Former U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney seeks old seat

Outgoing Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) announced Monday she will run for her old seat she lost to a Black, female Republican judge.

McKinney said she now knows of the "forces and challenges" that will face her in a rematch.

"Either we roll over, or we fight back," McKinney said.

McKinney is building her political warchest and foot soldiers now for a showdown in two years with African American Republican, Judge Denise Majette, to whom she lost her seat.

Appearing on WVON's Cliff Kelley Show, McKinney, who spoke at a forum sponsored by the Ujima Political Action Committee held at Kennedy King College over the weekend, said she is getting support to run again from around the nation.

Last August, McKinney and Rep. Earl Hilliard (D-Ala) were targeted by Jewish pacts and defeated in the Democratic primary.

Because Georgia has no party registration, Republican voters crossed over and voted in the Democratic primary, and she was edged out.

The outspoken McKinney, who was the first Black woman ever elected to Congress from Georgia when she won in 1992, said Majette was armed with a $2 million warchest.

"I don't expect that money is going to disappear," said McKinney.

"We have not taken down our Web site (www.cynthia2002.com)" and we are asking for donations either by the Internet or send checks to "Friends of Cynthia McKinney" to P.O. 371125, Decatur, GA 30037.

"Once we file our paperwork, we will receive contributions again, and we hope that it will be enough to sustain what will be a very, very tough battle but one I will be prepared to endure," McKinney confidently stated.

McKinney ticked off Jews and Republicans last spring when she hinted that President Bush allegedly had pre-knowledge of the 9-11 attacks and that there were allegedly some in his administration who would "make huge profits off America's new war."

It was her pro-Palestinian statements that got her into hot water and made her a political hot potato.

She infuriated Jewish and white voters when then New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani rejected a $10 million contribution from a Saudi prince to help the terrorism victims because of the prince's criticism of U.S. Middle East policy.

While Giuliani turned his back on the $10 million gift, McKinney wrote to the prince asking to send her the money for other charitable causes.

During her primary, McKinney was criticized by her opponent for being pro-Arab.

McKinney predicted "that the first major test" for Majette will be her vote on the budget "at a time when Bush and his cronies are sucking away our social safety net money that provides education, health care, housing, jobs and job training and economic security for our people to an instable war machine."

Photograph (Cynthia McKinney, Fred Hampton and Akua Njeri)