Jack & Jill Politics

Over the last few weeks, and especially since the primaries, it is well-known that the Congressional Black Caucus was somewhat split over which candidate should get the Democratic Nomination for President.  At least 15 members of the Caucus were in favor of Hillary Clinton. Some brave souls openly admitted support for Obama; others, like Gentleman Jim Clyburn, remained neutral until the Clintons decided an attempt to “Willie Horton-ize” Obama to win the primary was a good idea.

Well, after Obama closed the deal, and the Hillbots are still smoking whatever’s making them delusional, I have received several emails suggesting members of the CBC who continued to support Hillary Clinton, even though those members’ districts went heavily for Obama, should be ousted from their seats.  While I understand these constituents’ passion for determining whether or not their representative is looking after their best interests in Congress was to support Obama or not, there are other, more valid reasons for giving your representative the boot from Congress.  Here are some of the reasons for needing the clean house in the Congressional Black Caucus:

• If CBC members voted to fund the Iraq War and have continued to do so, even though it’s been proven America had no business starting a war with Iraq;
• If CBC members are taking money from the Energy industry, the Banking Industry or the Telecom industry, to vote for, or initiate legislation that serves the interests of those industries, like the god-awful Bankruptcy bill; legislation leading to $4.00 a gallon gas, or legislation imposing limits and access to the internet, converting TV to Digital Cable, or needing cable service period, just to watch PBS.
• If CBC members have been in Congress so long, they feel ownership, not service-ship to the district they represent
• If CBC members are taking money from the Republicans to ward off primary challengers (Ed Towns)
• If CBC members believe they should be elected on the basis of skin color
• If the CBC as a body, has lost all effectiveness and attack those who demand they give an accounting of what they say they are doing in OUR NAME;

Then, you need to clean house.  Of course, ignoring the will of your district (such as continuing to support Hillary Clinton when your district voted heavily for Obama) indicates your rep is not willing to listen to what you have to say, and have adopted an attitude of knowing what’s best for you (as in, “shut up, constituent, I know what I’m talking about.”)

I will admit that those who have ignored their constituents are having to go back to their districts and get earfuls of hostility from said districts (paging Sheila Jackson-Lee and Stephanie Tubbs-Jones), brings a smile to my face, because the hostility they are hearing from their districts are indicators that if you ignore them on this issue, you have been ignoring them elsewhere, and maybe a good old-fashioned primary challenger, one who forces you to spend money, and wear out shoe-leather to actually campaign, is what you need to get off your ass and do the job to which you were elected.

That’s why housecleaning should be done in the CBC – because the representation isn’t effective anymore, and the member acts like the constituent owes them something, when the reality is, the CBC member owes the constituent effective representation of their interests and willingness to work for those that voted them in office.  Nothing more, and certainly, nothing less.

Share with me, JJP readers, why you think housecleaning needs to commence within the CBC; I look forward to hearing from you.