Georgia Rep. Cynthia McKinney may be charged with assaulting a Capitol Hill police officer—rightly so, say bloggers. Bloggers address the Duke lacrosse team rape investigation’s racial overtones, and an e-mail related to the case sends shudders through the blogsphere. Meanwhile, NBC news is accused of race-baiting by NASCAR fans.
Pulling a Zsa Zsa: A grand jury will decide whether to bring charges against Rep. Cynthia McKinney in connection with an altercation with a Capitol Hill police officer. McKinney offered an apology for the incident on the House floor.
Charles Wilson at the aptly named The Right State decries Democrats and Republicans for ignoring the congresswoman’s antics and calls McKinney a “rabid racist.” “I just hope the grand jury sees the same thing and returns an indictment against the Congresswoman for assaulting a Capitol Police Officer,” he says. Mary Katharine Ham, a contributor to Hugh Hewitt’s conservative blog, offered backhanded kudos for the not-quite mea culpa. “Well done, Cynthia. If this had come before the race-baiting, this would undoubtedly have been a one-news-cycle story and you would have done much less damage to your party’s reputation on national security at exactly the time it was trying to bolster it,” she says.
The grand jury move does not impress conservative Ed Morrissey at Captain’s Quarters. “This may represent a bit of a punt on the part of the prosecutors, who already have a complaint and eyewitnesses that apparently substantiate the story. Under normal circumstances, they would have skipped a grand jury and simply filed charges against the offender. However, with McKinney screaming racism and her peers in Congress oddly silent, the prosecutors have made the politically wise choice to defer the decision to a grand jury,” he observes.
Avedon Carol at the lefty blog The Sideshow proposes that McKinney may have instinctually defended herself after she was grabbed by the police officer. “This week’s excuses for why it is okay not to recognize Cynthia McKinney even though it is fundamental to your job are just more racist crap. Someone decided that they needn’t bother recognizing black women in Congress, or else someone knows perfectly well who she is and wants to put her in her place,” Carol writes.
For more blogger opinion on McKinney, click here.
Smells like team spirit: Duke’s lacrosse coach resigned and the team’s season was canceled in light of allegations that three players raped an exotic dancer at a team party and after the release of a depraved e-mail from one player to other team members.
“If you were wondering if the Duke lacrosse case could possibly be anymore disturbing than it already is, the answer is a depressing, horrifying ‘yes,’ ” reports sports blog Deadspin, in reaction to the e-mail.
“Once again we are about to be polarized,” warns black educator S. Hope Davis, after tawdry details about both the alleged victim and the perpetrators were released. She lists elements she expects to see in the defense’s strategy: “Emails faked? She had sex before? DNA might be from just using the bathroom? DA political gain? ‘Boys?’ ‘The American Way?’ “
On the Duke Conservative Union’s blog Duke New Sense, Thor criticizes community members for playing the “race card” because the alleged victim is black and the players are white. “It should make no difference whether the victim or the alleged criminals are white or black. Instead of focusing on their respective races, we should focus on the allegations themselves,” Thor asserts.
Swampfox, also at Duke New Sense, argues that Durham district attorney Mike Nifong may be gunning for the lacrosse team to pander to the black vote in the upcoming district attorney’s election. “Is Nifong hoping to keep his avid prosecution of the white, male lacrosse players a hot issue for the May 2 Democratic primary (there are no Republican candidates for District Attorney), less than a month away?” Swampfox asks.
Sports blogger The Zman says that, while the prosecutor may be out to destroy lacrosse players’ reputations, ultimately DNA tests will tell the real story. “Lost in the media firestorm is the fact this evidence was supposed to be back on Monday. This could be a reasonable delay or it could spell trouble for the prosecution. If that evidence does not implicate any of these players, the case is in trouble. That may explain the decision to play the character assassination card.” Ziel on Your Lying Eyes thinks the message coming from some Durham community members and media is “The Duke Rape: Men Are Bad; the Rich Are Bad; Lacrosse is Bad.”
Read more on the Duke lacrosse team rape allegations.
Race-baiting at the races? NASCAR—not to mention a few bloggers, led by Michelle Malkin—is angry that Dateline NBC has sent people dressed in Muslim garb to a racing event to gauge public reaction as part of a piece on anti-Muslim sentiment in America.
Conservative blogger Malkin weighed in on the story starting Tuesday, after receiving an e-mail from a Muslim who was solicited to participate in the segment. She gives a rundown of reactions from NASCAR officials and fans. “The mainstream media can’t ignore NBC’s news-staging anymore,” she snarks.
“A news organization is responsible for reporting news, not making news. … But this was NBC simply thinking, ‘Anti-Muslim sentiment? Must be a LOT of that at the racetrack! Let’s go there and get it!’ ” says Jay on See You at the Yard, Meat.
Moderate Karl Swenson at Leaning Straight Up laments that some fans are destined to fall for such a ruse and “the truly sad thing is that they will paint all of Nascar fandom as sheet toting, cross burning racists because of a few idiots.”
Read more commentary on the Dateline/NASCAR flap.
