Corruption, the Congressional Black Caucus and You
Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 8:00AM 
Were you surprised by all the stories involving CBC members and corruption? I wasn't. Maybe you didn't notice, but ... errr ... these people are politicians and what's a little bribery among friends? You had to know when you sent your favorite former Civil Rights champions, homeboys and girls who grew up to do good to Washington some of them wouldn't come back as sweet and innocent as the day you sent them there. Hell, some of them weren't that sweet or innocent BEFORE you sent them there. I think Madonna and Michael Jackson wrote songs about it and it's called "human nature."
You may say "Why? Why" but they're "not sorry." (No matter what their press flack says.)
I grew up in the North County region of St. Louis, Mo. in a district where our Congressional representative for years was William "Bill" Clay, one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus. My mother and father proudly voted for Clay and he had a storied and esteemed career in the fight for civil rights and the role of African Americans in politics. He was so well liked that when his son entered politics much like of the offspring of other political families, he was easily able to win and secure his father's old seat. William Lacy Clay, Jr. isn't quite as loved by the populace, but he's not necessarily* under much threat of losing his office anytime soon. He gets his "A" ratings from the NAACP. He makes his district happy for the most part. And I couldn't tell you the last time his district was headed up by a Republican.
I'd argue that a lot of CBC members come from pretty stable districts. Most of them have primarily black constituents. And barring death, new talent or an emerging scandal, they shouldn't have too much to worry about. But funny that word -- scandal -- there seems to be a lot of that going on right now revolving around the Congressional Black Caucus. Some of it's not surprising. The CBC is more powerful and more visible than ever. They raise millions of dollars. Many members have worked their way up to weild power over various committees. Power and money often follow each other around and because of that things can get a little sticky.
That's why you have Harlem Rep. Charlie Rangel being ousted from his spot over the House Ways and Means committee over some dubious accounting and trips to the Caribbean. That's why we have former CBC member John Conyers' wife Monica Conyers facing a three year prison sentence for bribes. Some think that this is indicative of a deeper problem with the CBC. I don't really see that unless you call politicians sometimes being corrupt a special "black issue." Considering the kabillion other Congressional scandals that have been going on since there was a Congress it seems this is merely a rite of passage. First you get the power. Then you get the money. Then a few of you get a little loosey goosey with the money. Then some more of you go completely off the deep end, start your own religion/halfway house on C Street and claim Jesus said it was OK for you to be a complete bastard because "you're special."
The Washington Post's Dana Milbank wrote this of Rangel's predicament:
Everywhere Rangel looked, there were other signs of uneven standards. House leaders wanted him out as chairman but they proceeded to hand the Ways and Means gavel to Pete Stark (D-Calif.), who has had his own ethics run-ins and a foul mouth to boot, before rank-and-file committee members rebelled.
Even as he sat in Statuary Hall, Rangel could be reminded of the ethics enforcers' caprice: Five of those delivering tributes to Murtha had been through their own scrapes with the committee or other authorities, as had the deceased, and all but Rangel had been cleared.
The problem isn't that Rangel was punished, but that more aren't.
So true. Why is it that some politicians can survive ethic scandals unscathed and others, like Rangel, get the ol' heave-ho out of their power positions? For every Rep. Eric Massa who drowns in his own aide groping hubris there's a drunk Kennedy wrecking lives and property. Sen. Larry Craig got caught in some bizarre men's room gay sex sting and the most the Senate could do was wag their finger and say "FOR SHAME" really loud before pretending none of this ever happened. Why wouldn't a member of the CBC think they could play funny money and dance on the edge of impropriety and get away with it? Because 9 times out of 10 -- you do.
There's a saying, all politics are local. The real test as to whether or not this scandal will be a lethal blow to Rangel will be if he gets any viable competition for his seat. After all, if you're bringing home the bacon, pork, whole pig and fryin' it up in a pan for your district, voting the way your constituents want you to vote and you have a history of relative goodwill, there's a good chance they'll all just shout "Stop picking on my boy! So he likes to go to the islands sometimes! He helped rescue the Apollo!"
While people outside of Washington, D.C. have mocked, scoffed and shaken their heads over controversy prone former Mayor-For-Life Marion Berry, the people of D.C. have routinely found a place at the table for him. You honestly can't underestimate a public's fondness for "their" guy or gal. Sure, it's THROW THE BUMS OUT all over America ... but not YOUR bum! Your bum is keeping the overpriced C-17 weapons program running out of the Pentagon so your Boeing stock stays up. So what if the Air Force says it doesn't NEED more C-17s and Defense Secy. Robert Gates BEGS Congress to STOP FUNDING IT. Rep. Ike Skelton and pretty much everyone in Missouri politics says "fuck you." Planes, bitches. Planes!
I don't write these things to say you SHOULDN'T be mad at the CBC for growing up from your scrappy Civil Rights off-shoot to your BIG, POWERFUL, RICH drunk uncle of black politics who throws really great parties. I write this to say, stop acting surprised. Last time I checked, in "Blackland" the only moral code we've ever asked of our black (male) politicians is not to leave their black wives and bring some white girl home. If you can manage to do that and not get all CRAZY *cough* Kwame Kilpatrick *cough* we, just like other constituents of all races across the country, can just about forgive ANY DAMN THING.
