The long-simmering family feud between the Congressional Black Caucus and the first African-American president burst into the open on Wednesday, with members boycotting a financial overhaul vote as a warning shot at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
The 43-member caucus — which included Illinois Sen. Barack Obama from 2004 to 2008 — has chafed against President Obama and his top aides since the Inauguration, complaining that the White House takes it for granted and plays favorites with conservative Blue Dog Democrats.
Ten CBC members decided to boycott the House Financial Services Committee vote en masse after a tumultuous morning meeting at the Capitol between Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel failed to yield a deal, according to people familiar with the meeting.
The bill passed easily, but Waters suggested the CBC’s 43 members could vote with the GOP to scuttle a variety of Democratic bills if Obama and Emanuel don’t address what she thinks is a lack of understanding of the CBC’s wide-ranging goals of reducing urban unemployment, home foreclosures and bank failures.
“I think that it is important for us to educate those people around [Obama],” Waters told reporters. “We’ve got to get his people educated and moving. We have not brought these issues to him personally — it is important first to educate those people around him so they understand.”
House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.), who recently accused Obama of bowing down to the GOP on health care reform, was more pointed, shouting “Yes!” when asked if he was disappointed with Obama’s level of attentiveness to African-Americans’ needs.
He added that he had an extensive list of issues with the president — a list he said was too long to disgorge in a hallway conversation with a reporter.
Washington, DC - On September 24th, 2009, IMPACT will bring together the most influential young politicos and professionals of color to honor emerging leaders during Preview ’09—a Red Carpet Affair. This exclusive reception, held just blocks away from the White House at the St. Regis Hotel, will celebrate the contributions young professionals make to their communities and nation.
Each month IMPACT highlights young leaders excelling professionally while transforming their community. The “IMPACT Leader of the Year” will be honored at Preview ’09 during the Annual Legislative Conference (ALC). As these young African American professionals come to honor IMPACT leaders, new relationships will be forged and connections made to ensure that the pathway to excellence is available for every young African American to make an IMPACT. More details below:
The sectarian conflict between Tennessean congressional candidates - Nikki Tinker and Rep. Steve Cohen - has reached new and unprecedented lows. In a series of tit for tat and war-like attacks, one side seems to be crying foul at the very existence of the other. Nikki Tinker, a Black Woman, who is running for the Congressional seat of the U.S. House of Representatives, District 9 in Tennessee, - presently filled by Rep. Steven Cohen - has been subjected to a barrage of vitriol and invectives, for doing what every other politician does: Using resourceful ads to outline, illuminate, and sometimes animate the political differences between opponents. Within the last week, two political ads created by the Nikki Tinker for Congress campaign has been criminally scrutinized and held up to a pedestal that is virtually unprecedented in the realm of politics. The first ad - of great dispute - featured a former Memphis County Commissioner, Walter Bailey, exposing a 2005 vote, in which Rep. Stephen Cohen, cast the lone-vote in opposition to a proposition that would have re-named a public park, formerly named after a serial slave-trader and Confederate Army Lieutenant General, Nathan Bedford Forrest. Bailey afterward posed the timely-question; "Who is the real Steve Cohen?" Unfortunately, to some, this was an unforgivable act of "race being injected into the campaign." The logic in that is miserably-tortured and contains no sincerity. The second ad - of equal contention - posed the same question as to the true identity of Rep. Cohen; charging the one-term Senator with 'two-facing' his Black constituency. The ad proclaims; “While he’s in our churches clapping his hands and tapping his feet, he’s the only senator who thought our kids shouldn’t be allowed to pray in school. Congressman, sometimes apologies just aren’t enough.” The controversy that overwhelmed the ad, seemed to emanate from the use of the word "our" to describe the Black community in Memphis -- with an implicit suggestion that Cohen is therefore, 'other.' In a predictable move, the Cohen Campaign and its supporters whipped-out the ever-friendly Anti-Semitism card to bully and berate Ms. Tinker. Nevertheless, no such Johnny-come-latelies we're as eloquent last week, when Senator John McCain (presumptive Republican Presidential nominee) and his campaign used code-words of explicit nature, to describe Barack Obama (presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee) as "foreign" and "different."
Following Tinker's recent successes in the polls, there has been a decipherable coalition of online Magazines and Mainstream Newspapers in the interest of destroying the credibility and candor of the African-American congressional contender. Online prints have accused her of everything from "playing the race card" (whatever that is) to hateful, vile, nasty and Anti-Semitic rhetoric against her Jewish opponent. Strangely, all such attacks come with no substantive proof that validates the strong charges. On his MSNBC show yesterday, Keith Olbermann - the liberal pundit - called Nikki Tinker the "Worst person in the world," for what he deemed, "a very disturbing meaning" packaged in the aforementioned ads. Unfortunately - and I might be wrong - I don't recall Olbermann displaying the same amount of emotional-fortitude in defense of Harold Ford Jr last year, when Ford underwent a similar experience, in which a Republican Party-sponsored ad, featured a naked white woman, claiming to have met the then-unmarried Senator at a "Playboy Party." The infamous ad wrapped-up with the same woman, beckoning the Senator, saying, "Harold, call me."
