Support Cynthia McKinney

[Quequeg]

I first became aware of the controversy over whether to re-elect Cynthia McKinney when I saw the DailyKos ad that featured her picture with a red slash across it... Then, I've read many differing views described in many posts.

I learned about the odd incident in the Capitol Building from Jon Stewart (from the Daily Show) who highlighted the absurdity of it... If everything I've heard is true (i.e. assaulting a security guard, followed by accusations of racism), I have to admit that it does sound like she lost her marbles for a moment there.

But at the same time, we don't want to be like those Bush supporters whose principal criteria seems to be whether they think the politician would make for good company while drinking a beer at a picnic... I mean, we're not electing a next-door neighbor or a best friend... We're electing a legislator, and with that in mind, we should focus on whether an incumbent has doon a good job in their official capacity of representing our interests and our values in the support of legislation on Capitol Hill.

So, the question is, "Has Cynthia McKinney done a good job as a legislator?".. I think she has.

Iraq War
Cynthia McKinney voted against the Iraq war.
http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?vote_id=3202

Universal Health Care
Cynthia McKinney was one of 39 members of a task force to promote universal health care... Some others on the task force include such illustrious liberals like Dennis Kucinich and John Conyers.
http://www.house.gov/conyers/news_health_care.htm

Free Trade - CAFTA
Cynthia McKinney voted against CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement).
http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?vote_id=3585

World Trade Organization
Cynthia McKinney was one of only 45 Democrats who voted in the year 2005 to withdrawal from the WTO... There were 153 Democrats who voted in FAVOR of staying in the WTO.
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll239.xml

H-1B Visas
Along with liberals like Dennis Kucinich, Cynthia McKinney has expressed opposition to these modern-day devices of indentured servitude... Her record is not super strong here, but there are 115 Democrats who have a lower score than her and only 85 that have a higher score... Also, her record after 1996 is very good here... (By the way, for Dennis Kucinich, there are 190 Democrats with a lower score and only 5 Democrats with a higher score.)
Cynthia McKinney score on visas - http://grades.betterimmigration.com/compare.php3?District=GA04&Category=5&Status=Career&VIPID=215
Dennis Kucinich score on visas - http://grades.betterimmigration.com/compare.php3?District=OH10&Category=5&Status=Career&VIPID=636
Cynthia McKinney votes since 1996 - http://grades.betterimmigration.com/testgradescategory.php3?District=GA04&Category=5&Status=Career&VIPID=215

Then, I also came across this blog entry that describes a scorecard in which Cynthia McKinney receives a high score... This scorecard show that she has supported civil liberties, our sovereignty, and upholding the Constitution.
http://freedomdemocrats.org/node/384

Here's a quote from the blog:

When looking at all of the members of the House of Representatives, do any stand out as consistently voting with Ron Paul on these ten votes?.. Two Democrats voted with Ron Paul eighty percent of the time: Barney Frank of Massachusetts and Cynthia McKinney of Georgia... Thirty-three other Democrats, too long to list here, voted with Ron Paul seven times out of ten, more than any member of the Liberty Caucus... Even Bernie Sanders, professing a socialist ideology, voted with Ron Paul on seven of the ten votes.

Barney Frank and Bernie Sanders are pretty well-respected among many Democrats... Also, Ron Paul is not one of those corporatist libertarians... He also votes against "free trade" agreements and the World Trade Organization.

Some more info about what votes comprise the scorecard:

What is going on here?.. Looking at the votes, I think we can place them into categories... The REAL ID Act and the Patriot Act clearly are protection of civil liberties and it's arguable that Ron Paul's amendment dealing with banning federal funding of mandatory child mental screenings falls under this as well... H. R. 841 is largely a constitutional and procedural matter... We then have three votes (CAFTA and pulling out of UN and WTO) that I could call paleo-isolationism... Isolationists of both the left and the right could hypothetically agree here and a handful did... Throw in the Emergency Supplemental, which was full of pork, and it's hard to argue with the list of votes.

