Reeling In the Real Jim Clyburn

"jbjd" blog ^ | 09.22.10 | jbjd

[jbjd]

© 2010 jbjd

I had wanted to write an article featuring the role played by House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-SC) in orchestrating the race-baiting campaign that catapulted Obama post Nevada and New Hampshire away from becoming just another also-ran in the Democratic Party's primary and caucus contests; and into position to steal the nomination. If this was that article I had in mind, I would have opened with this video of Mr. Clyburn's famous annual fish fry, from April 27, 2007. Super Delegate Clyburn Endorses Obama at SC Fish Fry in April 2007

But this is not that article. Because before I examined his role in enabling the Obama Presidency and exposed the reasons behind his race-baiting routine, I wanted to introduce the Representative to you through a brief biographical sketch. But getting a handle on the educational background of James E. Clyburn proved so slippery, I decided to tackle the piece I originally had in mind, at another time.

First I read the Biography on his Congressional web site. (I always begin my research with .gov sites since I am paying for these, anyway.) Mr. Clyburn's official House site contains no reference to the fact he even attended college, let alone that he obtained a degree. http://clyburn.house.gov/clyburn-biography.cfm

However, his 2009 "Clyburn for Congress" campaign web site reports, he was awarded a Bachelor's Degree in History from South Carolina State University ("SCSU"). http://www.clyburnforcongress.com/about-jim-clyburn.cfm

Only another Congressional listing shows he received a Bachelor of Science degree, and it was from South Carolina State College ("SCSC"). http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=SC06&site=congressmerge

Project Vote Smart tells voters the incumbent candidate received a BS in Social Studies from SCSC in 1962 and attended the University of South Carolina Law School from 1972-1974. http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=H3673103 An AP site repeats he earned a Bachelor's degree from SCSU but calls it a BA and not a BS; and now claims he actually received a JD (Juris Doctor) from USC! http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/external/pre-election/bios/1414.html?SITE=WSJVTVELN&SECTION=POLITICS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

(A Bachelor's from SCSU and a JD from USC? Well, that would explain this 2007 blurb from The State:

Today, Clyburn will play in the Rudolph Canzater Memorial Classic, a charity event played on five Santee-Cooper courses that honors the memory of his late friend and fellow "golf instigator," and has raised $370,000 for scholarships to S.C. State and USC, Clyburn's alma maters.(Emphasis added by jbjd.)

Read more: http://www.thestate.com/2007/08/05/225365/from-the-archives-clyburn-charts.html?story_link=email_msg#ixzz10Cu5aFIC)

Except that the Clerk of the House, whose web site defines a lawyer as anyone holding a JD, doesn't list Mr. Clyburn as one of the lawyers in the 111th Congress. http://clerk.house.gov/library/reference-files/RFD_111_Lawyer_Apr.pdf

And his name is not listed among the distinguished SCSU alumni honorees from 1979-2006. http://www.scsu.edu/alumnifriends/distinguishedalumni.aspx

Or in USC's notable alumni. http://www.mycarolina.org/s/842/twocol.aspx?sid=842&gid=1&pgid=970

But as you will see, while I am completely lost as to who is the real Jim Clyburn - BA or BS; SCSC or SCSU; law school drop-out or JD - I am certain as to the reason he carried out a well-developed plot based in race, to rig Obama's nomination...

(Note: I want to thank FranSC; Dawn; and azgo for their contributions to this series of articles featuring Jim Clyburn.)

[The_Media_never_lie]

Wow, did he or did he not graduate? Is it racist of me to ask?

[sport]

Is he Black or White? Republican or Democrat? If Black, yes. If White and Republican, no. if White and Democrat, yes.

[jbjd]

I have no idea whether he graduated. As for the question as to whether asking is racists, that all depends. Are you asking because he’s black or because the evidence in the record fails to establish conclusively that he did?

[jbjd]

What I figure is, in the one place where lying could have cost him, that is, in his official House web site, he does not say, he earned a degree. But in his campaign advertising, he says, he did. Well, Obama said in Fight the Smears, he is a “native” citizen. But as anyone who read my blog knows, FTS is only paid political advertising; and the COLB image, even if it at one time was a physical mock-up, is now just an electronic image at the heart of that advertising campaign. (That’s why when Obama went from nominee wannabe to nominee to President-elect, the attributions in the footer kept changing, per the U.S. Code.)