Want to know why large pockets of Black America remain in great despair despite all our amazing post-Civil Rights era advances? Well, look no further than the incredible lack of vision and imagination of our Black leaders--be they elected officials, ministers and imams, public intellectuals, heads of social service organizations, educators, entrepreneurs, or grassroots activists.
~ Writer and Activist Kevin Powell
Last week the House ethics committee voted 9 – 1 to censure Congressman Charlie Rangel on 11 of 13 charges of rules violations. I guess 1 person thought it wasn’t unusual to not have paid taxes for 17 years. I wonder what the IRS would do if I stopped paying taxes for over a decade? Actor Wesley Snipes is getting ready to do a 3 year bid for not paying his taxes. I guess being in politics helps when it’s tax time. Fellow Congressman John Lewis testified on behalf of Rangel calling him "a good and decent man." Maybe that’s why 1 person voted against censure on 11 of 13 charges of rules violations. This is not a good look for the Congressional Black Caucus. They still have to deal with Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ upcoming ethics trial.
The CBC also spoke on behalf of Majority Whip James Clyburn’s campaign to become the Minority Whip. They let it be known that there might be consequences if Clyburn didn’t get the job. It’s kind of like when your drunken uncle shows out at Thanksgiving. A lot of tough talk but it’s just really more bark than bite. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, who originally created this conflict, solved the problem by giving Clyburn a #3 spot in the leadership last week. That’s like kids making up play titles on the playground. A kid can call themselves a cosmonaut without actually going into the cosmos. What does a #3 position do? Especially when you didn’t need one 2 years ago? I wonder what actually happened in that meeting the CBC had with Pelosi? Bob “pimping ain’t easy” Johnson was even writing letters to politicians promoting Clyburn’s campaign. I guess he finally realized that even his ole greasy self can’t influence them all. This is not a good look for the CBC. They showed that they can be easily swayed by backroom deals.
Congressman Allen West, who could pass for Radio Raheem’s dad, criticized the liberal leanings of the CBC. Meanwhile, he was attempting to gain entry into the organization last week. So the CBC could possibly have a tea party backed candidate in their caucus? That would be against everything that they stand for. But because he’s black they can’t turn him down. Imagine turning down a fellow black congressperson because he has Sarah Palin’s number in his cell phone? How would that look to black independents and republicans? This is not going to change the organization but it will change the way you look at them. Is this the beginning of more black moderates and conservatives joining the organization (that’s if they get elected)? It always starts with one person. If the CBC were smart, they would turn their meetings into a reality show. Why not make some money off the infighting that is going to take place? Ask the cast of “Jersey Shore” about it………………….
Yeah, last week was a bad one for the CBC.
No comments:
Post a Comment