Cynthia McKinney comes to Amherst

[penguins4me]

I'm not much interested in what lying, two-bit weasels have to say, regardless of which camp they are in. If someone points out that someone surrounded by lying, two-bit weasels actually isn't a lying, two-bit weasel themselves, I might lend some some credence to their words, find out more, and spread the word if they, in fact, are something better than a lying, two-bit weasel.

For ease of reference, I'm referring to going against the oath all congresspersons swore to uphold and defend the Constitution as lying.

-edit

Also, remember the question here is whether or not to get out of one's house next Friday afternoon, travel a few short miles down the road and meet and hear an activist speak about their congressional career of fighting the totalitarians

Do keep in mind that not all folks here are physically located in NH. Even if I was, I'd be more inclined to potentially waste a perfectly good afternoon listening to a politician if the person advocating that I (or other readers) pointed out something good about the politician in general, other than what is currently politically fashionable to do today for its own sake.
If McKinney is as pro-liberty as some folks are claiming she is, it'd sure be nice to have something to back that up with other than "she made one good speech the other day".

[dalebert]

What I got from Penquins was that many Democrats and Republicans take their stances not because they believe in them on principle, but simply to be oppositional to their partisan enemies. I know it happens because I defended our actions in Iraq for some time simply to be oppositional to liberals. It was the realization that Democracy is not freedom that made me realize politicians of all stripes are despicable.

I can relate to him on that regarding this politician. What bothers me about her is not her stance on specific issues. What bothers me is that she is such a typical politician, willing to use every tactic at her disposal to win the popularity contest or to villianize her political opponents. Her behavior toward that security guard and the way she tried to come across as a victim afterward sickened me. It would be hard enough not to despise her simply for being a typical politician, but I think just her personality would make me wanna vomit in her presence.

As you pointed out, she does (at the moment) hold a lot of views that happen to coincide with my own and prolly many others here. But do you really think she's going to reach anyone that isn't already holding those views? Do you think she's got some wisdom to impart to us that will better prepare us to reach others with these views that we already share? I just don't see it. Maybe she'll get some really liberal Democrats to hate Bush even more.

That said, I certainly don't see any harm in people going to listen to her if they want, and if they can hold their lunch down.

[jaqeboy]

What bothers me about her is not her stance on specific issues. What bothers me is that she is such a typical politician, willing to use every tactic at her disposal to win the popularity contest or to villianize her political opponents.

It is a war - politicians are just engaging in a formalized, procedure-laden, non-shooting, war.

Her behavior toward that security guard and the way she tried to come across as a victim afterward sickened me. It would be hard enough not to despise her simply for being a typical politician, but I think just her personality would make me wanna vomit in her presence.

You may have gotten a lot of that impression from the spin of her political enemies at the Atlanta Journal Constitution. In this war, the perception is more important than the reality. That incident apparently happened in the heat of her campaign for office, about a week before the election. It appears to have been a convenient incident to amplify to smear level to defame her right before the election. [correction: double-checked the dates, it was March 29th - oopsie - I thought I read it was before election-time] You might also instantly react to a guard grabbing you when you are normally accorded respect as a long-time Congressman and you're in a hurry on the way to a hearing. (I can't believe you've gotten me into the position of defending any elected official! )

See her blog on this: http://www.allthingscynthiamckinney.com/CynthiasHair

As you pointed out, she does (at the moment) hold a lot of views that happen to coincide with my own and prolly many others here. But do you really think she's going to reach anyone that isn't already holding those views? Do you think she's got some wisdom to impart to us that will better prepare us to reach others with these views that we already share? I just don't see it.

My concern isn't who she reaches. I'm acting as the messenger to announce to the curious that she will be available to you locally, not to convince you to go or speculate on who else might be there. BTW, she will also be in Kennebunkport, Maine the next day (about 1.5 hours away) for the big Rally and March for Peace in front of the Bush compound (separate announcement to follow).

As to whether she's got some wisdom to impart, I can assure you that she will, knowing that she has spent a dozen years in the belly of the beast and has gone up against some tough characters there, like:

Cynthia McKinney takes on Donald Rumsfeld:
[youtube=425,350]9RvLL--vSsA[/youtube]

Maybe she'll get some really liberal Democrats to hate Bush even more.

How could liberals and libertarians hate his policies even more? Would it take actually using the word "dictator" and actually breaking down your door in the middle of the night for some to wake up and smell the napalm?

See: Conquering the Drawbacks of Democracy, By Philip Atkinson, "President Bush can fail in his duty to himself, his country, and his God, by becoming "ex-president" Bush or he can become "President-for-Life" Bush: the conqueror of Iraq, who brings sense to the Congress and sanity to the Supreme Court." - This article is pretty shocking!

[jaqeboy]

Maybe she'll get some really liberal Democrats to hate Bush even more.

How could liberals and libertarians hate his policies even more? Would it take actually using the word "dictator" and actually breaking down your door in the middle of the night for some to wake up and smell the napalm?

