Comments on: McKinney punches Capitol Hill police officer

By: Sheila

Sheila — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 19:45:42 +0000

I’ve been thinking about this McKinney incident and have seen her again on tv where she’s dictating the terms of her audio reponses to the interviewer in saying ” Is that understood”
Where’s does this woman’s bus stop?
Somebody needs to go the House of Representatives and starting cleaning out that rat hole. I’m sure there’s more like her.

Let’s talk a little bit more about the initial incident.Here’s my two cents: She’s not wearing the id pin and therefore assumes the security guard SHOULD know her? Houston, we have a problem !

By: Andrew

Andrew — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 03:38:35 +0000

Many years ago I worked on Capitol Hill and was at times amazed at the arrogance of some of the Members of Congress I saw there. But, I never in my life expected that a “Member” would go so far as to hit a Capitol Police officer until this incident with Rep. McKinney.
First, I think should could have made her life a lot easier by wearing her ID pin that is given to each Member of Congress (the pin’s design changes every two years, by the way). Also, Members of Congress are issued an official photo ID card (which they also use to cast their votes via the “electronic device”) in the House Chamber. She could have shown that to the officer, too.

While Capitol Police officers do try to memorize the names and faces of 440 House members (including the five non-voting members) and all 100 Senators, it’s simply not possible that each Capitol Police officer is going to be able to do that every day of the week, especially when they deal with literally thousands of people going past them each day. That’s why Members are given those little pins to wear.

Anyone who has ever visited the Capitol while they House and Senate are in session knows what a madhouse it is. The Capitol police are faced with screening literally thousands of people day, ranging from Girl Scouts wanting to visit their Representative’s office on their troop visit to DC to disabled veterans wanting to see what they got themselves injured in some foreign war for to some seriously psychotic souls who are convinced that the only place to find refuge from the voices being beamed in to their heads by the CIA is in a congressional office building.

In my experience, the Capitol Polce carry out these tasks with unfailing courtesy, respect, fairness and due regard to everyone’s rights, while still making sure that some crazed soul doesn’t enter the complex with a bomb or a gun. That’s how two Capitol Police officers were murdered in 1998, by the way.

I think that the other 439 House members would rather the police err on the side of caution and determine their identity rather than letting one person who “looks like they might be a Representative” blow past them while chatting on a cell phone who then goes on to do badness in the Capitol complex. Rep. McKinney is apparently the exception.

Second point: the US Constitution grants Senators and Members of the House immunity from arrest while the Congress is in session. My recollection is that this provision is interpreted to prevent their arrest on misdemeanor, rather than felony, charges.

So, my guess is that the Capitol Police are going to seek Rep. McKinney’s arrest for felony “assualt on a police officer” charges, which would suggest there might be more to this than a simple pushing or touching.

Even if there is: 1) an indictment 2) an arrest 3) a trial and 4) a conviction, she would still be a sitting Member of Congress at least until Jan 2007 (if she’s not re-elected this fall), entitled to full pay and benefits. Assuming there is a trial, it is doubtful it would commence prior to the Fall 2006 elections. The criminal courts in DC are just too log-jammed for the case to move that quickly.

If she were re-elected this fall while under indictment she would still take her seat and draw full pay and benefits until her case was resolved (see below). There have been times in the past where the voters have re-elected to Congress a Representative who was under indictment.

It would be theoretically possible that at the start of the next congressional session in Jan 2007 the House could vote to “exclude” Rep. McKinney,that is, to fail to seat her. In a very famous case (Powell vs. McCormack see http://www.justia.us/us/395/486/case.html)the Supreme Court severely curtailed the power of Congress to “exclude” members who were duly elected by their constituents. And, I think it is nearly improbable that the House leadership would attempt “exclusion” if she were still “innocent until proven guilty” at the start of the next Congress.

The _only_ way a sitting Member of Congress can be involuntarily removed from office is if he or she is expelled by their colleagues; this is a very rare, and often messy event. My recollection is that it’s only happned twice in the past 25 years, and both times only after a Member had been convicted of felonies,sentenced to prison and refused to voluntarily resign.

So, Rep. McKinney will be with us for a while.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 00:24:08 +0000

This congresswoman is a racist herself. Did you see how stupid she sounded barking out comments to Wolf Blitzer on the Situation Room. Hiding behind her lawyers and saying things that made no sense at all. She didnt even remember what she said on the air to Wolf 2 minutes after she said it. She accused the policemen that risk their lives everyday of racial profiling because an officer did his job and asked her for identification. How stupid is this woman and how much I hope she is removed from Congress, locked up in jail and forced to apologize to the citizens in Georgia who elected her. She is an idiot and I dont wish any good luck to her. I hope she suffers great suffering because of this and never recovers. God needs to take her in his arms and heal her of her sins so that we can all be better off.

