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Congressmen Ejected With Sheehan
The ejection of Cindy Sheehan and a congressman’s wife from President Bush’s State of the Union address for wearing T-shirts with political content garnered plenty of media attention. But few noticed another, quieter drama unfolding as two members of Congress were also unseated – Reps. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., and Cynthia McKinney, D-Ga., both members of the Congressional Black Caucus. McKinney has been accustomed to staking out an aisle seat and therefore assuring a network TV appearance with the president, according to Roll Call’s "Heard on the Hill” column. So McKinney went to the House floor hours in advance of the speech, along with Jackson, and they snagged two choice seats in a section normally reserved for Senators.
Story Continues Below Jackson then returned to his office while McKinney remained to hold on to the seats. But three hours after Jackson got back to his office, he received a cell phone call from a frantic McKinney telling him that sergeant-at-arms staffers were kicking her out of the seats. Jackson rushed back to the floor and told the officials: "Why are we reserving seats for people who [didn’t filibuster] Alito?” An official explained that was out of his control. The confrontation continued for a few tense moments, but ultimately McKinney and Jackson moved away, avoiding a standoff with Senators who wanted the seats. "Why do McKinney and Jackson go through all the trouble of saving seats for hours on end to shake hands with a president they don’t even like?” Roll Call wondered.
The reason, according to Roll Call: TV commercials are expensive and the Congressional Black Caucus, Jackson said, has been invited to the Bush White House only twice, so the State of the Union address is a chance to "show our constituents our proximity to the president." He added, "They need to know their members of Congress have access to the president.” "Peace mom” Sheehan was removed from the visitors’ gallery for wearing a T-shirt that read "2,245 Dead. How Many More?” Beverly Young, wife of Rep. Bill Young, R-Fla., was ejected for her T-shirt, which read "Support the Troops – Defending Our Freedom.” Capitol police apologized to both women the day after Bush’s address.
Editor's note:
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