The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson has been turning heads since he arrived on Capitol Hill in January, taking over the erstwhile firebrand Cynthia McKinney. He has continued to display a cool, detached, yet effective manner that defined his run for the House seat he currently occupies.Some of his notable actions over his first 100 days:
- The first bill introduced by Johnson called for the immediate end to the use of US troops for street patrols in Baghdad.
- His first speech on the House floor in January was in favor of raising the minimum wage.
- He has held a number of town hall meetings here in the district.
- He has worked with Atlanta's U.S. Representative John Lewis on protecting PeachCare, Georgia's health insurance program for poor children.
- He has visited Iraq; he met with the troops and Iraqis.
The AJC article quotes Burrell Ellis, the presiding officer of the DeKalb County Commission, "He's done about 500 days of work in a 100-day period."
Hank is even winning over staunch McKinney supporters who concede that his non-confrontational manner is impressive. Republicans and Democrats in the Georgia congressional delegation say they're just happy to have an Atlanta-area lawmaker whose office not only returns their calls, but who works with their offices on legislation.
plez sez: this time last year, i was on a near-constant tirade about how Representative Cynthia McKinney was a the source of embarrassment for her constituents in the Fourth District and how i couldn't wait to have her ousted from office. twelve months later, i am proud to say that my neighbor and new Congressman is doing us proud; i spoke with him briefly over the weekend at the grocery store and he is wearing his role as Congressman well. thanks, hank!
i can only hope that my support (and the support of others in the blogosphere) played a key role in helping Hank Johnson supplant a six-term Congresswoman from her post after more than a decade in Washington. this speaks to the power of this medium and the power of all who embrace and exercise our newfound voice. let's now turn our sights to the next objective and see it through.
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10 comments:
I just want to thank you for keeping me politically aware, Brother Plez. I don't like reading the news, because I feel it's all propaganda that can be bought by the highest bidder.
CAP,
this one of my great loves of blogging, being to give my VOICE to issues that affect me (and my family)... so i try to add what makes the issue personal to me. if i cannot do this, then more than likely, i will be silent. thanks for your continued support...
Plez let me ask you a question I myself cant stand Cynthia McKinney I think shes a bafoon.
If you could give me some examples of what average black people were thinking about her when you guys booted her out I would appreciate it.
Im asking you for this info because I come across a lot of black folk on the net who give her a free pass.
Please outline her 3 most bafoonish incidents for me Im curios. Ceptin the hitting the capitol police one I know what happened with that. Thank you Plez
mark wrote: If you could give me some examples of what average black people were thinking about her when you guys booted her out I would appreciate it.
plez sez: to be honest, i'm not sure what "average Black people" were thinking when they elected her in the first place (i NEVER voted for her). but this was a new majority Black congressional district in georgia back in 1992 and her father was a legislator in the Georgia State Assembly; he was very instrumental in getting her name on the ballot and squashing any competent challengers to the seat. once she won, she was basically "in" for life!
you should understand at this point in your life that a vast majority of Black people are "happy" to have representation in Congress regardless of the shoddy representation those representatives offer (see william jefferson of louisiana).
i happen to live in a prodominantly part of the atlanta metro area and we have a good progressive Black and politically astute constituency here... but we have been known to fall into the same "acceptance" mode as in other areas in the country. cynthia mckinney would still be in congress if she had not attacked that capitol hill policeman last year... that was the straw that broke the camel's back!
mark wrote: Please outline her 3 most bafoonish incidents for me Im curios. 'Ceptin the hitting the capitol police one I know what happened with that
plez sez: now Mark, why are you gonna give me a school assignment at 3pm on a friday afternoon?
well, here goes:
(1) back in the mid-90's when she was already in office, she was running for election. there was one local white guy who was also vying for the democratic nomination. i was the president of my homeowners association and invited the two to come speak at my neighborhood's community event. when i called cynthia mckinney's office, her staffer's first question was whether her opponent would be at the event. she said that "the congresswoman will not show up at any events where her opponent will appear." that was the END of the conversation.
(2) in 2002, i had moved to a new neighborhood and cynthia mckinney was being challenged by denise majette (a black judge from DeKalb County who eventually won the election). well, cynthia mckinney refused to appear at any event/debate where majette appeared. it was late in the cycle and majette was leading in the polls. again, i approached the mckinney camp to appear at a debate at my neighborhood association debate, this time she agreed to show up when she found out that CNN would be taping the debate. during this debate, she went on a tirade about how Bush knew about the 9/11 attacks prior to 9/11 and inferred that he encouraged the attack! in hindsight, she may have been on to something, but at the time, i felt that she had crossed the line.
(3) lastly, have you seen the video? click this link to see her lowest point of last year's election cycle.
i wish i could cull some better examples, but i felt that instead of regurgitating well known gaffes (like the capitol police incident, or the dedication of the tupac shakur memorial on cynthia mckinney drive, or her lack of legislative work (only one bill passed to rename a post office)during her 12 years in washington), but it is a friday afternoon... no more heavy lifting until monday! *smile*
thanks for coming by mark!
"cynthia mckinney drive"
mark bey: Cynthia McKinney drive she isnt 60 yet and what has she accomplished to have earned a cynthia mckinney drive. Thanks for the info Plez.
Thanks for the update! It's nice to hear some good things about our elected officials.
mark,
believe it or not, but since 2000, there has been a Cynthia McKinney Parkway in DeKalb County, Georgia! in these parts, we have a "strange" tradition of naming streets after folk while their still alive and kicking (sorta like giving you your flowers while you can still smell them). i don't agree with the practice for the very reason that we're STUCK with a street named for cynthia mckinney. i did a blog post awhile back about a state representative who has introduced to rename the street back to its orginal name: memorial drive. check it out to get more info about why i supported this legislation.
anali,
plezWorld would be such a depressing place if all i did was post negative articles.
thanks for appreciating my efforts to occassionally post some good news! *smile*
Good post. I was wondering how everything was going with Johnson. I had read an article not too long ago, but it’s always good to keep up with current politicians.
I am sooo glad that McKinney is out. Now I wonder what she is doing now that she’s out?
One of my favorite parts of that election was where Johnson called her out for not doing anything ion 12 years except getting a post office renamed. I guess the 2Pac act fell through.
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