As a newcomer to Kos and to blogs generally, I am amazed at the tunnel vision that seems to characterize much of the discussion - endless picking at small details of fact or terminology, while underlying issues are ignored. I certainly hope that Ned Lamont unseats Joe Lieberman, because we need Democrats in Congress who will oppose and denounce the many crimes of the Bush administration, not be accomplices. I am glad that dailykos has focused on that contest. But Cynthia McKinney's re-election contest is just as important - aside from being for the House rather than the Senate - basically for the same reasons.
AIPAC and conservative Democrats as well as Republicans are going all out to defeat McKinney precisely because she stands up to the Bush administration's crimes at every turn, and also, unlike 90% of the Congress, refuses to be cowed into toeing the AIPAC line by supporting every funding request for Israel and every demagogic pro-Israel resolution.
According to the August 4 edition of the Congressional newspaper, The Hill, http://www.thehill.com/... ,
"Hank Johnson collected at least $34,100 on Tuesday from individuals and political action committees (PACs) that supported Majette, Davis or both, including several pro-Israel PACs. Overall, Johnson reported receiving $63,100 on Tuesday.
"The contributions were recorded in a filing with the Federal Election Commission that requires only donors of $1,000 or more to be identified, meaning Johnson's haul could have been larger."
All the criticisms of Cynthia McKinney that I have seen, mainly by 5 or 6 Kossacks who apparently have time to make constant comments to any diary posted on the subject, are politically vacuous and based on character assassination. (I work for a living, so will not be posting many comments except on the weekend.) I am surprised to see this sort of malicious posting on what I was told was a "liberal" blog, as the method seems to be the same as that cultivated by right-wing talk radio and Fox News.
Regarding Cynthia McKinney's personality, the detractors surely can not be referring to her speaking, as I have heard her speak many times and find that she is always eloquent, focused, and on point. Regarding the charges of anti-Semitism - this tactic is the McCarthyism of our time, promoted by AIPAC and its supporters. As a Jewish supporter, I am always welcome on my visits to Decatur by Cynthia, her mother, Leora, and her father, Billy.
A few of the important political issues of our time include:
1. A criminal and infinitely stupid war in Iraq;
2. Shredding of the Constitutional guarantees of freedom from unreasonable search, and of due process of law, as well as steady encroachments on separation of church and state;
3. A systematic policy of secret detentions and torture in violation of international law;
4. Two consecutive stolen presidential elections;
5. Unqualified US support and gigantic scale of military aid for Israeli colonialism and militarism;
6. US and Israeli contempt for the most fundamental human rights - to remain alive, safe in their own homes and farms, and free to travel and engage in commerce - of Palestinians, and now Lebanese;
7. Pillage of the US economy by corporate cronies of the administration, including tens of billions of dollars unaccounted for in Iraq.
No member of Congress has spoken out and acted more forcefully on these issues than Cynthia McKinney, just as no Democrat has ducked them more consistently than Joe Lieberman. I really can't comprehend why many who detest Lieberman for his failures to oppose the crimes of the administration are not just as willing to support Cynthia McKinney for being one of the most stalwart and courageous opponents (along with John Conyers and Dennis Kucinich) of those crimes.
I would ask those who keep trying to smear Cynthia McKinney merely with adjectives borrowed from talk radio and the yellow journalism of Cynthia Tucker - "loony," "unbalanced," "an embarrassment," etc. - where do you stand on the real issues? Do you agree or disagree with Cynthia McKinney's criticisms of the Bush administration and of Israel? Are you even Democrats, and, if so, do you think that Democrats should just keep their heads down while the Republican majority is leading the nation to one calamity after another? I think it is cowardly to engage only in character assassination while obscuring discussion of the political issues and the political consequences of this election.