Another summary of the scorecard:

...it is strongly tilted towards votes concerning civil liberties, sovereignty, and upholding the general principles of the Constitution... As I have argued in the past, these are the key areas where Democrats have clearly and consistently shown that they are better than Republicans...

Also, please check this DU post that has lots of links showing the good record of Cynthia McKinney.
McKinney gets a 100% rating from the best of the liberal organizations

In summary, Cynthia McKinney has a good record... Does there need to be any other justification to support her re-election?.. So, I urge people to support Cynthia McKinney... She's doing the people's will... She's arguably a little flaky, but on any day of the week, I'll take honest & flaky over corrupt & bland (which is unfortunately the norm among too many members of both parties in Congress.)

www.StopGlobalism.com

[UDenver20]

1. SHE IS A NUT....

She's frigging crazy - and an embarrasment to Georgia. No matter how right she might be about some things, her credibility is in the tank. And she's a nut. Did I mention she's crazy?

[NoPasaran]

2. Let me get that straight. You say she's

?

[Laughing Mirror]

3. Black Commentator supports McKinney without reservation

We do have our bright, shining lights in the U.S. House of Representatives. Cynthia McKinney, representing the Atlanta Black suburbs centered on Dekalb County, is a singular personality. BC supports her without reservation – because she stands fearlessly for our people. Her presence in the Congressional Black Caucus causes other members to examine their backbones – to see if they have any. Many do not. They allowed the spineless chairman, Mel Watt (NC), to humiliate and isolate McKinney on orders from his boss, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. BC revealed the sordid details on April 13, 2006, in our Cover Story, “The McKinney Affair: Rampaging Racism and a Cowardly Caucus.”

http://www.blackcommentator.com/179/179_cover_mckinney_cowardly_caucus.html

[wyldwolf]

5. they've also said some less than flattering things about Dean, Gore, etc..

[Laughing Mirror]

11. Because of less than flattering things they have done, perhaps

:hide:

[wyldwolf]

12. just in their opinion, though...

Did they condemn McKinney for the capitol hill incident?

No, they condemned the Congressional Black Caucus for not supporting McKinney after she slapped a policeman.

Then said it was all some sort of conspiracy by "white America."

[Laughing Mirror]

14. There doesn't even have to be a conspiracy

if the majority thinks McKinney was the agressor in that particular incident.

[wyldwolf]

15. true, so why does the BlackCommentator think there is?

...the official account says she was the aggressor, and when charges were looming, McKinney backed down.

[Laughing Mirror]

16. BC says Pelosi is the agressor

and has very harsh language for the Congressional Black Caucus. Like Dean & Gore, the CBC is not above criticism either by the editors of Black Commentator, or by me, a McKinney supporter.

We at BC had previously believed that April, 2005, when 37 percent of the 42 Black House members voted for Republican bills, was the lowest point in Congressional Black Caucus history. A year later, the CBC has found a new nadir. On the evening of April 5, undoubtedly on orders from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, CBC chairman Mel Watt gathered twenty or so members to browbeat McKinney into firing her legal team and cease appearing before the media. Watt absented himself from the beat-down, so that it would not appear to be an “official” CBC event.

The next morning, at the appointed hour, McKinney was prepared to offer her apology to the House. But Mel Watt had already put the word out that CBC members were to renege on their part of the deal. The Caucus must not stand with McKinney when she stepped to the microphone. Mel Watt, Nancy Pelosi’s poodle, attempted to enforce his Mistress’s wish that McKinney appear utterly isolated and alone. Nothing should distract from the Democrats’ non-strategy of doing and saying nothing until mid-term elections in November. The Republicans must be allowed to self-destruct without interference. McKinney’s charge of racial profiling was a distraction from the Democratic non-strategy – so she must be shunned. Mel Watt was the enforcer – the designated shunner-in-chief.

Pelosi appears to harbor a deep hatred for McKinney, whom she cannot control. Most recently, the 51-year-old Georgia lawmaker defied the Leader’s orders, voting in favor of a Republican bill, cynically modeled on Democrat John Murtha’s measure for a quick exit from Iraq. She was among only three Democrats, and the only CBC member, to do so. McKinney also ignored Pelosi’s order that Democrats boycott hearings on Katrina and leave the field to Republicans.

