Black Caucus May Not Back Nancy Pelosi

Could the Congressional Black Caucus finally be showing some guts? Well, we will have to wait and see if they stand up to Nancy Pelosi like other Democrats who blamed Pelosi for their losses and suggested she step aside as leader. More HERE

The CBC has a bit of a history of flexing for a few days, then wimping out and getting nothing but promises without real outcomes for black folks.

They don't have much of a history of showing guts for the long term. They backed down when George W. Bush gave away the U.S. treasury to the banks, mortgage companies and Wall Street. What makes it any different this time?

According to Krissah Thompson of at The Washington Post a compromise designed to end a nasty political fight in the Democratic Party has left an important contingent dissatisfied - the Congressional Black Caucus. 

As you remember from my previous post I reported that Speaker Nancy Pelosi had developed a tentative deal in which she would remain the party's leader in the House when Democrats become the minority in the next Congress. The Washington post had reported that  Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (Md.) would take the No. 2 spot, and Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (S.C.) would move down to the third-ranking position, which Pelosi has called "assistant leader."

As I noted in my previous post, I was surprised that Clyburn accepted the position. Now we learn from Krissah Thompson that he is discussing what his new role will entail.  

OK, I don't get this. Why would someone as smart as Rep. Clyburn take a position, then after accepting the position discuss what his new role will be? Sounds kind of ass backwards to me.

Get this, Krissah Thompson also reports that after meeting with other members of the CBC on Monday night, he told reporters, "We're still working on it." Get this, The Washington Post reports several caucus members have suggested that they will withhold their votes from Pelosi (Calif.) if more details are not provided about Clyburn's responsibilities or that the caucus could go along with a bloc of moderate Democrats in the Blue Dog caucus and vote to limit Pelosi's authority as minority leader.

"We had a full discussion about this, and we actually wanted to look at the portfolio that is being developed with Mr. Clyburn's input, and we wanted to see what that portfolio would be," said the CBC chairman, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), explaining the decision to withhold support for Pelosi's plan.

Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-N.Y.) said she is "reluctant to want to vote" for the party's leadership without more details and wants to make sure that Clyburn's new role is "not a marginal, ceremonial type of position."

Pelosi met with CBC members Tuesday night to discuss their concerns. Afterward, members of the caucus gave no indication that they felt differently than they did heading into the meeting, an aide said.

In an interview with CNN on Tuesday, Clyburn said he has encouraged caucus members to support Pelosi and believes the new structure is fair. More HERE

AAP: "What new structure? It's the same old leadership that lost the mid-term elections, no change as far as this pundit is concerned." Nothing has changed, and the American people, particularly Democrats and independents such as myself don't get this musical chairs effort that does nothing but pat the current leadership on the back for losing the U.S. House of Representatives to the Republicans.

Cross posted on MyDD and African American Pundit

Congressional Black Caucus Members Under Investigation

The Washington Post is reporting that House ethics investigators have been scrutinizing the activities of more than 30 lawmakers and several aides in inquiries about issues including defense lobbying and corporate influence peddling, according to a confidential House ethics committee report prepared in July.

Dozens in Congress under ethics inquiry

Ellen Nakashima and Paul Kane staff writers with the Washington Post are reporting the a number of members of the Congressional Black Caucus are being investigated for defense lobbying and corporate influence peddling, according to a confidential House ethics committee report prepared in July.

Rep. Charles Rangel . (AP Photo)

The document also disclosed that ethics committee staff members have interviewed House Ways and Means Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) about one element of the complex investigation of his personal finances, as well as the lawmaker's top aide and his son.

Rangel said he spoke with ethics committee staff members regarding a conference that he and four other members of the Congressional Black Caucus attended last November in St. Martin. The trip initially was said to be sponsored by a nonprofit foundation run by a newspaper. But the three-day event, at a luxury resort, was underwritten by major corporations such as Citigroup, Pfizer and AT&T. Rules passed in 2007, shortly after Democrats reclaimed the majority following a wave of corruption cases against Republicans, bar private companies from paying for congressional travel.

According to Wapo Rangel said he has not discussed other parts of the investigation of his finances with the committee. "I'm waiting for that, anxiously," he said.

There is more.. According to Wapo, Politico, and The LA Times, the committee did not detail the two newly disclosed investigations. However, according to the July document, Rep. Maxine Waters, a high-ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, came under scrutiny because of activities involving OneUnited Bank of Massachusetts, in which her husband owns at least $250,000 in stock. Waters arranged a September 2008 meeting at the Treasury Department where OneUnited executives asked for government money. In December, Treasury selected OneUnited as an early participant in the bank bailout program, injecting $12.1 million.

AAPP: Voters in their congressional districts need to take a hard look at these Corrupt Congressional Black Caucus members. It just may be time to throw these folks out of office. I know if any of them were representing me, I would vote them out of office in a heartbeat. I guess Cathy Hughes would do the same thing. If I were Obama I would not meet with the Congressional Black Caucus until they stop standing up for crooks, get there act together and purged those who bring the group into disgrace.

I'm also getting a bit tired of these Congressional ethics inquiries, that have been dragging on for sometime despite vows to end corruption.

I guess I can understand why some democrats are worried that one of their own could cost them their jobs.