Green Party Picks McKinney As Nominee

Former Democratic Congresswoman From Georgia Chooses Hip-Hop Activist Rosa Clemente As Running Mate

(CBS/AP)  Green Party delegates have selected former Democratic Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney of Georgia as the party's presidential nominee.

Ruth Weill, the party's national convention coordinator, said the delegates selected McKinney as they wrapped up their national convention here on Saturday.

McKinney tapped Rosa Clemente, a hip-hop artist, journalist and activist, as her running mate.

McKinney, 53, entered politics by following her father, an Atlanta policeman who later served in the Georgia State House. She won her first seat in 1988, and later ran for and won a House race in 1992, becoming the first African American woman to represent Georgia in Congress.

She was reelected several times but suffered a primary defeat in 2002, before winning her final term in the House in 2004.

She was a vocal opponent of the Iraq war, has called for new investigations into the September 11, 2001 attacks, sought justice for victims of Hurricane Katrina, and introduced articles of impeachment against President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

In 2006 McKinney apologized on the floor of the House for an incident in which she got into a scuffle with a Capitol Police Officer after passing through security without an identifying lapel pin.

Clamente, 36, born in the Bronx and of Puerto Rican descent, was raised in one of the nation's poorest communities, and became an activist and journalist angered by the Bush administration's response in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

"I choose to do this, not for me, but for my generation, my community and my daughter," she said of the nomination. "I don't see the Green Party as an alternative; I see it as an imperative."

On Saturday she described the campaign as an opportunity for the Hip-Hop generation: "We must remember that youth have always taken risks. From the Soweto uprisings in South Africa, to African-American and Mexicano children in the '50s and '60s who walked out of schools, to the 17-, 18- and 19-year old men and women who joined the ranks of the Student Non-Violent Coordination Committee, the Black Panther party, the American Indian movement, the Black Liberation Movement, the Young Lords Party - young people have always been the catalyst of change."

A Green Party official, meanwhile, said he misspoke when he told the Chicago Tribune for a story Friday that the Greens had borrowed money from party members to help pay for the Chicago convention. Scott McLarty, the Green Party's spokesman, said the loan had been authorized by top party officials, but no borrowing had taken place.

[libh8er]

Cynthia McKinney is an embarrassment to the state of Georgia Posted by msay3 at 09:04 AM : Jul 14, 2008

As a resident of Atlanta, I can tell you that you are 100% correct!

"Look OUT! Cynthia has a cell phone!!!!" LOL

[Netterz]

Ugh.....another article that makes me want to hurl.....

[msay3]

Cynthia McKinney is an embarrassment to the state of Georgia

[baldwin2008]

longtree - I understand your concern (and its probably unfortunately true this time around - again)but i feel thats the wrong way to think. The upcoming Google/Youtube debate in new orleans will be a good thing for third parties. The current 2 party system is proving to fail the people everytime a new one is elected. Have you considered the constitution party? It is the largest 3rd party by registered voters and has a very promising platform. check them out at
www.constitutionparty.org
www.baldwin08.com

[longtree-2009]

The election is between Obama and McCain. Only one of these two will be elected the POTUS. All the other candidates, from other political parties, will just take votes from either Obama or McCain.

[hadenufff]

This pretty funny stuff. The best the green party could do is find a stupid, racist, black women who probably doesn''t have enough brain cells to put a coherent thought together, for their presidential pick? What a hoot, mckinney is an absolute moron who should be sweeping up after the horses when the parade goes by. What a joke!

[brianbwb-2009]

"Liberals, Transgender Negros, Terrorist Apologists.
Unity of the Oppressed. Join the Pride Parade.
OBAMA 08!" Posted by DemsForUnity

McSame, Rice, and DemsForUnity. United Fascist. Nah, don''t join the parade, we will do better without you.

[brianbwb-2009]

"I suspect, have her "activist" views woven into it."
Posted by erichsh

As if that is not already the norm.

Somehow I am inclined to suspect that if such activist journalism reflected your own views, you would have no problem with it, but one look at the photo, and I also get the sense that you would have problems with it regardless.

[longduck69]

I love McKinney and Ron Paul too. They are both fine examples of American Patriots. I wish more people were like them. Too bad the Green Party will never be an influence in America. It is such a shame that the GOP railed against her and ran her out of office. The government officials there allowed Democrats and Republicans to vote in the primary elections together without sticking to party lines. The GOPs voted for a finger puppet of a politician placed there by the GOP. The Republicans actually put a Democrat in office. So much for sticking to your guns when Bush is in office. Far gone of the days of True American Patriots. The Republicans played dirty politics and put her out of office. I wish her well.

[randynason]

In this age of disillusionment and disgust, wouldn''t it be funny if she made a strong showing and rattled the traditional cage?

[erichsh]

A "journalist" and an "activist" at the same time? The article didn''t identify exactly what kind of "activist" she was, but was rather nonchalent about it. Anyway, whatever this lady might try to pass off as "journalism" will, I suspect, have her "activist" views woven into it.

[demsforunity]

Liberals, Transgender Negros, Terrorist Apologists.

Unity of the Oppressed. Join the Pride Parade.

OBAMA 08!







1-800-DEM-BOYZ (call donate)
Unity For Change!
Yes We Can!

[demsforunity]

DemsForUnity

[sgtrds10-4]

I will give them credit for one thing though, they finally found someone even crazier the Nader and that couldn''t have been easy.

[sgtrds10-4]

Who cares?

[standlee5]

Well, she''''s definitely got bigger n**** than obama.

Posted by jgg000 at 09:40 PM : Jul 13, 2008

exactly.

[incog-nito]

At least it''s not Ralph Nader.

[baldwin2008]

America, TAKE YOUR COUNTRY BACK!
www.constitutionparty.org
CHUCK BALDWIN 2008!
Do your research and WRITE THE VOTE IN!!!
Obama and McCain will both pull us further into this HOLE and away from our spirit and our roots.
THE CONSTITUTION AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS

[standlee5]

Maybe the Capitol Hill police were giving HER a hard time. She doesn''t really look like a Senator, she looks like an average Jane. So maybe she was just giving attitude back to the dude.

[flytheg550]

Green Party? Irrelevance on display.