However, Pelosi has been the aggressor all along, bent on bringing the CBC and other progressives to heel as she pursues her spineless non-strategy for victory by default over the GOP – a scenario that by definition requires African Americans to mute their own demands, to be quiet and compliant. When McKinney returned to congress in January 2005 after a two-year hiatus, Pelosi denied her seniority, bumping her down to freshman status despite her previous ten years on The Hill. Not a peep from the CBC, cowed by their Leader and, recent events have shown, packed with members who are themselves fearful that McKinney’s militancy will raise the bar of constituent expectations for their own performances on Black people’s behalf.

[wyldwolf]

17. ... and the Capitol Hill police, and the CBC...

..it appears the only one above criticism in the BC's eyes is McKinney.

The passage you quoted above has a conclusion based heavily on conjecture.

[Laughing Mirror]

24. What's there to criticize?

Her voting record? Her hairdo? Her cellphone?

[itzamirakul]

47. "Some" white Democrats want someone who "behaves" more as they

do and not someone who has the temerity to question the President of the United States and everyone down the line without fear as does McKinney.

Yes, they do want a DINO...another Obama...A go along to get along black. That is the only kind that the majority of the Democratic Congress is comfortable with. They want someone to help them keep their little fantasies. You know...the same fantasies that prevented Kerry from REALLY debating Bush...or sticking up for himself during the Swiftboating asskicking they gave him.

These are the same Democrats who consider the black vote a necessary burden that they do not want to acknowledge and that they would rather give up and seek out a mythical, moderate vote in its place.

The same Democrats who are controlled by the same corporations that control the GOP making for one "unified" party that is given two names for convenience.

No, Cynthia McKinney cuts through the bullshit and hands out the truth and most democratic leaders, "CAN'T STAND THE TRUTH!"

[KoKo]

18. Mel Watt is a DINO....and if one compared his voting record to McKinney's

he would look worse than Lieberman on social issues.

[wyldwolf]

23. see post #22

[LittleClarkie]

27. Hankercheif Head

I'm not sure I want to listen to a publication who would refer to someone as a Handkerchief Head.

[KoKo]

4. Are you a certified psychiatrist....or just an armchair one?

[GreenArrow]

13. no, not crazy...

she's an uppity black woman who needs to be put in her place.

:sarcasm:

Honestly, that's where a lot of the fire directed against McKinney is coming from.

[CatWoman]

43. excuse me for a moment

but it is you who comes off as the "unhinged" one.

[KoKo]

6. Thanks for taking the time to put her voting record out there...sad that

the McKinney Swift Boaters won't take the time to read...they would rather mouth off and call her names. Where have we seen that kind of behavior before, hmmmm...

[wyldwolf]

7. Where have we seen that kind of behavior before, you ask?

From the Lieberman/Clinton swiftboaters, of course!

[Quequeg]

9. But Cynthia McKinney voted against the Iraq war

Isn't the criticism of Lieberman/Clinton directed to their support of the Iraq war?

[wyldwolf]

10. So? As the left here repeats often...

It's MORE than just about the Iraq war.

[Quequeg]

19. true, there are other things that matter besides Iraq

...like Universal Health care (which Cynthia McKinney supports)
...like "Free Trade" & the WTO (which Cynthia McKinney opposes)
...like H-1B visas (which Cynthia McKinney opposes)
...like the Patriot Act (which Cynthia McKinney opposes)
...like pork-filled energy bills (which Cynthia McKinney opposes)

I mean, what exactly has she done that's wrong, other than being "nutty"?

[rinsd]

28. Psssst learn about Hank Johnson's positions. (hint they are very similar)

http://www.hankforcongress.com/issues/?id=0002

[Quequeg]

39. He sounds fine, but...

he doesn't describe his views on that much issues... He doesn't talk about H-1B visas or the World Trade Organization... Does he even talk about "free trade"?

