Dear Cynthia McKinney: Remember 1998?

Watch the apology here.

I live in McKinney's district, which is generally east of Atlanta. She's an embarrassment, and I thought so before now. She doesn't play the "race card"; for her, it's the whole game.
Her position in all of this has been preposterous. And then she adds to her absurdity by describing his apprehending her as inappropriate touching--as if to imply he molested her.

Perhaps even more ridiculous: McKinney seems to have forgetten that, in July 1998 (she was in office back then), a gunman did in fact enter the Capitol and kill two officers.

In the present incident, she seems to have given the Capitol Police all the regard she might give to mall security guards or card-checkers at Sam's Club or Costco. But these were real police officers with real authority and real responsibilty to protect the people in that building. What did she expect? For them to salute and blow her kisses?

The sad truth is that she is locked into habitual ways of interpreting and portraying white people, men in particular, as the enemy. If she weren't, perhaps this wouldn't have happened. (Then again, she might not be in office, either. She has a following here, and a big one, because MANY people are stuck in that view.)

While articulate and passionate, McKinney clings to the issues that drove her to power in the first place. It's in her interest to portray these issues as if they're still fresh. It lets her imagine, and construct the illusion, that she's doing cutting-edge work.

I know that racial incidents really do happen. But as Vincent noted at USA Today's On Deadline, McKinney's accusations dilute and distract from real racial issues.

The irony in this case is that it's McKinney who is the real racist here.