Will The Real Cynthia McKinney Please Shut Up!

In response to the outrage of normal Americans over her dustup last week with a Capital Police officer at the Longworth House Office Building, and her party’s fear of losing votes, Rep. Cynthia McKinney offered an apology on the House floor today for her inappropriate and possibly illegal behavior. Skeptics may doubt the sincerity of her offering, particularly in view of the high degree of arrogance she has exhibited since the incident, but at least she said she was sorry. Whether or not she is contrite is another question.

But wait … you say another incident occurred today?

On her way into the Capital Building today to make her apology a TV reporter from her home state was trying to ask her a question when he was elbowed, then threatened by Ms. McKinney’s private security guard.

What’s wrong with this picture? Well, a couple of things. First, as an elected representative of the people of the state of Georgia she is obligated to take questions from the media, and so long as there is no threat to her safety (which there wasn’t) and so long as the reporter approached her in a public place (which he did), there’s simply no excuse for anyone to interfere. Second, the United States provides security for Ms. McKinney and her compatriots, and despite her disdain for them (which she so publicly displayed last week) Capital police frown on Members of Congress bringing in private security.

So now what? Well, the reporter’s employer, Atlanta TV station WSB, has not decided whether to press charges, and the Capital Police say they don’t open investigations unless a complaint is filed, but it is possible that while a grand jury considers whether to indict Ms. McKinney on the misdemeanor charge from last week, the Capital Police may begin an investigation into the private security guard’s behavior.

I rather doubt that this is what the voters of her Georgia district had in mind when they elected Cynthia McKinney to Congress, and I also doubt that most Americans are willing to tolerate such shenanigans from their elected officials.

Cynthia McKinney has a chip on her shoulder, thinks she doesn't have to follow the same rules the rest of her fellow Members of Congress have to follow, and has embarrassed the House of Representatives, the Democratic Party, the Congressional Black Caucas and the people of Georgia. Perhaps it’s time for to return to private life.

Technorati Tags: Cynthia McKinney, Race, Democrats, Congress, Arrogance, Political Correctness