Part of the natural coalition speaks.
The Democratic Party has cast off in word, deed and, worse!, in silence the old partners in the Civil Rights coalitions. They never developed a populist economic message to extend to the South post Reagan… over and over thru decades they enabled. Gays were neglected, sold out…. Don’t ask don’t tell. Carter telegraphed Clinton immediately upon election advising him to open mil service to gays thru executive order. Move swiftly Carter advised, the nation would survive and over 4 years he would indeed be re-elected.
Civil Rights.
The great umbrella under which we might all have stayed Democrats (and slept at night). Or been independent but honest partners of a modern Democratic Party. One with broad coalitions.
Read this from Glen Ford and Peter Gamble of the Black Commentator and hear the reverberations. I have sent it to the DC office of Senator Obama (from his recent missive):
And further, it will require us to innovate and experiment with whatever ideas hold promise (including market- or faith-based ideas that originate from Republicans).
As well as to my representatives, Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer and Nancy Pelosi.
And to Harry Reid. Who should go back to NV if he will not assist in mounting a Democratic challenger to Ensign.
Who are these people that they lecture us.
Black Commentator
There is something very wrong going on in the Congressional Black Caucus. However, the malady has a long history. A class of Black politicians think that we exist to support them, rather than that they are elected to support us. […]
The “derelicts” had voted against the interests of their constituents – the people who voted them into office – in favor of the corporate agenda pushed by the Republican Party. At the top of the list were Rep. Harold Ford, Jr, of Memphis, and David Scott, of suburban Atlanta. Riding right behind them on the corporate money train were Representatives Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Albert Wynn (D-MD), Artur Davis (D-AL), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), and William Jefferson (D-LA).
All had crossed over to the Republican side of the aisle on a number of key economic issues, including the bankruptcy bill that threatens to further impoverish Black communities that are already encircled by predatory lending agencies.
[…]
But CBC chairman Mel Watt (D-NC) doesn’t see the bright lines. Although Watt has voted as a consistent progressive, as CBC chairman he has shown no inclination to rein in the opportunists in the CBC ranks – those who sell out to the corporations that contribute to their campaigns.
Instead, he has allowed them to clone themselves, and proliferate throughout the key positions of the Caucus and the Democratic Party.
It seems the CBC Monitor hit a nerve. A deep one. The point that Mel Watt appears to be trying to make is that Black folks shouldn’t criticize Black leadership. Otherwise, we are helping white folks. This is ridiculous, and denies us our right to democratic action. We became citizens, finally, in the Sixties. No Black man is going to extinguish that. Not even Mel Watt.
The fact is, the CBC is broken, and cannot make a decision that represents the Consensus of the Black community, because it is infested by corporate money. Watt denies that economic issues, which were the basis of the CBC Report Card, are key Black issues. Watt told the CBC Monitor’s Leutisha Stills that “the bankruptcy bill or CAFTA wasn’t going to have the effect on the Black community as been perceived.” [Sirota on the CAFTA vote]
Obama yet again:
”And a pro-union Democrat doesn’t become anti-union if he or she makes a determination that on balance, CAFTA will help American workers more than it will harm them.”
What Mel Watt and an apparent consensus of the CBC’s leadership (not its members) have seemed to decide, is that no position can be taken if there is no unanimity. That means that any corporate whore who gets bought can stop the machinery.
If this remains the norm, there is no reason for a Congressional Black Caucus. In fact, there is a need for split that would allow the truly progressive Members to act.
Splits are difficult. They should not be taken lightly. But what Mel Watt spoke lays down the line – that there should be no criticism of Black politicians by Black people. That is unacceptable. We will no longer worship Black elected officials who do not represent.
Yes, hear the reverberations. The people are angry. Authority is nervous.
x posted at Liberal Street Fighter
