It's hard to imagine that such an unusual event would have been equally ignored by the press, if, say, it had been a Republican member of Congress who smacked a U.S. Capitol Police officer. But for much of the Washington press corps it was a non-story when Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D.-Ga.) slugged a cop at a secured entrance to the Capitol complex.
"McKinney, a sixth-term Democratic congresswoman, entered a House office building unrecognized, refused to stop when asked, then struck an officer, according to police," the Associated Press reported. "No charges were filed."
