Appointment riles black Democrats
Posted on 01/19/2003 2:14:46 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
Appointment riles black Democrats
House leader's action raises questions about place in party business
01/19/2003
WASHINGTON - The decision by Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the House minority leader, to pass over a popular black lawmaker for a top campaign job has produced fresh tension between blacks and whites in the Democratic caucus.
Ms. Pelosi's choice of an old friend, Rep. Robert T. Matsui, D-Calif., over Rep. William J. Jefferson, D-La., the lone Democrat who had actively sought the fund-raising job with support from the Congressional Black Caucus, has prompted black members to question whether they are taken for granted by the party's leadership.
The frustration was not fully eased by Ms. Pelosi's recent efforts to secure positions for black members on the most powerful House committees - including the first African-American woman on the Ways and Means Committee - or by the election last month of James E. Clyburn, a black South Carolina representative, as vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.
"This decision would have sent a clear message to African-American voters and people in our country that Democrats were rewarding African-Americans for their loyalty to the party," said Rep. Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, the new chairman of the black caucus.
"I realize Nancy Pelosi has a tough job, and she's assured me we'll be all right when the dust settles. But this was an appointment we really wanted, and now we'll have to see just where we go from here."
Ms. Pelosi did not respond to requests for comment, but her allies in the House say she wanted a close associate to run the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, a role that is central to her drive to take back the House.
Mr. Matsui is a 12-term veteran who, like Ms. Pelosi, is from California, and he is the first Asian-American to take a high-profile position in the party.
But Mr. Matsui did not raise his hand for the job. Though the black caucus publicly fell in line behind the choice of Mr. Matsui, many black Democrats say they are privately seething at what they consider to be a slap at Mr. Jefferson and their caucus.
Some said Mr. Jefferson was rejected so that Ms. Pelosi could moderate her image as a liberal. Others said Mr. Jefferson wanted to concentrate too heavily on recruiting black congressional candidates and campaigning in black districts.
Mr. Jefferson said the choice of Mr. Matsui sent the wrong message to the party's most loyal members.
"The decision was made out of familiarity and convenience, and it was not in the best interests of the Democratic conference," Mr. Jefferson said. "The black caucus should have been called on to be the architect of our election plan, not just called on at the end of the season to turn out the vote. It's a tremendous responsibility, but it would have made a huge difference."
GOP discord
The Democrats were not alone in bruising some members' feelings through the early session appointment process. Four Republicans with more seniority on the House Resources Committee were passed over so that Rep. Richard W. Pombo of California, an ally of the majority leader, Texas' Tom DeLay, could become the new chairman.
In addition, Christopher Shays of Connecticut, who angered many Republicans with his years-long push for an overhaul of the campaign finance law, lost a bid to head the Government Reform committee. Rep. Thomas M. Davis III of Virginia, who oversaw the Republican effort to expand the House majority, won the post instead.
Mr. Shays said he saw the move more as a recognition of Mr. Davis' work than as payback for his stand on campaign finance, which put him sharply at odds with the party leadership.
"In the end, I'm convinced we have a guy who brought us across the River Jordan and we had to find a place for him," he said.
Juggling concerns
The Democratic concerns touched a racial nerve that illustrates the difficult task that any Democratic leader has. Promoting a member of one ethnic group could anger another, and the goal of winning back House seats can clash with the need to placate constituent groups.
When Ms. Pelosi stepped down as the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, for example, many on Capitol Hill wondered whether she would appoint the member next in seniority on the panel, Sanford D. Bishop Jr., a black member from Georgia, or her fellow Californian who had eagerly sought the job, Jane Harman. Ms. Pelosi finessed the situation by moving Mr. Bishop to a sought-after position on the Appropriations Committee.
Ms. Pelosi impressed black caucus members recently by fighting to keep a seat on the Ways and Means Committee for Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a black member and former prosecutor from Ohio. Ms. Jones almost lost the seat when Republican House leaders said they were shrinking the size of the panel. But Ms. Pelosi successfully interceded, in part by making the case that Republicans would not want to be criticized for keeping the first African-American woman off the tax-writing committee.
Black members have long held positions on those panels, however. The campaign committee would have been a substantially different move, providing a major voice to a black lawmaker for the first time on the party's House campaign strategy.
Mr. Jefferson said he had new ideas on capturing seats in the Midwest and South, and even Ms. Pelosi's allies in the black caucus said they wished he had been given the chance to try out his approach.
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-PJ
BTW, the Democrat Party, the party of slavery, is the one and only place to look for reparations!
BTW, the Democrat Party, the party of slavery, is the one and only place to look for reparations!
Hey, did you see this btw?...
< snip >
He was arrested by Colonie Police in June 2001 on a misdemeanor charge after he allegedly had a sexual discussion on the Internet with an undercover investigator he thought was an underage girl, law enforcement sources disclosed on condition of anonymity.
If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)
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No question. Back on the plantation, keeping their mouths shut.
I don't believe they are finally waking up
Gee...............ya think?
[.......slapping my forehead..........]
So March Fong Yu, who was Secratary of State, was danish? I guess because she was a true centrist (and the only Democrat I have ever vited for) she wasn't "high profile (read: left)" enough.
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