We've come a long way, Baby!

Prosecutor gets McKinney case | ajc.com:
"Capitol Police on Monday sent the results of their investigation of Rep. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia to a federal prosecutor, who will decide, possibly this week, whether to press assault charges against her for striking a police officer.
"The police filing left open the question of whether McKinney should be charged with simple assault, a misdemeanor, or assault on a police officer, a felony, police and legal authorities said."

True Story, from about 30 years ago:

A Metropolitan (DC) Police officer was directing traffic at a busy intersection on Capitol Hill when a vehicle approached signalling for a left turn despite signs saying left turns were prohibited during rush hour. The officer looked the driver in the eye and shook his head in the well-understood negative gesture while continuing to give hand signals for traffic to proceed straight through the intersection. The driver then proceeded to make the left turn anyway and, in the process, struck down the officer who had to be taken to a hospital. No sooner had the officer been sent home to recuperate for several weeks but he was informed he had been suspended from duty. What had he done wrong? He asked a Congressman - the driver of the car that struck him - to obey the law.

The McKinney incident:

Things have changed. So far, the Capitol Police officer who was struck by US Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) has not been relieved of duty. If the Democrats were in the majority in either or both houses of Congress, I would have expected him to be disciplined.

I hope the Republicans (who control the joint administration committee which oversees the Architect of the Capitol, the US Capitol Police, the National Arboretum (supplies flowere to offices on the Hill) and other Congressional support functions) will cave easily to the campaign McKinney and her supporters have begun to portray her as the victim of a racially-motivated sexual assault.

But, it's an election year and Republicans can be awfully spineless when someone accuses them of racism or sexism or any other nasty thing they aren't.