McKinney Back to Congress

Somehow, I missed this news yesterday:

AJC – McKinney storms to win; Isakson earns Senate bid

Democrat Cynthia McKinney, whose tirades against President Bush helped get her tossed out two years ago, appeared headed back to Washington on Tuesday, while Johnny Isakson cruised to victory without a runoff in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

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But it was the likely return of McKinney in the 4th District that represented the starkest shift in Georgia politics. McKinney finished just above the magic 50 percent-plus-one mark. The district has strongly favored Democratic candidates over Republicans in recent years, giving McKinney a substantial edge over Republican Catherine Davis in November. McKinney ran a low-to-the-ground campaign among the black voters of south DeKalb County — emphasizing her 10 years’ experience in Congress rather than a rematch with Bush.

Tuesday night, McKinney called her primary victory “one of the greatest political comebacks in history.” “We’ve got to make America, America,” McKinney told supporters. “We’ve got to avoid any backsliding on civil rights or human rights. We’ve got to get our troops out of harm’s way. We’ve got to turn around this Bush economy.”

In 2002, McKinney’s criticism of Bush and her alliance with Palestinians prompted a heated race in which pro-Arab money flowed McKinney’s way and pro-Israel money went to McKinney’s opponent, Majette. “This victory means that her constituents missed her,” said Abed Hammoud, president of the Dearborn, Mich.-based Arab-American Political Action Committee. “She is a great lady, and I am delighted she won.”

Lovely.

Hat tip: James Taranto

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. McGehee says:

    “Kirk to Enterprise. Scotty, please beam up the entire voting-age population of DeKalb County, Georgia.”

    “Aye, sir, where d’ye want me to beam ’em down to?”

    “Saturn.”