Posted on 07/14/2010 7:20:06 AM PDT by ken5050
I think they should absolutely attempt to join. When they are refused membership as will most likely happen it will point to the hypocrisy of this organization and we can happily point it out to them everytime that they are not about being black, but about leftist idealogy.
If by some miracle they are accepted, then these black congress people should work to reform the Congressional Black Caucus. Make them stand for conservative things that blacks like, especially school vouchers and the social issues. Cause mayhem!!!
I believe Congressman Cohen (D-TN), who represents a majority minority district, asked to join and was turned down. I also think the only other person who represents a majority black district and is not black is Joseph Cao of (R-LA).
It's already been tried, from Wikipedia:
White membership
Over the years, the question has arisen, "Does the Caucus allow only black members?" Pete Stark, D-Ca., who is white, tried and failed to join in 1975. In January 2007, Josephine Hearn reported in Politico that white members of Congress were not welcome to join the CBC.[5] Freshman Representative Steve Cohen, D-Tn., who is white, pledged to apply for membership during his election campaign to represent his constituents, who were 60% black. Hearn further reported that although the bylaws of the caucus do not make race a prerequisite for membership, former and current members of the Caucus agreed that the group should remain "exclusively black." Rep. William Lacy Clay, Jr., D-Mo., the son of Rep. William Lacy Clay Sr., D-Mo., a co-founder of the caucus, is quoted as saying, "Mr. Cohen asked for admission, and he got his answer. He's white and the Caucus is black. It's time to move on. We have racial policies to pursue and we are pursuing them, as Mr. Cohen has learned. It's an unwritten rule. It's understood." In response to the decision, Rep. Cohen stated, "It's their caucus and they do things their way. You don't force your way in." Clay issued an official statement from his office:
What I want to know is, how are we supposed to be a color blind society, when ethnic groups keep segregating themselves by color? As I see it, the CBC should be open to all members of Congress, regardless of color. Why do you have to be a bro to be a brother?
Blacks have to have their own little group for this reason: they're lazy. Using the race card on issues instead of putting together a well-thought out,reasoned position savew them a lot of work.
“Blacks have to have their own little group for this reason: they’re lazy.”
Sure glad the post-racial conservatives showed up.
Oy.
Interesting that so far, Freepers pretty much split down the middle on the question...yet without much contentiousness..
Yes, J.C. was the “token Uncle Tom (which is really a misnomer but as usual, our black racist friends haven’t read the book).”
If past is prologue, the black republican will not be welcome to join the CBC.
I would hope he would have no interest in joining such a blatantly racist group of politicians.
Read the rest of his post..it’s biting sarcasm..albeit poorly stated..
A Conservative Caucus is the best solution - would be great if Tim Scott & Col. West initiated it. They could really cause a stir with a mission statement that membership is based on *Don’t ask & Don’t tell if you are Asian, Indian, black or caucasian*. Face paint is optional!!!!
What makes you think they'll be allowed to even if they wanted?
Conservatives should be above playing racial politics. We’re grown ups. We are not petty.
We cannot unite people by constantly pointing out what divides us. Black conservatives should not join the CBC because that’s all the CBC does - point out ways to divide us.
I think they should join. And if they’re not invited, they should sue to join. Or if that option isn’t available, they should demand to be allowed in, and never miss an opportunity to publicly complain about the hypocritical unfairness of their exclusion. Then once they’re in, they can loudly advocate for disbanding that horrible institution, and do everything they can from the inside to frustrate its agenda. They won’t have the juice to do actually disband it, but they will be a constant pain in the tuchus of those racist commie bastards.
It’s what Alinsky would do.
Completely agree with you.
Last time we had a republican black congressman, I don’t think he was ALLOWED to be in the CBC.
And I know that a white guy tried to join, and was rejected.
Democrat congressman Cohen from Tennessee tried to join, to fulfill a campaign promise he made when running since he represents a 60% black district.
The CBC rejected him, saying he didn’t meet the criteria since he had the wrong skin color.
Turns out JC Watts wasn’t rejected, he simply refused to join. Three other black republicans have apparently been members of the caucus.
Change comes from within..
Could they be the seeds that could yield a crop of new freed ‘radicals’ that can see thru the dark shades of prejudice and denial?
We’ll probably never know. I doubt the CBC would invite them anyway.
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