MWO on Cynthia McKinney: She helped the right frame the debate

[CatWoman]

www.mediawhoresonline.com

Cynthia McKinney

We've received a number of emails lately regarding Cynthia McKinney's controversial comments regarding 9/11.

Some believe McKinney has been vindicated over time, asserting that she was a victim of any number of double standards because others like Senator Bob Graham have now uttered comments nearly identical to hers with impunity. But we disagree.

Here are the McKinney remarks we and others reacted to last year:

Moreover, persons close to this Administration are poised to make huge profits off America's new war. Former President Bush sits on the board of the Carlyle Group. The Los Angeles Times reports that on a single day last month, Carlyle earned $237 million selling shares in United Defense Industries, the Army's fifth-largest contractor. The stock offering was well timed: Carlyle officials say they decided to take the company public only after the Sept. 11 attacks. The stock sale cashed in on increased congressional support for hefty defense spending, including one of United Defense's cornerstone weapon programs.

Now is the time for our elected officials to be held accountable. Now is the time for the media to be held accountable. Why aren't the hard questions being asked? We know there were numerous warnings of the events to come on September 11. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, delivered one such warning. Those engaged in unusual stock trades immediately before September 11 knew enough to make millions of dollars from United and American airlines, certain insurance and brokerage firms' stocks. What did this Administration know, and when did it know it about the events of September 11? Who else knew and why did they not warn the innocent people of New York who were needlessly murdered?

Full McKinney Op-Ed and Audio

One might argue in hindsight that McKinney was not implying that "specifics" were known about the attacks. But we believe the most logical interpretation of those comments is an implication of something other than "the Bush Regime should have connected the dots" - particularly because of McKinney's mention of specific types of "unusual stock trades" made "immediately before" the attacks, followed by "What did this administration know?"

McKinney denies such a relationship between her statements now. But, as we have argued consistently -whether she spoke clumsily or deliberately matters very little to the question of whether she became an extreme liability for the Bush opposition as a result of the interpretability of her comments.

It is bad enough that the administration had intelligence they should have acted on but did not - not because they knew of a specific plot, and not because they calculated in advance that such an attack would be "good for business" - but for reasons range from raw incompetence and disorganization to unwillingness to offend certain industries.

But Cynthia McKinney's commentary allowed Bush apologists to focus on the "specifics" arguments, and the regime took full advantage. (How many times did you hear Condi Rice talk about the regime's not knowing "specifics"?)

McKinney's comments were not only understood by the right to imply specific knowledge. They were understood and written about as such by many on the left not in any way predisposed against McKinney.

McKinney's comments helped the dishonest and power-abusing right frame the debate as one between those who beleive Bush "knew someone was going to fly planes into the WTC on 9/11" and those who don't, when it should be a debate between those who believe Bush "should have known someone might fly planes into buildings on 9/11," versus those who do not think he could be expected to perform at that level of competence.

Should liberal pundits have accepted McKinney's explanation about her remarks in good faith and embarked on a futile and likely credibility-diminishing campaign to defend and explain them as not meaning what so many interpreted them to mean? We do not believe they were in any way so obligated.

We continue to believe Cynthia McKinney became a liability to the Democratic Party following her March 2002 commentary; that not only is a "specific knowledge" interpretation of those comments a reasonable one but the most reasonable; and that the anti-Bush cause benefits from her replacement by Rep. Denise Majette.

[Skip Intro]

1. Bull

She pointed out (a few of many) facts and asked two simple questions - what did the regime know and when did it know it.

Did she give rove some ammo to call into question her patriotism, and therefore the patriotism of "the left?" Yeah, it was spun that way.
What should she have done, kept quiet and docile like a good little sheep?

I think it took guts and true patriotism, in the midst of that red white and blue tornado that was ripping up the nation back then, to stand and ask questions that NEEDED to be asked. And those questions are still unanswered.

How can MWO be so sure that bushco knew nothing of the coming attacks?

Maybe they need another vacation?

[el_gato]

2. i'll have to disaree with MWO on this one

She dared speak the truth.

[blm]

3. One of the rare occasions

I disagree with MWO. I adore the horse madly, but, disagree with them on this...although, they have a case that CAN be made on their premise, it doesn't sway me.

[CatWoman]

4. That was my exact same reaction

but I wanted to post it here to see what DUer's thought about this article.

[salin]

10. Catwoman - how has Majette's voting record been so far?

I haven't followed. I know there was a great deal of speculation that she was really a republican (based on her affiliations and some statements) but running as a moderate Dem. What do the facts (her votes) so far suggest?

[CatWoman]

She's been very quiet -- you wouldn't know she was in Congress

This is all I could find so far:

http://profiles.numbersusa.com/improfile.php3?DistSend=GA&VIPID=1099

[salin]

17. That is a funny website/score card

a little paranoid, perhaps, but quite funny. I keep forgetting on big votes to look for her name to see how she votes- too distracting looking at our own often republican voting democrat to see how he voted.