It is pretty apparent that Rep. Stephen Cohen is aware of his shortcomings and his inability to satisfy his predominantly Black constituency. As he noted in 1996, "It is impossible for a person who is not African American to get a large vote in the African American community . . . against a substantial candidate. The fact is, I am white, and it doesn't seem to matter what you do." It is also unequivocally clear, that Cohen is both ambiguous about his chances in this election, and threatened by the compelling-nature of Ms. Tinker. This inferiority complex is what has driven Cohen - and his campaign - to hurl blatant untruths at the Tinker Campaign -- with the hope that frivolous distractions would overwhelm this congressional-race, and ensure that issues of material-value are obscured and abandoned. Nikki Tinker, in all her foibles, has been an audacious and relentless combatant of inner-city crime and violence. With a strong record that delineates that commitment, it comes as no surprise, that rather than debate Tinker on the issues of delicate concern to Black folk, Stephen Cohen would rather mis-characterize his opponent, and malign her with the single-most indelible and toxic labeling an individual of African descent can be tagged by: Anti-Semitism (Just as Min. Louis Farrakhan).
While Rep. Cohen is content with subjecting the past to a fiery furnace, one must be accutely aware of his overt history of political-opportunism and race-exploitation. The Blue-Dog Democrat from Tennessee has consistently bathed in the muddy waters of George Bush, and was unabashed in putting up a picture of himself and the president on his website. With a long and winded history of staunchly opposing the Armenian Genocide, one is left to marvel at the level of audacity and gull, with which Mr. Cohen has slammed his dominating Congressional rival on issues of human rights. One must also be reminded of the crocodile tears shed by Rep. Cohen, after his numerous unsuccessful and ineffable attempts, towards being the "first white member" of the Congressional Black Caucus; at which in an embittered tone, he subsequently stated; “I think they’re real happy I’m not going to join… It’s their caucus and they do things their way. You don’t force your way in. You need to be invited.” More recently, is the transparently politically-calculated move by Rep. Cohen, to propose a bill that would apologize for the enslavement of Africans in America, and promote “reconciliation, justice, and harmony for all of its citizens.” Although the bill was passed, it was however, widely seen as a strategically set up move - like a well laced alley-oop - in time for August 6 Primary Election Run-off against his African-American opponent. Upon its passage and ascertained insignificance, many believed, that perhaps to persuade his Black constituency, and prove that, at the very least, he is willing to propose flattering-but-feeble legislations in time for the next Congressional election cycle, Cohen had once again engaged in the old game of political-expediency.
Whether Nikki Tinker is pronounced the victor, or Rep. Cohen bullies his way back to the top, one thing is for certain: politicians would do anything to win; even if it means spitting in the face of their constituency.
Finally... Congress is responding to the vigorous pressure of Lavena Johnson supporters. The Lavena Johnson family and friends are relentless in pursuing an agenda that guarantees truth and closure behind the horrific events that marked the death of Lavena Johnson. With the vehement progressive pressure and Grassroot activism that generated attention to Lavena's case, a subcommittee of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, will be holding an hearing to assess the conditions of the Lavena Johnson case:
On Thursday, July 31 at 10:00 am, the Subcommittee will hold a hearing entitled, “Oversight Hearing on Sexual Assault in the Military.” The hearing will take place in room 2154 of the Rayburn House Office Building and is open to the public. Oversight Committee Website
A list of the subcommittee members include:
Majority John F. Tierney, Chairman Carolyn B. Maloney Stephen F. Lynch Brian Higgins John A. Yarmuth Bruce L. Braley Betty McCollum Jim Cooper Chris Van Hollen Paul W. Hodes Peter Welch
Minority Christopher Shays, Ranking Member Dan Burton John M. McHugh Todd Russell Platts John J. Duncan Michael Turner Kenny Marchant Lynn A. Westmoreland Patrick T. McHenry Virginia Foxx
The activist group, Color Of Change has also launched an online petition to drive congressional support and investigation for the Lavena Johnson case. Pls. sign it, and add your name to the thousands who are prepared to see that such an atrocity does not repeat itself:
It was a bit of a tease for me to hear that the Congressional Black Caucus-obsessed House Democrat, Rep. Stephen Cohen, is presently sponsoring a bill that demands a legislative apology for the American Enslavement of Africans. With 120 other Senators co-sponsoring the bill, Cohen must be feeling real good about himself right about now. He's probably somewhere right now, snarling "bet they'll feel me now," to the CBC, which has repeatedly and vehemently denied his many requests to join the all-black caucus. With his pledge to be the "first white member" of the CBC, it's no surprise that Steve Cohen would go this far to seek the impossible, or at least, get back at the CBC. While I have no microscope or fancy equipment to decode the innermost thoughts of the Tennessean Democrat, I am however compelled to believe that - taking his history into account - this is just another politically-motivated shot at passing a motion that is visibly improbable; sort of the attempts to halt funding for the Iraq War -- with the belief that it might redound ultimately in a troop withdrawal, and hence, put an end to the illegal war.
