Black Lawmakers Set to Take Crucial Posts

New York Times ^ | 5 December 2006 | David D. Kirkpatrick

[Alter Kaker]

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 — The impending Democratic takeover of Congress will elevate more blacks to positions of power in the Capitol than ever: 4 major House committee chairmen, as many as 16 subcommittee chairmen, the third-ranking House Democratic leader and a senator considered a credible candidate for his party’s presidential nomination.

It is so much power that Representative Charles B. Rangel, the New York Democrat set to be chairman of the pivotal Ways and Means Committee, said he hesitated to speak about it publicly. “I don’t want to scare the hell out of people,” Mr. Rangel said, “that blacks are now in charge of the committees and so, therefore, watch out.”

While celebrating their rise to prominence, black lawmakers face conflicting pressures from their traditional supporters on one side and the Democratic leaders on the other. Many African-American lawmakers represent poor, predominantly black districts created to ensure black representation under voting rights laws. Their safely Democratic seats have helped them rise in seniority ahead of colleagues from more politically heterogeneous districts. Many lean well to the left of the Democratic caucus as a whole.

[Alter Kaker]

Even after Alcee Hastings' removal, the CBC is firmly in charge of the Democrat caucus it seems. 16 subcommittees?

[Brilliant]

"Black" does not bother me. "Liberal" bothers me. All I've gotta say is that they better not mess things up, or they will make the 23% approval rating this GOP Congress has look pretty good.

[Alter Kaker]

In some ways, the 2006 victory will be a godsend for the GOP in 2008. We can make it a referendum on the Dems, not on Bush.

[lowbridge]

I don’t want to scare the hell out of people,” Mr. Rangel said, “that blacks are now in charge of the committees and so, therefore, watch out.”

I don’t want to scare the hell out of people,” Mr. Rangel said, “that blacks left winged liberals are now in charge of the committees and so, therefore, watch out.”

Fixed.

[Izzy Dunne]

Traditional party allies like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and some members of the Congressional Black Caucus say they expect their newly powerful champions like Mr. Rangel, 76, to push a long-stalled agenda that includes hearings or a commission on reparations for slavery, guaranteeing voting rights for convicted felons, prohibiting racial profiling by police or customs officers, restricting gun sales, and sharply increasing the compensation paid to people displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

YIKES1

If that ain't frightening, you're not a free person.

Nothing on there except handouts and restrictions.

[Frohickey]

...and the New York Times wonders why its losing readership.

Why does it matter what the current crop of lawmaker's ancestry is? You would think that a professed progressive, who are against any type of racial discrimination, would not even bother reporting such an insignificant attribute such as race.

You do not see conservatives harping about their race or ancestry.

[fhlh]

wow...
didn't read this kinda fluff piece for the Pubbies about Powell, Condie, Steel, etc. from the NYT...

[SuziQ]

I don't care what color they are; they're fools!

[alloysteel]

"Black" does not bother me. "Liberal" bothers me.

Dittos. But be assured, these clumsy political commissars WILL mess things up, as they hide large cash payments in their home freezers, and engage in conspicuous consumption entirely out of line with normal graft and way beyond being commensurate with the perks of their jobs.

Expect Congressional approval rates to plunge to as low as single digits.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

many conservatives harping.....

Some do.

[dirtboy]

didn't read this kinda fluff piece for the Pubbies about Powell, Condie, Steel, etc. from the NYT...

Well, those weren't REAL blacks, you know.

[Osage Orange]

He actually said that?????

[Disambiguator]

Hold on to your wallets AND your guns.

[Alter Kaker]

Rangell's a funny guy...

[lowbridge]

The first one in bold.

[Osage Orange]

Yeah...I knew that part.

Geesh.....was he kidding around?

[lowbridge]

was he kidding around?

I doubt it.

[Osage Orange]

Geesh...can anyone imagine if a white GOP'er had said something similar?

They'd be politically dead....and probably brought up on hate crimes....

[sgtbono2002]

Nothing wrong with Blacks. However we see Alcee hastings ---crook Charlie rangel----Idiot. John Conyers racist. Yeah That bothers me.

[river rat]

Question:

Why is it permissible for blacks to ALWAYS concentrate on their skin color, form caucuses on the basis of their skin color, support candidates on the basis of their skin color, defend criminals on the basis of their skin color and demand taxpayer largess on the basis of their skin color..

Didn't the plagiarist and communist tool, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, pray that all men would one day be judged on the basis of their CHARACTER and not their skin color?

I guess MLK was simply posturing again....

Semper Fi