Distancing myself from Cynthia McKinney

Ever since joining the Green Party in 2000, I have felt that running presidential candidates is the most interesting thing we do. I was Cynthia McKinney's top signature-gatherer in Minnesota.

I still feel that nominating Cynthia McKinney in 2008 was the right thing to do, given what we knew at the time. On 9/11 Truth, Depleted Uranium, and Ending the Fed, I agree, and I am still pledged to vote against Obama in 2012.

But we need a new candidate to run against him. Either that or get behind Nader or some other progressive so we don't split the vote. Cynthia McKinney has been great in the past, but now it's her turn to ride securely at the belly of the bus.

Recently in this blog I posted a statement from McKinney, forwarded by the GPUS, where she clearly sides with Qaddafi. She has led two delegations to Tripoli. At the end, she quotes a Chavez communique, "Long live Muammar Al-Qathafi! "

http://tomstream.blogspot.com/2011/03/libya-pros-and-cons.html

I remember when she came to the GPMN state meeting Nov. 7, 2009. We had just finished putting stickers on a white board, and she compared it to Qaddafi's Green Book. And she was supposed to appear Jan. 19, 2011 at St. Joan of Arc church, but she couldn't make it because her plane was delayed in Libya.

As stated earlier, I agree with most of what Cynthia McKinney says. I have worked so hard for her in the past. But this issue is a deal-breaker for me.

According to Wikipedia, Qaddafi's "'revolutionary sector' is not elected and cannot be voted out of office and dictates the decision-making power of the 'Jamahiriya sector'". Also, I don't see anyone refuting reports that Qaddafi has used violence against his own people.

Whether the UN intervention in Libya is a good idea may depend on what sort of constitution and government comes out of it. McKinney makes a compelling case that the US is up to no good. But siding with Qaddafi? Just because his book is Green doesn't mean that he is. Two wrongs don't make a right. The enemy of my enemy should not necessarily be my friend.

Cynthia talked a lot about race in her statement. At one point she writes, "In short, if you want to stop Black people, then one key move is to stop Colonel Qaddafi."

I have tried to remain colorblind in my analysis of the Libyan situation. To me, the key question has been simply whether Qaddafi is a violent dictator.

I generally trust NPR when it comes to war coverage, and I was appalled by the story of the journalists held hostage by the Libyan military, the woman groped, and her life threatened. I was stunned by stories of journalists fed propaganda and not allowed to talk to average people and cover the war. And let us not forget the Lockerbie bombing.

I am not a happy camper. I wore my Cynthia McKinney bumper stickers with pride, but they are coming off soon. I am not one for groupthink. My main loyalty is to the truth.