Stephen Cohen is a one-term U.S. House of Representatives member, with a 24-year record as a Tennessee State Senator. In 1996, after a failed attempt at the 1996 congressional seat for Tennessee's 9th precinct, Cohen - who lives in a predominantly black neighborhood, and was then running against an African-American, Harold Ford Jr. - was quoted as saying; "It is impossible for a person who is not African American to get a large vote in the African American community ... against a substantial candidate… The fact is, I am white, and it doesn't seem to matter what you do." It is also Rep. Cohen, who earlier this year, upon the success of Barack Obama in the Iowa Caucus, remarked that, "Obama is showing us that Americans have gotten beyond race." To take Cohen by his word, we would have to exclude the gruesome events which have come to the surface in just the last week alone. We would have to discard the tragedy of Luis Ramirez, a twenty-five-year-old Mexican immigrant, who was beaten to death last week by a group of white teenagers in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania. News Reports described the horrific incident, stating how Ramirez was "walking home last Saturday night when six white high school students brutally beat him while yelling racial slurs." We would also have to neglect the incident involving Baron "Scooter" Pikes -- a young black 21 year-old from the city of Winnfield, Louisiana, who was tasered 9 times in the span of 14 minutes, by a white male police officer who - as reported by Howard Witt of the Chicago Tribune - is "ranked as the department's most aggressive Taser user."
In 2007, Rep. Stephen Cohen made several inexplicable attempts at joining the Congressional Black Caucus. His philosophy was wrapped around the idea of better serving his predominantly Black district. He felt that his track record of aiding and abetting issues of pertinent-concern to Black people should suffice as an exception to the rule, therefore overwrite his whiteness, and perhaps pressure the CBC to instate him. Unfortunately none of his antics would persuade the CBC members; for them, seeking the interest of Black people, in a majority Black constituency, is optimum, not optional. Much to his dismay, Cohen in a self-absorbed fashion later suggested that the CBC was in a covert war against his campaign, saying, “I think they're real happy I'm not going to join... It's their caucus and they do things their way. You don't force your way in. You need to be invited." Coming from a guy who now wishes to pass a symbolic but insubstantial legislation of relative concern to Black folks, some things seem out of kilter.
The Res. 194 proposition is premised on the "Apologizing for the enslavement and racial segregation of African-Americans." Senator Cohen believes that the apology would further "reconciliation, justice, and harmony for all of its citizens." While this might be widely applauded as a noble act, more investigation must be conducted to ensure that this bill is not structured on the foundation of political expediency.
On March 3, 2008, Black America Web published a story entitled "Is America’s First Black President Going to Be the One Making the Nation’s Apology for Slavery?" The columnist, Deborah Mathis, was poignant in highlighting the peculiarity and significance of the timing of a related resolution, saying, "sending a black man to the Oval Office, may as well clean up as many social messes as possible, I suppose the thinking goes. But ordinarily, politicians are more calculating than that. They seldom do something simply because it’s the right thing to do. There’s got to be more to it than that." She also pointed out, how in 1997, when a similar proposal was made by then-Rep. Tony Hall, a contradictory response was generated; "There was such vehement opposition to then-Rep. Tony Hall’s apology proposal that it seemed the country, far from remorseful, was practically proud of the heinous old institution... The big fear then was that an apology, which comes with at least an implicit admission of wrong doing, would have opened the door to demands for reparations -- something akin to a giant class action lawsuit encompassing 35 million Americans or more." She expressed some skepticism in the timing of the proposal, with the possibility of a Black president looming larger than ever. Such paranoia is justified, with the history of civil-right laws and legislation, coupled with a blatant lack of enforcement on the part of the legislative, judicial and executive body.
All in all, as stated earlier, I am unable to decipher the intent behind this proposition, and I would hope that sincerity of heart is the birthplace of the resolution, but in the words of Dave Chappelle, "What is a black man without his paranoia?"
