When I started my quest to do a hub on each candidate, I had no idea who she was. I had never heard of her. She is the Green Party's candidate for President of the United States in this election. Here is a little background into who she is.

Cynthia Ann McKinney was born March 17, 1955, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Billy and Leola McKinney. Her father was one of Atlanta's first black law enforcement officers and a Georgia State Representative, and her mother was a nurse.

She earned a B.A. in international relations from the University of Southern California and an M.A. in Law & Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. She went on to work as a high school teacher and a university professor.

She started her political career in 1986, when her father, a representative in the Georgia House of Representatives, submitted her name as a write-in candidate. She recieved about 40% of the popular vote despite that fact that she was living in Jamaica at the time. She ran for the same seat two years later and won.

She challenged House rules that required women to wear dresses by wearing slacks, and in 1991, spoke out against the Gulf War. In 1992, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She was the first African-American woman to represent Georgia in the U.S. House. She was re-elected in 1994. She easily won re-election three more times after that.

In October of 2001, she introduced a bill calling for "the suspension of the use, sale, development, production, testing and export of depleted uranium munitions pending the outcome of studies of the health effects of such munitions..." After the attacks on 9/11, she accused Bush of having advanced knowledge of the attacks, and felt the U.S. was to blame, due to the U.S. policy in the MIddle East. She lost the primary the next year to Denise Majette, who had never run in a partisan contest before. She claimed it had been a Republican-led conspiracy.

She returned to Congress in 2004, but without senior status. She maintained a low profile. She has submitted to Congress, two similar bills asking for the release of all currently sealed files concerning the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. A similar bill was introduced by McKinney regarding the death of rapper, Tupac Shakur. She lost the 2006 primary election after it went into a run-off. In December of last year, she announced her candidacy for the Green Party nomination for President.

Cynthia McKinney's running mate is Rosa Clemente.

Now that we know a little bit about who Cynthia McKinney is, we turn to her stance on the issues. Again, I remind you, information will be added as I locate it, and as more information becomes available.