Here's a clip about National Security Presidential Directive #51 of May 9th, that authorizes Bush to declare himself dictator (in case of emergency) - to actually be President for life:

See: Bush Hammers Final Nail Into Constitutional Coffin, C-SPAN interview with Jerome Corsi
[youtube=425,350]SjZymcRfDTs[/youtube]

Or for you "Bush-haters" out there in forum land,
DIRECTIVE 51 GIVES BUSH DICTATOR POWERS
[youtube=425,350]ncBPB5odB8A[/youtube]

See: White House document of NSPD 51 & HSPD 20

[jaqeboy]

BTW, I believe that Cynthia McKinney will be over at the Kennebunkport protest on Saturday, as well:

http://newhampshireunderground.com/forum/index.php?topic=10321.0

[EthanAllen]

not whether or not you should throw your full energies and unwavering support and overwhelming financial weight to some campaign - I don't think she's running for anything.

http://www.gp.org/meeting2007/

She is considering running for the Green Party's Presidential nomination.

[jaqeboy]

updating the thread with news of a new visit by Cynthia McKinney:

from Women Making a Difference:
-----------------------------------------------------
Dear Women Making a Difference,

Here's a reminder about this Tuesday:

Tuesday, November 6 at 1pm in The Fells Clubhouse, CYNTHIA MCKINNEY will return to make an important announcement.  You may remember that Cynthia McKinney was a U.S. Congresswoman from Georgia until 2007 when she was defeated for re-election in a seriously flawed election.  She spoke to a full house at The Fells clubhouse a couple of months ago.  Unfortunately, she arrived late and many members of Women Making a Difference missed her.  Cynthia felt so bad about that that she is returning to make amends!  We hope you can make it.  Please let Nan Stearns know if you can: 673-3730.

We hope to see you there!
-----------------------------------------------------

[grasshopper]

  I do not know her heart, but, being a politition she MAY be still getting money from supporters which she may spend in her own way if it is for "public use for running for office".  This might be for keeping her gravy train going.
  (just a thought)

[Dreepa]

She can be against Bush all she wants... and I will agree and support her in that realm... however doesn't she just want to raise taxes and 'help people'?

[CNHT]

She can be against Bush all she wants... and I will agree and support her in that realm... however doesn't she just want to raise taxes and 'help people'?

Yup - McKinney, Chavez, Al Gore, the UN... it all leads to the same place. It's a rough crowd.

[Fluff and Stuff]

I listened to her talk and she sounds like a huge socialist.  She seems worse than many of the socialist than control Europe.  Is she a communist?

[CNHT]

I listened to her talk and she sounds like a huge socialist.  She seems worse than many of the socialist than control Europe.  Is she a communist?

I would think so. It's not enough to be against some of these other things if you are going to recommend socialism...what's the point? It's like when they made a hero of Carol Shea Porter for her anti-Real ID stance -- when she is FOR universal health care! I mean DUH, you'd need an ID card for that with all your health info on it or what good would it be if you are somewhere far from home and get sick and are supposed to be treated the same as you would in your home state?

Hypocrisy....

[jaqeboy]

She can be against Bush all she wants... and I will agree and support her in that realm... however doesn't she just want to raise taxes and 'help people'?

I wasn't able to attend her Amherst gig, but saw her in Hartford Saturday when she introduced William Pepper at the 9-11 Family Members, First Responders and Experts Speak Out conference. Her strength and spirit were inspiring. I think the attraction to libertarians is to meet and talk to someone who has faced down evil-doers like Donald Rumsfeld and has filed resolutions to impeach the shameful war criminal and rights-destroying George Bush. She is awake and aware that there is a criminal gang that has taken over the United States government and has bravely fought them, at the expense of her Congressional career. That's the kind of courageous person I'd want to learn from - where they draw their strength, how they managed to endure the stress and pressure, etc.

That's the glory of the libertarian coalitioning strategy. We've learned enough to acknowledge that the 2 party paradigm is the enemy and we can ally with whoever is fighting against the enlargement of state power, the vile, murderous practices and the agressive war promoters. (ie, if one is stuck in the 2-party paradigm, they'll tend to think one of the parties is "good" and the other "bad". By jumping into the libertarian movement, conceived of in the late 60's with a coalitioning strategy as the modus, we can oppose evil, no matter whom it's perpetrated by and ally with those opposing that evil, no matter what party they're beholden to.)

You know that some of your favorite politicians don't have 100% of their positions in total agreement with yours and with your favorite friends. You ARE "free" to support them on the positions you agree with them on and oppose them on positions you abhor because you are free.

We can also oppose McKinney's positions and practices that threaten our freedoms, when that happens - she's just not the greater evil right now, whereas the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld-Gonzales-Wolfowitz-etc. cabal TOTALLY IS. Let's see... 3 of those down, 2 to go! - now to empanel the grand juries and construct the gallows!

We're fighting some nasty evil-doers here and we need all the allies we can get in that fight, regardless of whether you like their hairdo or not. 

[Fluff and Stuff]

I listened to her talk and she sounds like a huge socialist.  She seems worse than many of the socialist than control Europe.  Is she a communist?

I would think so. It's not enough to be against some of these other things if you are going to recommend socialism...what's the point? It's like when they made a hero of Carol Shea Porter for her anti-Real ID stance -- when she is FOR universal health care! I mean DUH, you'd need an ID card for that with all your health info on it or what good would it be if you are somewhere far from home and get sick and are supposed to be treated the same as you would in your home state?

Hypocrisy....

Online database.  I know that is how it works with my health insurance company.  All of my records for the last few years are online.

[CNHT]

Not to mention that McKinney IS a huge part of the 'two-party paradigm' herself. I mean this is why she is so vehemently anti-Bush...
Otherwise, she would give equal time to those in her own party...but she doesn't.

Hypocrisy... and partisan nonsense as usual.