Just ask the people of Massachuettes. I'm pretty sure one of their most beloved senators once got drunk, drove a car into a body of water and killed a woman. It was an accident. But ... yeah. That woman's never coming back.
He died in office, decades later, of brain cancer after serving a storied and illustrious career. And if he'd lived just a few more years I'm pretty sure I wouldn't know who the hell Scott Brown is.
Just be glad it's money and not a body count.
----
*I say "necessarily" because while, it's true, I couldn't tell you the last Republican who won anything in North County, let alone St. Louis. But ... and this is a significant but ... Clay the Junior raised more than a few eyebrows over some of his personal issues last year. Namely his divorce from his wife, Ivie, who learned her husband was leaving her through reports in the press (classy). They'd been marred since 1992. Clay Jr. should hope that his wife doesn't pull a Jessie Wynn and trash him so bad that he winds up losing his seat to an emerging Democrat not named Clay.
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Reader Comments (14)
LOL. NO ONE LIKES IT WHEN IT'S THEM.
I forgot to put on my "surpised face" too when I read about this for the first time. Politicians are corrupt in more cases than not and Black ones are no exception. It is also absolutely true that if the constituents are getting what they want, they really don't care.
BTW... "F*ck you. Planes, bitches! Planes! LMAO Priceless!!!
It's kind of nice in a twisted way. We're proving that we're smart enough to be corrupt. Go black America!
Equality = when black folks get to be mediocre AND successful ...... we ain't there yet!
I guess they forgot that old negro saying "The white man's ice is COLDER".
Most of the DC politicians are getting a piece of the action. Unless you're Dennis Kucinich, you're getting a cut of the loot. And who knows? Dennis might have a Swiss bank account.
It sounds like a conspiracy to me! Actually, the double standard is blatantly obvious. When is Eric Holder going after some of the good ole boys?
Pimp culture is destroying Black America
I think the issue goes beyond race and more with the disease that is 'Career Politician'. These are men who's whole life and income is based on running for office, raising money to sustain their power sponsored and maintained by corporate America.
Its no longer about serving the public good, more like serving your own bank account and various private vacations. I hate to bring founding fathers into this who were not clean cut either in their personal life, but the difference is that they knew running for office was not about accumulating wealth, where most would run for office for few years, then go back to the private sector. Hence many were land owners, slave owners and well just darn wealth, limiting the temptation. American politics has been for sale since Reagan era, where its more about who runs your president and 2 party in power (insert military private contractors, bankers and many more who live on getting subsidized by the tax payers by the $$billions), and less about protecting the country and serving the interest of the ever shrinking middle class of the country.
Rangel has done good for the people he represents and is actually one of the few Dems who when on tv make sense and do not bullshit the people, but tragically he's as corrupt as most American politicians. At lease the democratic party unlike the Republicans manage to clean their act and do not stand by their people when found guilty. Ironic how 2/3 of the Republican senators and Congressional rep are either batshit crazy shit or corrupt wholly owned by Corporate American....yet no one makes a huge cry about it. On the other hand, we know who among the Dems are corrupt and just down right creepy and they tend to quickly get out of power.
OT - any possibility of another installment of SCAN anytime soon?
True, corruption knows no color; black politicians can be just as self-serving as their white counterparts.
Black politicians who use their power to 'steal' from the black communities they are supposed to represent is what makes their crimes most outrageous.
It's bad enough when politicians lack a moral compass (e.g., Gov. Sanford, John Edwards, etc), but it's sometimes worse when our black politicians siphon off funds from the [underprivileged] people they're supposed to represent to cushion their pockets (e.g., Kwame Kilpatrick and his misuse of Detroit's funds and Rangel hoarding 4 rent stabilized apartments). Luckily, we have more good seeds than bad -- but, it kinda sucks when we can't trust certain black politicians to protect and serve our community.
These kind of minor scandals are to be expected when the line between a campaign contribution is so blurry. Plus for the most part all these scandals blow over. Scandal turnover has become faster over the years because of the 24 hour news cycle. Unless you do something that is late night joke worthy, like say hiking The Appalachian Trail, no scandal will truly have legs unless it occurs really close to election day. If I lived in Rangel's district I could not vote against him if he truly saved The Apollo.
"I don't write these things to say you SHOULDN'T be mad at the CBC for growing up from your scrappy Civil Rights off-shoot to your BIG, POWERFUL, RICH drunk uncle of black politics who throws really great parties. I write this to say, stop acting surprised."
It is a sign of progress that Black people in power can be as morally reprehensible as their White counterparts. It's why we applauded the OJ verdict. It affirms the American dream to say that if I work hard enough and "make it" that I too can one day take advantage of SOME privilege. And believe you me, no money misbehaves like new money.
However NOT surprised we are, we should still be disheartened that the Black experience in America has taught us nothing. The injustice anywhere that Dr. King referenced - even when perpetuated by Blacks- still means a threat to justice everywhere. The quality of our futures is lessened by the lazy, compromised, and scheming practices of the CBC and just as I do when White politicians act up, I hope that they all come tumbling down. I don't care who they marched with. Throw the bums out!
::Leaves site to find a white woman blog::
I'm with Donovan: not shocked. Not surprised. Still pissed. Not accepting or forgiving.
My mother used to tell me: just because everybody's doing it don't make it right.