Contrast his website, with a Democratic candidate from Florida, who describes his stand on issues from A to Z.
http://www.bowman2006.com/issues_az.htm

In contrast, Cynthia McKinney is a known quantity... She has shown herself through her official actions to be one of the 10% best members of Congress (in my opinion)... Do we really know what her challenger will do when he gets elected?.. I mean, policitians will say whatever they want to get elected... And her challenger hasn't even said that much, at least not on his website.

In my opinion, we should keep the good members of Congress and replace only the ones who are not doing a good job... In this way, we will evolve a better Congress over time... It's kind of like "survival of the fittest.".. I think Cynthia McKinney is one of the "fittest", as measured by her outspoken support of many populist Democratic viewpoints.

[KoKo]

20. Actually....Lieberman and Hillary's voting record has been covered

here on DU and elsewhere extensively. McKinney has been trashed not for her voting record on democratic issues but for what some feel is her "behavior," which the media and some "peeps" distort constantly.

[wyldwolf]

22. and their voting records prove them to be solid Democrats, yet...

..they're swiftboated with labels like "Republican-lite," "Dino," and "neo-con."

The hypocrisy of the far left is astounding, and their championism is shameless.

[Quequeg]

8. We just need to keep getting the word out

You're welcome... I think we just need to keep telling the other side of the story... I myself am a little suspicious of so much criticism heaped on someone who appears to have a respectable record... I wonder if the negative stories about Cynthia McKinney are a little exaggerated.

[oasis]

32. Suggestion to Quequeg: Post the same information 24 hrs. from now in a

poll that requires participants to display their screen names.

Do You Support Cynthia McKinney? (yes or no).

I guarantee a different result.;-)

[Quequeg]

40. Thanks for the suggestion.

How do you create a "poll that requires participants to display their screen names"?

[oasis]

52. Headline: Do You Support Cynthia McKinney (yes/no)

Posters cannot reply with a yes or no unless their screen names appear. The poll will help to eliminate visiting Freeps.People who sign on to DU just to participate in your poll will be exposed.

We already know most of the DUers in the community, who from one reason or another, don't like Cynthia.

[rinsd]

21. LOL...considering what Johnson has been called?

Hank Johnson seems to be a moderate to liberal Democrat who isn't as to the left ad McKinney.

And for that he gets called a Republican and smeared constantly?

[MarkDevin]

38. Don't assume the McKinney swiftboaters *can* read.

:evilgrin:

[Quequeg]

25. what's the problem with Cynthia McKinney?

The DailyKos negative ad said she was too "shrill" for the Democratic Party.
Others have said she's too "nutty".
But I don't care about personality flaws.
So, is there anything wrong with her other than things like being too "shrill" or "nutty"?

[Karenina]

26. She's BLACK and has

a clear eye on the ball. She's fought for "You the people," has a 100% rating and has posed the *dangerous* questions your (D) tutu's were too fucking bought out to ask. You don't really DESERVE her dedication or anyone willing to stand up to TPTB until you get a clue, unblinded by your inculcated racism and sexism. If she gets Diebolded, you will have richly EARNED your fate.

[Quequeg]

41. Thanks for the well-deserved lashing

We all deserve our miserable fate, if we swallow the propaganda pushed by the establishment who rejects populist Democratic candidates who speak up for our values and interests in this corporate-dominated world we live in.

But I don't think it has to do with racism or sexism... I think it's her politics and the fact that she's so outspoken.

[Karenina]

44. Sorry to pop off like that, Quequeg

My mini-rant should certainly not be read as being personally directed at you. I'm just so very annoyed that now it's 50 years later and people still don't get it. Indeed, it has very much to do with racism and sexism insofar as everytime the honorable Congresswoman opens her mouth she refuses to "stay in her assigned place." She will not sit down and she will not shut up in her quest to properly represent her constituents' interests. Hence, everyone invested in the power structure is threatened.

There is INCREDIBLE HOSTILITY in American society toward "uppity" black women. So MUCH of our talent is wasted because of it. Racism coupled with sexism is a dynamic I've had to cope with my entire life. The retribution for demonstrating superior capacities is quick and vicious.

Cynthia McKinney is a very brave woman.

