could continue working "without this cloud hanging over me."
Laurie Kellman, "Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney Apologizes for Capitol Fight," AP, April 7, 2006; Bob Kemper and Bill Torpy, ""Cynthia McKinney: She's No Stranger to Clashes, Criticism," Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 16, 2006, 1A; Sheryl Gay Stolberg, "After Accuring Police of Racism, Congresswoman Apologizes," New York Times, April 7, 2006, 23. Eric M. Weiss and Petula Dvorak, "Indictment Rejected for Rep. McKinney," Washington Post, June 17, 2006, B4.
