Updated With Video
Now that a grand jury is deciding whether Rep. McKinney should be indicted, she decided it is time to apologize. Take a look at her apology:
Rep. Cynthia McKinney, D-Ga., expressed “sincere regret” Thursday for her altercation with a Capitol police officer, and offered an apology to the House.
“There should not have been any physical contact in this incident,” McKinney said in brief remarks on the House floor. “I am sorry that this misunderstanding happened at all and I regret its escalation and I apologize.”
When she says there “should not have been any physical contact,” which physical contact is she referring to? The physical contact the officer made when he stopped her or Rep. McKinney’s when she hit the officer? We don’t know.
Update: A bodyguard she just hired threatened a journalist:
But even as McKinney appeared to be trying to put the issue to rest, a bodyguard she hired – reportedly a former Georgia state trooper – was raising another furor when he threatened a television reporter trying to interview McKinney outside the Capitol just minutes before she appeared on the House floor
When the reporter from Cox Broadcasting tried to ask McKinney about the grand jury, the bodyguard told him, “I’m going to put your ass in jail. I’m a police officer,” a videotape of the incident shows.
Asked if he worked for Capitol police, the man said, “I work for Miss McKinney.”
Word that McKinney had hired a bodyguard roiled the ranks of the Capitol police who were worried that the guard was carrying a weapon. They said they are concerned about what the bodyguard might do if Capitol police challenged McKinney at a security checkpoint.
See the video of the threat here.
Who does Rep. McKinney think she needs to be protected from? Did she actually get this body guard in response to the Capitol Police officer stopping her when she breezed by the security checkpoint? Her apology, as vague as it was, probably would have settled things down a bit. But this stunt makes this situation even weirder.
After the apology, Representaive McKinney suddenly wheeled around to shoot a staff member in the face.
Somebody got called to the principal’s office.
I sincerely regret getting caught speeding. I wish the incident never happened. I sincerely hope they don’t catch me speeding home tonight.
Now, admit and apologize for using the race card as a smoke screen and I think we’re all done, here.
Though, forgive me for wanting to see her on trial.
It’s funny what the possibility of a year in jail will do to a person. She’s like the atheist who finds out he has little time to live – all of a sudden finding Jesus – “just in case.” What a hypocrite.
As my post on my blog notes, she still has some jabs on her site just under the link to the apology, but her more strident official statements from last week and earlier this week are missing,
This is one of those non-appology appologies… like, “I’m sorry IF anything I said MAY have offended SOMEONE”
She still is taking any responsibility for her actions (probably at the advice of her lawyer.)
But of course it all happened because she is black and trodden down by the “man”.
D’oh! That should have read “NOT taking responsibility”
I think she has alot more to apologize for. She thought the Race Card would be her ace in the hole. I hope they throw the book at her. She is a disgrace.
What was so surprising was that Danny Glover was defending this woman. I won’t ever watch any of his movies again, he has crapped the bed as far as I am concerned. What an expensive joke this woman is for the state of Georgia.
Notice she did not appologize for her actions. …”regret this occured…sorry for the misunderstanding…and its escalation…” She should be made to say, “I’m sorry I hit the officer and acted inappropriately.” She took no ownership for her actions. If Congress doesn’t hold its own people responsible for their actions, how can we expect the court rooms to, the schools, and the people of this country? Stop pointing the finger and admit you were worng.
too little, too late. If she had a brain, then she would have tried to settle this quietly. Instead she plays the race card. Now her fate is out of her hands.
Technically, if she had a brain, she would not hae hit the officer in the first place.
She thought being black would allow her to do and anything she pleased. A year in jail may be a good signal to be honest and play by everyone else’s rules
Hahahahah this just keeps getting better and better:
When the reporter from Cox Broadcasting tried to ask McKinney about the grand jury, the bodyguard told him, “I’m going to put your ass in jail. I’m a police officer,” a videotape of the incident shows.
Asked if he worked for Capitol police, the man said, “I work for Miss McKinney.”
Word that McKinney had hired a bodyguard roiled the ranks of the Capitol police who were worried that the guard was carrying a weapon. They said they are concerned about what the bodyguard might do if Capitol police challenged McKinney at a security checkpoint.