• ABORTION:Consistent supporter of reproductive rights. Supports human embryonic stem cell research. Voted YES on allowing human embryonic stem cell research. Voted NO on restricting interstate transport of minors to get abortions. Voted NO on banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad. Voted NO on federal crime to harm fetus while committing other crimes. Voted NO on banning partial-birth abortions. Recommended by EMILY's List of pro-choice women. Rated 0% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-choice stance.
• BUDGET & ECONOMY:Feels we have plenty of money for programs but that it is misallocated. Get minorities into home ownership and global marketplace.
• CIVIL RIGHTS:Supports keeping affirmative action in college admissions. Supports gay adoptions. Repeal the Patriot Act and end Islamophobia. Supports reparations for former slaves. Voted NO on making Patriot Act permanent. Voted NO on banning gay adoptions in DC. Voted NO on ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions. Supports reparations for slavery. Supports Constitutional Amendment for equal rights by gender. Rated 80% by HRC, indicating a pro-gay-rights stance. Rated 97% by NAACP, indicating a pro-affirmative-action stance.
• CORPORATIONS: Corporate media limits discourse and voters therefore dropout. Astounded at the corporate influence in Farm Bill. Wants to require reporting of outsourced jobs. Voted NO on Bankruptcy Overhaul requiring partial debt repayment. Sponsored bill on Code of Conduct for US corporations abroad.
• CRIME:Supports replacing the death penalty with life imprisonment. Feels we should end the death penalty, and says it is based on race and class. End racial disparity in sentencing. Voted YES on funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons. Voted NO on more prosecution and sentencing for juvenile crime. Voted NO on making federal death penalty appeals harder. Supports more funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes.
• DRUGS: Supports the legalization of marijuana and needle exchanges. Supports ending the war on drugs. Supports treatment and rehabilitation for drug use over incarceration. Voted NO on military border patrols to battle drugs and terrorism. Rated +20 by NORML, indicating a pro-drug-reform stance.
• EDUCATION: Feels that No Child Left Behind is aimed at dismantling public education. Voted YES on $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges. Voted YES on requiring states to test students. Voted NO on allowing vouchers in DC schools. Voted NO on giving federal aid only to schools allowing voluntary prayer. Supported funding for teacher training and other initiatives.
• ENERGY & OIL: Declare US carbon-free and nuclear-free. Opposes drilling in ANWR. Voted YES on keeping moratorium on drilling for oil offshore. Voted NO on scheduling permitting for new oil refineries. Voted NO on authorizing construction of new oil refineries. Voted YES on raising CAFE standards, incentives for alternative fuels. Voted YES on prohibiting oil drilling and development in ANWR. Supports regulation of wholesale electricity and gas prices. Rated 100% by CAF, indicating support for energy independence.
• ENVIRONMENT:We need sustainable production and consumption policies. Feels we need to recognize Katrina victims as Internally Displaced Persons. Voted YES on increasing AMTRAK funding by adding $214 million to $900 million. Sponsored bill prohibiting commercial logging on public land.
• FAMILIES & CHILDREN: Voted YES on reducing Marriage Tax by $399 billion over 10 years. Supported funding child care, child health and child housing.
• FOREIGN POLICY: Wants to make US a partner for peace in global community. Pressure government to refrain form interference in Africa. Voted NO on deterring foreign arms transfers to China. Voted NO on reforming the UN by restricting US funding. Voted YES on keeping Cuba travel ban until political prisoners are released. Voted YES on $156 million to IMF for 3rd world debt reduction. Voted NO on Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China.
• FREE TRADE: No Fast Track, no MFN for China, no WTO, no CAFTA. Supports repealing NAFTA and CAFTA. Voted YES on withdrawing from WTO.
• GOVERNMENT REFORM:Called for the impeachment of Bush & Cheney. Supporter of publicly financed elections. Wants to do better on government contracting for small & minority businesses. Voted NO on requiring photo ID for voting in federal elections. Voted NO on restricting independent grassroots political committees. Voted NO on prohibiting lawsuits about obesity against food providers. Voted NO on limiting attorney's fees in class action lawsuits. Voted NO on banning soft money and issue ads. Feels that election reform is a number one priority to prevent disenfranchisement.
• GUN CONTROL: Voted NO on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers. Voted NO on decreasing gun waiting period from three days to one.
• HEALTH CARE:Supports single-payer universal health care. Supports more resources for health needs, including pre-natal and post-natal care. Wants to take insurance companies out of the health care equation. Against rationing or voucher-based system of insurance. Voted NO on denying non-emergency treatment for lack of Medicare co-pay. Voted NO on allowing suing HMOs, but under federal rules and limited award. Voted NO on banning physician assisted suicide. Wants to increase funding for AIDS treatment and prevention. Wants to provide mental health services for older Americans. Supported funding women's health needs. Supported funding for older women's health. Supported funding Prenatal and Postpartum care. Supported funding Family and Children's coverage.
• HOMELAND SECURITY:Questions the Bush Administration's involvement in 9/11. Her PhD thesis was on the role of assassination as a state political tool. Wants to bring home all troops that are stationed abroad. Allow concurrent veterans' disability and retired pay. Suspend use of depleted uranium munitions. Voted NO on allowing electronic surveillance without a warrant. Voted NO on federalizing rules for driver licenses to hinder terrorists. Voted NO on continuing military recruitment on college campuses. Voted NO on $266 billion Defense Appropriations Bill. Supports the end of using anti-personnel mines. Wants to establish a Women's Bureau in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• IMMIGRATION: Does not support skilled worker visas, but does not support border fence, either. Feels that corporations found scapegoats in illegal immigrants. Voted NO on building a fence along the Mexican border. Voted YES on preventing tipping off Mexicans about Minuteman Project. Voted YES on extending Immigrant Residency rules. Voted NO on more immigrant visas for skilled workers.
• JOBS: Says that if the minimum wage kept up with CEO pay, it would be $22/hr. Authored a living wage bill. Supports debt relief for black farmers who were cheated in '80's loans. Voted YES on $167 billion over 10 years for farm price supports. Sponsored bill requiring disclosure of outsourced employees.
• PRINCIPLES & VALUES: Dissociated with Democratic Party after Capitol Guard assault incident. Ban malicious party-crossover in open primaries. Left Democratic party in 2007, and joined Green Party. An advocate of the Hip-Hop movement for social justice. She is Catholic. A member of Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues, and Congressional Progressive Caucus.
• SOCIAL SECURITY: Voted YES on raising 401K limits and making pension plans more portable. Voted YES on reducing tax payments on Social Security benefits. Voted YES on strengthening the Social Security Lockbox. Supported pension reform and tax credits for long-term care.
• TAX REFORM: Voted NO on $99 billion economic stimulus; capitol gains and income tax cuts. Voted NO on Tax cut package of $958 billion over 10 years. Voted NO on eliminating the Estate Tax. Voted YES on eliminating the marriage penalty. Voted NO on $46 billion in tax cuts for small businesses. Rated 100% by CTJ, indicating support for progressive taxation. Supports tax incentives for education, new schools and families.
• TECHNOLOGY: Voted YES on establishing network neutrality on the Internet. Voted YES on increasing fines for indecent broadcasting. Supports closing the digital divide with high-tech training. Supports criminal penalties for e-mail spamming.
• WAR & PEACE: Cut funding for wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Supports immediate withdrawal from Iraq and from rest of the world. Voted NO on declaring Iraq war part of War on Terror with no exit date. Voted YES on disallowing the invasion of Kosovo. Condemns anti-Muslim bigotry in the name of anti-terrorism.
• WELFARE & POVERTY: Voted YES on providing $70 million for Section 8 Housing vouchers. Voted NO on responsible fatherhood via faith-based organizations. Supports reducing the concentration of wealth and wage inequality.