Posted on 09/19/2011 12:53:49 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
The members of the Congressional Black Caucus continue to be outraged at the “unconscionable” rate of unemployment among African-Americans — but they’re not employing the same tactics to force the president to pay attention to their complaints as they would ordinarily, CBC Chairman Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) admitted in comments published today in The Miami Herald.
As chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, [Cleaver] has been at odds with President Barack Obama over his administration’s response to the soaring unemployment rate in the African-American community.
Nearing 17 percent, joblessness among blacks is at a three-decade high and almost twice the size of the overall unemployment rate. The black caucus wants the president to do more.
But the group’s efforts are freighted with political sensitivities, given Obama’s unique role as the first African-American occupant of the White House and the sometimes untethered animosity that his election has triggered.
“If (former President) Bill Clinton had been in the White House and had failed to address this problem, we probably would be marching on the White House,” Cleaver said. “There is a less-volatile reaction in the CBC because nobody wants to do anything that would empower the people who hate the president.”
In effect, Cleaver is saying that the CBC has dealt differently with this president precisely because he’s black. How is that OK? Either we envision a world in which we are judged by the content of our character and not the color of our skin or we don’t. What do Cleaver and the other members of the CBC dream of?
It’s nice, at least, that Cleaver doesn’t want in any way to contribute to a climate of hate. But, then, what would you expect from the founder of another Congressional caucus — the nine-member “Civility Caucus”? Certainly, you wouldn’t expect him to sit idly by as members of the CBC told Tea Party members to go to hell or referred to Tea Partiers as “the real enemy.”
Oh, wait. Cleaver did do that. It took Andre Carson’s outrageous remarks and Allen West’s threat to leave the CBC to spark any hate-mitigating reaction from Cleaver at all — and, even then, he was in no hurry to disavow Carson’s vitriol. Eventually, though, Cleaver met privately with West and convinced him to stay. But with his comments today in “The Miami Herald,” Cleaver again implicitly endorses the identity politics that so inform CBC members’ approach to the issues, in effect arguing it’s OK and even encouraged for CBC members and others to hold Obama to a different standard just because of the president’s race. Seems to me like such a backward approach for the chairman of the CBC to take.
Update (Ed): Cleaver should have been noted as (D-MO), not (R-MO). I’ve fixed it above.
All the CBC has is outrage. THEY are in charge and it is their fault.
I do NOT hate the president. However, I do think the president is a self-centered man, who has no sense of humor, and thinks he’s always the smartest guy in the room.
These are dreadful for anyone - let alone a president of the US.
The gent quoted from the CBC is incorrect as well. There’s no money left.
Amen Bro. Clever, you’re moving toward enlightenment. If you and your pals could only see that the vast majority of “us” (i.e. white Americans) could give a damn less what color the President is, that it’s is misguided and anti-American POLICIES that we hate, you would really start to understand.
We are all about judging a man based on the quality of his character....are YOU?
The CBC is fanning the flames of racism and riot/flashmob behavior.
what if herman cain were president?
Related:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2780303/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2780261/posts
...nobody wants to do anything that would empower the people who hate the president."
Poor Mr. Cleaver, it isn't working any longer. People don't hate the man. They hate "the plans for America" that the man has.
Democrats have to make it appear that there are people who hate the man, instead of his policies, and statements such as this reinforce just such an impression.
Somebody tell Cleaver that Owe-Bamma is really a white guy wrapped in black packaging. Maybe that would change his tune!
Obama (Barack, not Michelle) has nothing in common with the members of the CBC. Why can they not see that? He has no ties to native born African Americans (aka “blacks” but I think that phrase is passe now).
Wow, just wow. So if the KKK was quoted today saying they plan to march on the White House because Obama is President, think of the reaction and outrage that would cause. Yet, the CBC says the same exact thing in a 180 degree manner, and they get a pass. Sounds to me like the CBC has become a 21st century reverse successor to the KKK.
“If (former President) Bill Clinton had been in the White House and had failed to address this problem, we probably would be marching on the White House,” Cleaver said. “There is a less-volatile reaction in the CBC because nobody wants to do anything that would empower the people who hate the president.”
Oh. Ok, dear. That statement makes you a RACIST in big capital letters.
Are we 100% sure that this is not Eldridge Cleaver?
Maybe we should check his birth certificate.
It’s exactly because Dick Obama KNOWS you will never go against him that he can do whatever he wants to you, sucker Cleaver! He’s got y’all in his pocket and now he can ignore you. Ha, ha!
They COULD attack him on the grounds that he’s half white. At the rate they’re going, before long they’ll be back where they were in ‘07, claiming he isn’t black enough.
Obama is pressing for another stimulus to rebuild infrastructure.
Why isn’t the CBC saying to Obama, no jobs unless only Americans get them.
We all know that half of these contracts if they are let will be giving jobs to Mexicans and Hispanic illegals.
CBC won’t protest because of the color of the president’s skin? That’s RACIST.
There, fixed it.
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