Green Party Taps McKinney for President

By Kevin Robinson in News on Jul 14, 2008 3:55PM

As the Green Party wrapped up its convention here this weekend, former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney accepted the party's presidential nomination. McKinney chose Rosa Clemente, a hip-hop artist, journalist and activist, as her running mate. "I choose to do this, not for me, but for my generation, my community and my daughter," she said. "I don't see the Green Party as an alternative; I see it as an imperative."

McKinney served in congress from 1993 to 2003, and from 2005 to 2007, representing Georgia's 4th Congressional District. Her time in congress was marked with controversy. During the 2000 presidential election, she criticized Al Gore, saying that his "Negro tolerance level has never been too high. I've never known him to have more than one black person around him at any given time." She has also been a vocal critic of the Iraq War, the government's response to Hurricane Katrina, and the 9/11 Commission. She gained national attention on March 29, when, after entering the Capitol Building without passing through security Capitol Hill police tried to stop her. After the officer caught up to her, she allegedly physically assaulted him.

The Green Party is hoping to achieve automatic ballot access in several states this election cycle while promoting a left-leaning national agenda, including immigration reform and elimination of the Patriot Act.

Image via the McKinney campaign