Letters to the Editor
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What the "R"s aren't saying about McKinney & the Keystones
NY Times: "But House Republicans have seized on the incident, saying Ms. McKinney's exchange with an officer assigned to protect the Capitol complex was in stark contrast to a Democratic Party campaign pledge this week to bolster American security and support law enforcement." "Actions speak louder than words," Sean Spicer, a spokesman for the House Republican Conference, said Friday in an e-mail message. "The Democrats' security agenda was revealed this week, and it is not something to be proud of." "Representative McKinney appearing with (Danny Glover) the star of 'Lethal Weapon' is not exactly the image you want to be sending," said Ron Bonjean, a spokesman for Speaker J. Dennis Hastert.
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I'm guessing Hastert's office has developed a serious case of amnesia regarding the incident where Congresswoman McKinney was grabbed from behind. Perhaps he could consult with Sen. Tom Coburn to see if there's a remedy, since the good doctor had a far worse incident happen in his own district. It might place this matter in better perspective. Perhaps Sen. Frist could look at the videos of both incidents and tell us exactly what the difference is, and why there should be complaints from his side of the aisle about one, but not the other. Could the diagnosis be a terminal case of partisanitis?
In 2001, Rep. J.C. Watts took two weeks to apologize for an incident in which he was clearly and solely at fault. Watts had not just "left his car unattended in a no-parking area," as the Times put it below, but abandoned it in front of the OKC departure entrance for quite some time. He then got extremely surly with the Oklahoma police sergeant who had ticketed his vehicle. The sergeant handled it very professionally, despite considerable guff handed him wholly without provocation by Watts, who sat on the Homeland Security Committee at the time. From the Watts' website: "While at the University of Oklahoma, Watts was quarterback for the Sooners, leading them to two consecutive Big Eight Championships and Orange Bowl victories. He was voted the Most Valuable Player in the 1980 and 1981 Orange Bowls. From 1981 to 1986, he started for Ottawa and Toronto in the Canadian Football League and was voted the Most Valuable Player of the Grey Cup, the CFL's Super Bowl, his rookie season." Watts is 6'2" and played college ball at 205#. I imagine he bulked up considerably in the Canadian league.
NY Times: October 10, 2001: Oklahoma: Apology For Airport Incident:
Representative J. C. Watts Jr., Republican of Oklahoma, who says he supports tighter airport security, had a confrontation with a police officer who ticketed him for violating new security rules at Oklahoma City's airport and has apologized, his office said. After being issued a $15 ticket for leaving his car unattended in a no-parking zone on Sept. 28, Mr. Watts, a member of the House Republican leadership, stuffed the ticket under the officer's badge.