[Vitruvius]

23. So Majette is the female version of the "empty suit"

("very quiet, wouldn't even know she's in Congress...).

I hope McK takes her seat back in the next election -- we need her.

Vitruvius

P.S: And Majette could always go to work for some big, inept, Rethugnican corporation -- she'd fit right in with the empty suits in the executive suite... I see a bright future for her as a 'token' at Halliburton or the like...

[CatWoman]

12. She's been very quiet -- you wouldn't know she was in Congress

This is all I could find so far:

http://profiles.numbersusa.com/improfile.php3?DistSend=GA&VIPID=1099

[noiretextatique]

21. here's her website

http://www.house.gov/majette/

[CaptainMidnight]

11. this is as if Karl Rove had raped Cynthia McKinney

and was using the classic "blame the victim" defense.

"She brought it on herself."

"Look at the way she dresses."

"She'd been slutty in the past."

"She WANTED it."

"She tried suicide months earlier." Sound familiar? I have a feeling OJ's gonna have nothing on Kobe, it that makes it to trial.

McKinney was nothing short of heroic when NO ONE else, aside from us "internet conspiracy theorists", were calling this stuff into question. When Senators were getting anthraxed, blackmailed, and intimidated by the Bush Cabal, she still chose to speak up, and much like Clinton's woes before her, she had virtually NO SUPPORT FROM HER OWN PARTY!

She was left twisting in the wind. Talk about a REAL high-tech lynching.

I think now that the truth is starting to emerge about 9-11, the fake Iraqi war, the Bush Family cashing in, the "lily-livered Left," as Mike Ruppert calls them, better start getting their fucking act together and stop slamming those that dare to expose the truth.

Gore Vidal said "conspiracy theory is the label they put on what is really the unspeakable truth."

Rock on, Cynthia!

Shame on the likes of MWO, David Corn, Norm Soloman, and those who seek to undermine those with the balls to tell the friggin' truth!

Captain Mike

[tinanator]

5. whore's agenda

never deviates. its not about truth, openness, democracy or anything else. It's all about opinion control, from a very loaded POV.
certainly isnt about democratic/liberal/progressive unity, or for that matter the oppressed people's concerns. she is evil.

[gratuitous]

6. Well, of course the Repubs framed it the way they wanted!

But they were easily able to do so thanks to the red, white and blue tornado previously mentioned, and the reluctance of whatever liberal/progressive pundits who have access to the airwaves (Hello Paul Begala!) to defend her or to take the position in hand, and perhaps restate it or refine it.

Hell, Santorum and Bush can make the most mind-numbingly stupid statements anyone has ever heard, but do the Republican commentators put trash cans on their heads or hide under their desks? They do not. Instead, they come out and defend these jackasses even if they have to say that whatever idiocy crawled out of Santorum's or Bush's mouth meant the exact opposite of what they actually said.

It would have taken far less to "rehabilitate" what McKinney said than it does to reformulate the ignorant utterances issued by the Dim Son on a daily basis, but nobody on the Democratic side with access to a microphone felt obliged to stand up for or to help out McKinney.

Just shameful of the Horse to pile on like this, and not take the pink tutu Democrats to task. I have to disagree with them as well.

[walkon]

7. I respectfully disagree with MWO on this one.

McKinney got into trouble for mentioning Carlyle and the BFEE used the media to focus on the "conspiracy", which she never proposed. United Defense was a liability after the cancellation of the corrupt Crusader program and going public assured Carlyle of a quick, sure profit.
She also became an object lesson for all others who may raise questions of this sort.
Ambassador Wilson, more recently, has claimed that he is such a lesson to others by his wife's CIA status being revealed. What about Dr. Kelly in the U.K.?
Was McKinney's approach the best way to address what needed to be done post 9-11? I don't see one question she posed as being inappropriate. And not one has been answered, to date.
But where were the democrats then and where are they now, in the face of more cover-up and intimidation as the initial 9-11 report is released?
And just how does Denise Majette forward the "anti-Bush cause"?

Did someone hijack MWO during that last absence?

[Aries]

8. It's perplexing that MWO is willing to just ignore

the issues raised in their statement:

we believe the most logical interpretation of those comments is an implication of something other than "the Bush Regime should have connected the dots" - particularly because of McKinney's mention of specific types of "unusual stock trades" made "immediately before" the attacks, followed by "What did this administration know?"

Aren't they even curious about the stock trades?

And doesn't circumstantial evidence now suggest that the administration knew something "immediately before the attacks"? Something it is adamant about preventing us from finding out?

[Generic Other]

9. Link to Forkboy's recent thread on McKinney's "lynching" by the media

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=86791&mesg_id=86791&page=

[MIMStigator]

13. Greg Palast quote from that link and whores quote different

The Greg Palast quote is the same one but doesn't say anything about stock trades. Did anybody hear the actual interview?

