A week later, this arrogant sack of crap finally apologizes.

"There should not have been any physical contact in this incident," McKinney said in brief remarks on the House floor. "I am sorry that this misunderstanding happened at all and I regret its escalation and I apologize."

But only after this.

No more he-grabbed-she-slapped -- whether U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney should be charged over a confrontation with Capitol Police last week will be decided by a grand jury, perhaps as soon as next week, said federal law enforcement sources familiar with the case.

Prosecutors have decided to present the case, and the grand jury will begin hearing testimony Thursday, the two sources said.

Senior congressional sources said that two House staff members -- Troy Phillips, an aide to Rep. Sam Farr, D-California, and Lisa Subrize, executive assistant to Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Michigan -- have been subpoenaed to testify.

The Justice Department and the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, which is handling the case, refused to comment.

Which was preceded by this and this.

As U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney, D-Georgia, faces possible criminal charges for a Wednesday altercation with a Capitol Police officer, one of her lawyers said Friday that the real issues were "sex, race and Ms. McKinney's progressiveness."

In a news conference featuring actor Danny Glover and singer Harry Belafonte, McKinney said she would be exonerated and that "this whole incident was instigated by the inappropriate touching and stopping of me, a female, black congresswoman."

* * *

During the conference, held at historically black Howard University in Washington, civil rights attorney James Myart said his client was "assaulted" by a Capitol Police officer, whose name the department refuses to release.

"Because she was assaulted and placed in impending fear of her safety, she responded," he said. "This case has just begun and we're going to fight, and we're going to use the U.S. Constitution."

Myart said McKinney would seek a criminal investigation against the officer, and a civil lawsuit against both the officer and the Capitol Police is being explored.

Sorry, Cynthia – you made this about the integrity of the Capitol Hill Police. That force will be vindicated – and you will pay the price for your arrogant, criminal behavior.

I’m personally hoping for a felony charge, and at least as much jail time as Martha Stewart got.

And hopefully this ethics complaint will result in harsh sanctions against McKinney.

Soon-to-retire Rep. Tom DeLay (R.-Tex.) said today he would file an ethics complaint against Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D.-Ga.) for striking a Capitol Police officer should no other House member do so first.

DeLay’s comments came during a wide-ranging interview at his Capitol Hill office with reporters, including HUMAN EVENTS Editor Terry Jeffrey.

“If nobody in this House files an ethics charge, I am,� DeLay said in response to a question about McKinney. “Her behavior is outrageous. And it’s not the only time.�

DeLay was asked if he supported the Capitol Police’s actions following the incident with McKinney, which took place last week when she bypassed a metal detector and a police officer stopped her.

“You bet,� he said.

“It’s outrageous behavior,� he said about McKinney. “Had it been Tom DeLay, the Ethics Committee would have met the next day.�

Which was exactly my point the other day. Won’t it be poetic justice that DeLay’s final act will be to uphold the honor and dignity of the House of Representatives.

UPDATE: Looks like McKinney isn’t too contrite – she has hired a bodyguard who intimidates reporters.

[E]ven as McKinney appeared to be trying to put the issue to rest, a bodyguard she hired – reportedly a former Georgia state trooper – was raising another furor when he threatened a television reporter trying to interview McKinney outside the Capitol just minutes before she appeared on the House floor.

When the reporter from Cox Broadcasting tried to ask McKinney about the grand jury, the bodyguard told him, "I'm going to put your ass in jail. I'm a police officer," a videotape of the incident shows.

Her Majesty The Congresswoman doesn’t have to speak to the press – but her retainers are out of line making threats they cannot carry out in an attempt to stop the exercise of Constitutional rights. Last time I checked, that was a violation of civil rights.

UPDATE 2: Gee, not only was there a threat against the reporter, but Her Majesty The Congresswoman's thug-for-hire actually laid hands on the reporter -- on camera, no less!

As she was heading into the U.S. Capitol to apologize for a run-in with a police officer, a bodyguard for Rep. Cynthia McKinney shoved a reporter for Channel 2 Action News.

Reporter Scott MacFarlane was trying to question McKinney as she entered the Capitol.

As the group moved across the Capitol grounds McKinney's bodyguard tried to block access to the congresswoman.

At one point the unidentified bodyguard and MacFarlane bumped into each other.

The bodyguard then shoved the reporter telling him, "I'm going to put your ass in jail."

When asked if he worked for the Capitol Police the bodyguard responded, "I work for Ms. McKinney." On the tape of the incident you can hear the man say that he wasn't a Capitol police officer but that, "I am a police officer." McKinney's office is now saying that the man was not a police officer, but a driver for the congresswoman.

The Capitol Police Criminal Investigative Department is investigating the incident and trying to determine who the man is.

MacFarlane says he believes that he and the bodyguard were both equal parties when they intially collided. MacFarlane says the bodyguard did give him a shove after the initial contact as they approached the Capitol steps, but that he does not begrudge him for that.

Seems to me that there could be grounds for assault charges against the bodyguard as well. Maybe he and Cynthia could share a cell.

(H/T Michelle Malkin)

UPDATE 2: At least one Congressional Black Caucus loon is defending Crazy Cindy.

"I feel there is some racial profiling in this case," said Georgia state Rep. Tyrone L. Brooks Sr. (D), who has known McKinney for 30 years and was her campaign manager from 1992 to 2002. "Believe me, I know in my travels through the government buildings, I know my white colleagues are treated differently from me."

Because, of course, white folks without credentials are routinely allowed to skip the security procedures -- right, Tyrone? Or is it just that when presented with the choice between a simple, non-racial, no-conspiratorial explanation and an explanation involving racism, poverty pimps and race 'ho's always play the race card.