The Second Sign of the Ablogalypse

On Monday, I noted that something very peculiar had happened.  Two stories that have independently become blogosphere focal points were suddenly coupled when Cynthia "Rock 'em Sock 'em" McKinney was found to have improperly diverted funds to pay for Isaac "Darth Chef" Hayes to travel to Atlanta to dedicate a new office.

While I've thus far been content to independently follow, on the one hand, Hayes' strange personal media blackout following his (or his Scientology handlers') bailing out of South Park for its Scientology-spoofing ways, and on the other hand, the Georgia Slugger's alleged assault on a federal law enforcement officer, it now seems increasingly likely that these need to be followed as one iniquitous mishmash of craziness and criminality.

Alert reader Beth steered me to a resource that divulged a number of quizzical connections between McKinney and not only Hayes, but the cult of Scientology in general.

From the April 1997 George magazine:

Several members of Congress, including representatives Donald Payne of New Jersey and Cynthia McKinney of Georgia, have criticized German policy, some after being contacted by celebrity Scientologists. McKinney was alerted to the situation by the singer Isaac Hayes. "I don't know much about Scientology, but I do know about Isaac Hayes," she says. "What I've been told by [him] is that the Scientologists provide discipline for success and that the methods that are used to train and organize the mind are quite applicable to inner-city settings, where young people need to develop that same discipline. I haven't gone to the next step with Mr. Hayes, but certainly we need to look at opportunities for young people."

Opprtunities for youngsters to have their brains washed "trained and organized"?  What could go wrong?  From this, I gather that not only did the Scientologists see McKinney as a rube who might be willing to help them implement a mass recruiting effort aimed explicitly at inner-city youths, but that she apparently bought into it.  Whether she knew at the time what their brainwashing tactics involved is obvisously unclear, but this suggests at very least a naivete unbecoming a U.S. Representative.

As alluded in the George article, two months earlier, McKinney co-sponsored House Concurrent Resolution 22, seeking to decry Germany for decrying Hollywood Scientologists.

H.CON.RES.22

Title: Expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to the discrimination by the German Government against members of minority religious groups, particularly the continued and increasing discrimination by the German Government against performers, entertainers, and other artists from the United States associated with Scientology.

The bill was shot down 318-101.

4 years later, in July 2001, Isaac Hayes (alongside other celebrity Scientologists) testified at McKinney's invitation before the House Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights, on which McKinney was ranking Democrat.  The transcript of that hearing is available here [.pdf] and here [.txt].

Some excerpts:

Mr. HAYES. Thank you, Madam Chair, Ranking Member -
Ms. MCKINNEY. Love that voice.
...
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. ... And now we would like to hear the rest of the testimony of Mr. Hayes, and I have already chastised my colleague, Cynthia McKinney, because she snuck out alone with Isaac Hayes [Laughter] and came back, and I feel a little left out, Isaac. I am not going to ask any questions, but I just want you to know that I told her it is not right. In kindergarten, we learn to share. [Laughter.]
Ms. MCKINNEY. And all I can say, Madam Chair, is I stand accused.
Mr. HAYES. She is guilty. [Laughter.]
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Je cues. [sic] Thank you, Mr. Hayes.
Mr. HAYES. Well, you know what, Madam Chair, I got a good
workout. This woman walked everywhere.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. She does.
Mr. HAYES. And I am just getting my breath back.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. She usually has the gold sneakers on.
Ms. MCKINNEY. Right.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. But she did not have them on today.
Mr. HAYES. Wow.

Wow.

Ms. MCKINNEY. Thank you Madam Chair. First of all, I would like to say thank you for calling this hearing on this subject, and giving me an opportunity to reignite a long diminished friendship with Mr. Hayes who sort of abandoned me for several years. [Laughter.]

Yes, Cynthia, that's what happens when people are duped into joining cults.  They abandon their friends, their family, their business associates, their prior sense of self, values, beliefs, even their elected officials.  Until of course they can be called upon to further the causes espoused by the cult.  I guess you found a way to make yourself once again useful to your celebrity pal.

It sounds as though McKinney has long been a legislator friendly to the Scientologists, as the admitted misapporpriation of taxpayer money to cover Hayes' airfare to Atlanta occured just last year, nearly a decade after she co-sponsored the ill-fated pro-Scientology resolution.

More on this as it unfolds.

Previously:
Scientology Gag Made Manifest
Return to Konspiracy Korner - The Strange Transformation of Katie Holmes
The First Sign of the Ablogalypse
Sciento-logic
Cynthia McKinney - Clueless
Cynthia McKinney - A Minor Variation
Cynthia McKinney - Theme and Variations
Support Security - Deck a Cop!
Konspiracy Korner - Did Chef Really Quit South Park?
Goodbye, Children!