I notice she didn’t apologize to the State of Georgia for not making it to her job that they elected her to do, or the pay she is recieving for not making it to work. She should owe the State of Georgia back pay for time lost.
The civil rights movement was just gathering a full head of steam when I graduated high school in 1959. Since that time I’ve watched the race baiting and calling anyone who disagrees a racist or bigot grow until it has become an industry in the black community.
Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Cynthia McKinney and her father have used this ploy so often and so loud that at last it seems people are tired of it.
I think this incident is not going away and racial tensions are going to increase because of it and countless other incidents that occur every day.
You can only push so far before people will push back and usually when that happens something breaks. It could be a long hot summer.
Chuck
That is the most meaningless apology I’ve ever heard. She can’t be serious. She might as well have said,
“I sincerely regret that this officer had the gall to not recognize me and try to stop me. I apologize that he had to grab me and cause me to defend myself.”
In reality that’s what she is saying. She will start singing the same old racism tune once the grand jury indicts her. And I hope that happens.
This woman is despicable and maybe (though I doubt it) she learns a lesson from all this.
I am assuming that she did not apologize for her actions because she does not want to publicly assist the grand jury in its investigation.
When the reporter from Cox Broadcasting tried to ask McKinney about the grand jury, the bodyguard told him, “I’m going to put your ass in jail. I’m a police officer,” a videotape of the incident shows.
Asked if he worked for Capitol police, the man said, “I work for Miss McKinney.”
Okay, so the first thing that popped into my mind was, are there going to be any charges filed against the bodyguard for impersonating a police officer?
I’m quite proud of the liberals in their reaction to this matter. So far, no one has said that this is further proof that President Bush hates black people.
It’s been about 30 posts in about 5 days about McKinney. I’m sure the Wizbang staff are all extremely happy for the distraction. Keep up the GREAT coverage.
Johnathon,
I had some thoughts like yours on whether charges should be filed against the bodygaurd for “impersonating a police officer”. Listening to the video, I’m not so sure.
What I heard was “If you push me again, I’ll put your ass in jail”. I didn’t hear the “I’m a police officer” there, but there was also a lot of noise so it could have been missed. Then the question “Are you with the capital police” Then “No, but I’m a police officer”.
If he is a police officer, then I think there was no crime. If some one pushes me and I say “Do it again and I’ll put your ass in jail”, I’m not impersonating a police officer. I am just pointing out one of my options which would be to file an assault charge which could very well lead to jail time. And saying he wasn’t with the capital police, but he was a police officer is also fair game (assuming he is a police officer).
If he is a police officer, I would be interested to know what police force he is on and what his relationship is with McKinney. And I suspect the part about the capital police being interested in what is going on is also true.
If he isn’t a police officer, I think someone needs to order lunch for the grand jury because we might have a bit more work for them to do.
As far as the apology goes, I am not impressed. She either has substance to her claim that the incident is racially based and that needs to be exposed or after sleeping on her first apology, she made it all up, which would also need to be exposed. She needs to be very clear in her apology about her previous statements. As it stands now, it sounds more like “If he had just recognized me rather than doing his job of looking for the pin, then he wouldn’t have touched me and I wouldn’t have hit him”.
I think this one is still going to go at least as far as an indictment. Then I suspect we will get a plea bargin. She has to apologize fully (no half hearted apology), under go some anger management or something and do some community service project (maybe like the one where the kid had to clean up the police cars that suspects ralphed in).
Keep up the GREAT coverage.
Posted by: jp2 at April 6, 2006 04:31 PM
Considering how the Huff&Blo is trying to pretend it never happened, I’d say the Wiz’ers are doing a good job keeping this racists actions under the microscope.
jp2, I gotta agree with you. The constant coverage here confirms Ms. McKinney’s success at staging another of her entertaining, self-parodying minstrel shows.
jp2, Hey don’t be too rough on the Wiz’ers! They’re dancing as fast as they can! And from here on out, each Libby-less post is its own bucket of flop-sweat! Woo-hoo!
WHO asked You Morph Rat bryanDuhh..
virgo, You just made my ever-lovin DAY! THANK YE, THANK YE, THANK YE!
Would somebody please kick this racist beotch out of Washintgton. Enough is enough already with the race card. Nobody is buying it anymore.