[chimpymustgo]

45. You said it! Cynthia is a great Progressive. Why would anyone vote for

Hank?? There's no THERE there.

Nothing but racism and sexism against that uppity black woman who will not sit down and shut up.

[Quequeg]

46. No problem, I know your "min-rant" was not directed at me.

Keep ranting!!!

[LWolf]

29. I support her. I'd vote for her if I could.

I'd love it if I could see more Democrats on my ballot with a record like hers. I am interested in 2 things when choosing a candidate to support, donate to, campaign and vote for:

1. Stance on issues.
2. Record on issues.

That's it.

[Quequeg]

42. Here, Here!!! to voting based on stand & record on issues EOM

[oasis]

30. Freeped poll. tsk,tsk.

Have at it. :puke:

[wyldwolf]

31. translation: You don't like the results so they must be freeped

[oasis]

33. See post #32. DU polls are not immune from "visitors".

[wyldwolf]

35. well, the new official poll must have been freeped, too. LOL!

post 32 doesn't say what you say it does.

[oasis]

36. Wow, it's tommorrow already!!

:wow:

[wyldwolf]

34. Poll for 8/5/06: Johnson 52-39

According to new poll numbers just released by InsiderAdvantage, U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney continues to trail challenger Hank Johnson by a double-digit margin as the runoff campaign for the Democratic nomination for McKinney’s 4th District seat enters it’s final weekend.

In the survey of 300 likely voters, conducted on Thursday evening, Johnson received 52 percent, while McKinney had 39 percent. Nine percent of likely voters remain undecided.

InsiderAdvantage CEO and syndicated columnist Matt Towery points to a narrowing of undecided voters pushing the total above 50 percent for Johnson.

“The race continues to move to a narrowing number of undecided voters. The voter interest, based on the respondents likelihood of voting remains very high. If this race were held just among the most hardcore Democrats, it would be a closer battle, with the two statistically dead even,” Towery said. “The single most important figures in the cumulative numbers is the fact that white support for Johnson is at 87 percent, and overall black support for McKinney is at 50 percent. For Johnson to lose, his portion of the black vote would have to not turn out.”

http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=82923

[LincolnMcGrath]

37. Translation: McKinney UP 18 POINTS IN ONE Week Not Bad

Thanks!

[Buzz Clik]

48. McKinney is Georgia's asset/liability. Let them decide.

[TheUnspeakable]

49. Cynthia McKinney is a true hero...

She has ALWAYS stood up to the BFEE and asked the tough questions at a time when no other dems had the courage to do that. I can't help but feel that she is being swift-boated and slimed because they are so afraid of her for that reason. The results of this poll shock and disappoint me greatly.

[MrBenchley]

50. The antiSemitic loony is a hero to the Republicans

When Tom Delay was in the headlines, she slapped a cop and got the focus off the "Culture of Corruption."

"A dismal news conference had been salvaged by the McKinney scandal. "We should send somebody over to thank her," Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.) said as he left the room."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/05/AR2006040502207_pf.html

[oasis]

53. C'mon now, how much longer could Dems have milked the DeLay story?

:shrug:

[MrBenchley]

54. Wow...hard to believe you're that far out of touch with reality....

[Quequeg]

51. yea, I don't understand what the problem is

I know there are good, reasonable Democrats who oppose McKinney's re-election, but it seems like the focus is on character issues and minor anecdotes like the scuffle with the Capitol security guard.

It reminds me of Noam Chomsky who explains that elections are run by the PR industry, which is the same industry that convinces us to buy one brand of toothepaste over another... The PR industry tries to make elections about "qualities" rather than "issues."

McKinney is good on the issues... She's focussed on protecting jobs, supporting universal health care, and stopping the war-mongers.

On July 27th, Cynthia McKinney became one of 33 co-sponsors of Kucinich's resolution for an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon:
read the post about halfway down "Kucinich Thanks the Early Cosponsors of H. Con. Res. 450"
Cosponsors of H. Con. Res. 450

Reduce guest worker visas: Congress Grades

[bigwillq]

55. Based on her voting record

I support McKinney.