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 10:19:05 +0000

I am just sick of her— I think she enjoys the lime light and is trying to make a name for herself in desperation— we GA folks need a professional on Capitol Hill—she has just allienated herself yet again.

By: E-Dubb

E-Dubb — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 03:52:54 +0000

How can you comment on heresay? You are going by what you read or heard through the media. Try watching the tape of the incident first before you pass judgement. A little research would need to be done to see if all congressmen and women really wear their pins at all times or if there are people who just “pass” through because they are easily recognizable! Pretty much, Congress person or not everyone should have to pass through the metal detector. What if one of them decides to go beserk one day-just a thought!

By: Russell

Russell — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 05:29:15 +0000

Is it just me or does anyone else find it a little uncomforting to know that all a terrorist has to do is:

1. Dress up like a congress person,
2. Wear a fake $10 lapel pin
3. Wave howdy as they bypass security.

Oops there goes a branch of our government. Is our Gov. Really this stupid?

By: Leaning Straight Up

Leaning Straight Up — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 00:35:06 +0000

McKinney’s Lawyer says she is just a victim of racism

I haven’t blogged this, as the idea that an elected politician is a criminal is not really a shock.
But since she is now playing the race card, I want to weigh in.
A brief summary of the issue.
(from St): McKinney punches Capitol Hill police…

By: camojack

camojack — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 09:06:22 +0000

Charge her with assault.

By: NC Cop

NC Cop — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 03:32:04 +0000

Wow, steve, who are “some people”, I’d love to know. Perhaps you can provide a link to “some people” so we can all see their evidence.

By: sanity

sanity — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 02:19:30 +0000

As for the congresswoman, I find this a bit of a racists thing to say:

“I am absolutely sick and tired of having to have my appearance at the White House validated by white people,” she said at the time.

By: sanity

sanity — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 01:06:56 +0000

No Congressperson observes PROTOCOL, they all walk around the machines.

wrong again steve.

They walk around the machines ecause they observe protocol and wear thier pins that allow them the walk around.

She did not, and many senators remarked she is callous in her not wearing the pin.

If you have proof no other senators wear them or they she is being singled out or ‘profiled’ then I suggest you provide the proof steve.

By: steve

steve — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 00:36:45 +0000

No Congressperson observes PROTOCOL, they all walk around the machines. Here’s a twist: some people believe that the cop was profiling her because she was black and some also feel that the cop would not have put his hands on a white women. This is getting very curious. Peace

By: andrew

andrew — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 23:55:18 +0000

“If she does not respond to repeated attempts to have her stop and she continues on her way, you can damn well believe I expect a cop or security to lay hands on her.”

Sure. And you can believe that a person getting grabbed will cause one to react quite quickly. She should not forget her pin in the future.

By: sanity

sanity — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 22:37:18 +0000

Clue to andrew, she was not following protocol for congress people.

Andrew says, “Let congresspeople through. That’s their job. But they shouldn’t be surprised that they get punched when they grab people either. I’m sure that’s part of the job too. “

If she is not wearing the pin that recognizes her as a Congress person, why in the heck would they let her though?

IT”S HER JOB TO WEAR THE PIN FOR IDENTIFICAATION.

If she does not respond to repeated attempts to have her stop and she continues on her way, you can damn well believe I expect a cop or security to lay hands on her.

Again, she was at fault for not wearing the identification pin that Congress persons wear that identify them, and she also is at fault for ignoring REPEATED attempts to have her halt and explain herself a she bypassed security proctocol that is there to PROTECT Congress.

Your arguements are weak on this one andrew.

By: NC Cop

NC Cop — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 21:47:14 +0000

“But they shouldn’t be surprised that they get punched when they grab people either. I’m sure that’s part of the job too.”

Yeah, right. Been a cop long, andrew? Detain many people or make many arrests? She admitted she wasn’t wearing her pin that identifies her as a congresswoman, hellllllllllllooo??? I guess in this day and age the cop should have said “Oh well, she might be a congressman, hope so.”

Absolutely brilliant. And NO, people don’t have the right to punch police officers if the officer is doing his job, sorry to disappoint.