[nomatrix]

14. Dems are consuming their own

MWO, are you going to write an article about MWO, if this comes to fruition?



http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=428185

Reconstruction role for James Baker may herald return of the Bush old guard


"Mr Baker has been a loyal friend of the Bush family, most recently running the President's campaign during the torrid days of the Florida recount in November, 2000. He also headed the failed re-election campaign for George Bush Senior in 1992. Some officials have indicated that by turning to Mr Baker, 73, the White House is displaying its awareness of the need to gain more international support for its reconstruction efforts. It is anticipated that Mr Baker would use his stature and contacts to try to build an international coalition. He was Secretary of State during the 1990-91 Gulf War.

Officials said Mr Baker, a senior figure along with Mr Bush in the Carlyle Group, a private investment firm, and a partner in a Texas law firm that represents US oil companies in the Caspian region, is among several high-profile names being considered for a role. It is not clear whether he would answer to Mr Bremer or vice versa, if he took the job."

Your comment:
"We continue to believe Cynthia McKinney became a liability to the Democratic Party following her March 2002 commentary"

MWO fails to do it's own research.

[Devils Advocate NZ]

15. MWO is just covering their arse because now they look like idiots.

They took to McKinney almost as vicously as the repugs in an effort to avoid being labelled "Conspiracy Theorists" and now that it turns out that she was right, they not only look like fools, but they can be added to the list of people who wrongly convicted McKinney in the court of public opinion.

The smart thing for them to do would be to admit their mistake, but they would never do something like that would they?

[bpilgrim]

30. admit their mistake or SHUT UP about it...

unless they actually have something NEW to add.

peace

[Mel]

16. Bunk!

I disagree, what a way to take this and twist.
tsk! tsk! tsk! MWO!

Why blame Cynthia for the Right being stupid or rather should I say their usual selfs taking something and twisting it the same crap the fascists did when it came to Wellstone's memorial.

Check out this thread......I think it's relative.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=110&topic_id=378&mesg_id=378&listing_type=search

[qandnotq]

18. A dissent: MWO nailed it

Politics is a game of hardball. If you refuse to play by its rules, or don't understand the game, expect to lose. I don't like the game, and neither did McKinney. But, she should have known exactly how her comments would be spun. With better political instincts, she could have been a voice of criticism, question, and dissent without becoming the issue herself.

[noiretextatique]

19. mwo is consistent

in its message. however, i lack their faith in majette's "benefits" to the anti-bush cause.

[buddhamama]

20. this statement

"...doesn't want the American people to know …those involved in the lead-up to September 11."

what's wrong here?

[TahitiNut]

22. Codependent rationalizations. Neurotic.

MWO bases their 'argument' on the notion that the Reichbots have to be somehow 'allowed' to spew propagandistic nonsense and vicious mischaracterizations. This is the kind of specious rationalization of codependent behavior used by drunks, addicts, and abusive spouses for ages!! Cynthia no more 'allowed' the Reich to distract and obfuscate than a woman wearing shorts 'provokes' her own rape. This is sheer 'blame the victim' bullshit and it portrays the intellectual dysfunction that's infecting our entire nation, across the ideological spectra.

Let's just put this another way: Cynthia McKinney far, far exceeded the 'standard of proof' in her speeches as compared to that lower 'standard' used by the Busholinis to preemptively invade both Afghanistan and Iraq.

[charlie]

26. Yep

If McKinney "allowed" the right to frame the argument (what argument? Who else from our side was taking Bush on for negligence and co-opting 911 for his own purposes?), then I wonder if MWO would agree that Daschle "allowed" the media mirth and tut-tutting over "Democrats politicizing the war" when he had a tantrum on the Senate floor?

[Eloriel]

24. Oh, good, let's blame the victim AGAIN

JesusHChrist.

Sorry, Cat, dear. Can't participate in THIS thread. Nuh huh. Not today.

Eloriel

[CatWoman]

27. *snarf*

:hi:

all is well :D

[whoYaCallinAlib]

25. She was sacrificed for no reason.

She did nothing wrong.

[buddhamama]

28. sure she did-she raised issues and asked questions

that made both parties uneasy.

she investigated the theft and racism that occured in Fl. in the 2000 election.
the Sept. 11th issue-she raised
she was a thorn in the side of this Admin because of her caring for our veterans
Barrick Gold Mining/Sutton Resources- she called for an investigation into this company and their responsibilty for the deaths of villagers and the Mining Wars in Africa. Prominent persons sat on Barrick's Board. Not too mention, Poppy was the former head of said company.

[bpilgrim]

29. no one is perfect...

i STILL havent seen where she is quoted as having stated bush had 'specific knowledge' of the attack.

nice try MWO but yall would do better to not say anything about this issue NOW after all we know about this 'regime' and foreknowledge of 911 unless yall actually have something NEW to say.

peace

[Forkboy]

31. and on and on it goes

:eyes: