Black Caucus: Whites Not Allowed

The Politico ^ | January 22, 2007 08:33 PM EST | Josephine Hearn

[TexasCajun]

Freshman Rep. Stephen I. Cohen, D-Tenn., is not joining the Congressional Black Caucus after several current and former members made it clear that a white lawmaker was not welcome.

"I think they're real happy I'm not going to join," said Cohen, who succeeded Rep. Harold Ford, D-Tenn., in a majority-black Memphis district. "It's their caucus and they do things their way. You don't force your way in. You need to be invited."

Cohen said he became convinced that joining the caucus would be "a social faux pas" after seeing news reports that former Rep. William Lacy Clay Sr., D-Mo., a co-founder of the caucus, had circulated a memo telling members it was "critical" that the group remain "exclusively African- American."

Other members, including the new chairwoman, Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich., and Clay's son, Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo., agreed.

"Mr. Cohen asked for admission, and he got his answer. ... It's time to move on," the younger Clay said. "It's an unwritten rule. It's understood. It's clear."

The bylaws of the caucus do not make race a prerequisite for membership, a House aide said, but no non-black member has ever joined.

Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., who is white, tried in 1975 when he was a sophomore representative and the group was only 6 years old.

"Half my Democratic constituents were African-American. I felt we had interests in common as far as helping people in poverty," Stark said. "They had a vote, and I lost. They said the issue was that I was white, and they felt it was important that the group be limited to African-Americans."

Cohen remains hopeful, though, that he can forge relationships with black members in other ways.

"When I saw the reticence, I didn't want anyone to misunderstand my motives. Politically, it was the right thing to do," he said. "There are other ways to gain fellowship with people I respect."

Cohen won his seat in the 60 percent black district as the only white candidate in a crowded primary field. If he faces a primary challenge next year from a black candidate, as expected, some Black Caucus members may work to defeat him.

A similar situation arose in 2004 after redistricting added more black voters to the Houston district of former Rep. Chris Bell, D-Texas.

Although House tradition discourages members of the same party from working against each other, about a dozen black lawmakers contributed to Bell's opponent, Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, the eventual victor. Even Bell's Houston neighbor, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, campaigned against him.

One black member who criticized his colleagues for sandbagging Bell was Cohen's predecessor, Harold Ford.

"You have an incumbent, and you don't support an incumbent? It was inappropriate," Ford told Congressional Quarterly in 2004.

Cohen has won high marks for hiring African-Americans. His staff is now majority African- American, he said, including his chief of staff.

[TexasCajun]

There is nothing that gets my dander up more than the annual United Negro College Fund Telethon!

[LM_Guy]

Don't worry their is also an Hispanic Caucus too.

Also, with the way the back door is wide open here. Whites will soon be a Minority and we can form a White Caucus too and it will be PC then.

[listenhillary]

bookmark

[TexasCajun]

In 1995, then-Rep. J.C. Watts tried to join, and he was told, by a few members, that the caucus is only for liberal Blacks.

I have so much respect for American-Blacks that leave the Democrat Plantation knowing the hate that will be vented upon them by Black-Americans in public, in elected offices and in Big Media.

[Proverbs 3-5]

We have the NAACP, Black Caucus, and United Negro College fund. Yet, the MSM insists on using the PC term African American. We need a little consistency.

Is there still a Black Miss America pageant? I know when I was in college there were Black fraternities and a black Student Union.

[TexasCajun]

Whites will soon be a Minority and we can form a White Caucus too and it will be PC then.

And sooner than we all realize for a host of reasons.

[george76]

If they don't want "whitey" in their little racist club, let them change their bylaws to say, "no white people allowed."

Make them endorse their segregationist policy in writing and let's see what people have to say about it. Show a little courage up there, Cohen.

http://www.rightwingnews.com/archives/week_2007_01_21.PHP#007216

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

The MSM is ok with minorities being more than equal. It's payback, and they love it. The MSM is full of minorities with a chip and self loathing whites.

With all respect to your intended meaning, I have trouble with that language:

• MSM - "mainstream media" - is to me a woefully miscast expression:

  • "media" is a plural noun, and you are talking about a singular phenomenon - "the media" are all of one accord to such an extent that no one supposes htat ABC or NBC is willing to contradict CBS - or The New York Times, etc.

  • although fictional movies and TV shows clearly manifest the same perspective that Big Journalism does, the legitimate subject of criticism actually is the tendentious partisanship of so-called "objective" journalism.

• "self loathing whites" is an expression I loathe to hear Rush using. After all, the borg of "liberals" (synonyms: "progressives," "moderates," or "centrists" or - except in that the usage only is applied to journalism - "objective") is nothing if not arrogant. The very last thing they are is "self-loathing" or "guilty" feeling. They intentionally cause that confusion by the use of the non-inclusive "we." They heap calumny on "we" without the slightest implication that they hold themselves at all responsible for what "we" have done or plan to do.

  Just as the "liberals" / "progressives" / "moderates" / "centrists" / "objective journalists" are all Newspeak for "us good guys," "we" or "us" are Newspeak codes for "you bad guys." Right along with "conservatives" or "right wingers" - or the now-obsolete old-time favorite, "right wing cold warriors."

Why Broadcast Journalism is
Unnecessary and Illegitimate

[brownsfan]

"MSM - "mainstream media" - is to me a woefully miscast expression:

It is a shorthand. The term, although imprecise, has a well known meaning, and is understood by most. Yes, the MSM is not a monolith. But, the MSM is populated by "progressives" of a similar mindset. The individual entities exchange employees as any other industry does. The agenda of the MSM is obvious, and you correctly point out that this agenda is evident in the entertainment portion of their programming.

" "self loathing whites" is an expression I loathe to hear Rush using."

Again, simply a fine point. You are correct, the MSM says "we", but means you. It's no different than a family member who says something to the effect that "this family is messed up". Do they mean themselves? Of course not, they mean all the other family members! But, when one hates their family, and their roots, there cannot be a complete disconnect. While the individual may feel they have risen above, that they are a fine example of what all in their family should be, they realize that they share a common base. Therefore, self loathing is not 100% accurate, but close enough.

[traviskicks]

ping

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[Milhous]

"self loathing whites" is an expression I loathe to hear Rush using. After all, the borg of "liberals" (synonyms: "progressives," "moderates," or "centrists" or - except in that the usage only is applied to journalism - "objective") is nothing if not arrogant. The very last thing they are is "self-loathing" or "guilty" feeling. They intentionally cause that confusion by the use of the non-inclusive "we." They heap calumny on "we" without the slightest implication that they hold themselves at all responsible for what "we" have done or plan to do.

Excellent point. Just because leftist elites publicly perform the self loathing that middle America refuses to do doesn't mean leftist elites actually loath themselves.

[BaBaStooey]

Augusta National: It's their country club and they do things their way. You don't force your way in. You need to be invited.