OK DU'ers a question: Should Congressman-Elect West join the Black Caucus

[bigdarryl]

http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/black-caucus-awaits-allen-west-request

[littlewolf]

1. does he meet the criteria?

1. is he black ... (yes)
2. he is a member of congress (yes)

so the correct answer is yes ....

[getting old in mke]

2. Nothing like cluelessness to start the day

From the link:

"Friction between black Republicans and the CBC dates back to 1994, when J.C. Watts was elected to Congress from Oklahoma. The former college football star chose not to join the group because of its slavish allegiance to the Democratic Party agenda."

Slavish?

[NYC Liberal]

3. I noticed that too...

"Interesting" language.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

19. Sadly, check out the comments from this article as well as the AP article.

So much racism.

The suggestion that the CBC wants to keep blacks poor and dependent on "welfare" so that they'll keep voting Democratic.

The suggestion that the CBC is racist.

The comments really hurt me as a black woman.

[NYC Liberal]

20. I have an extension for my browser called "Shut Up" that

hides all the comment sections on any website and YouTube (not forums obviously). It's so nice, because I always get tempted to peek and I always regret it. Those comment sections are the cesspools of the internet.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

27. Thanks. I think I'll subscribe to that. Didn't know such a thing existed. Thanks!!! n/t

[JI7]

22. isn't JC Watts now doing informercials ?

[NYC Liberal]

4. Why not, let him see how well he fits in.

I doubt he'll want to stay.

[WI_DEM]

5. I suppose if he wants to--he is a black member of congress, but that isn't for DUers

to decide it would be up to the CBC.

[GSLevel9]

11. +1 nt

[ampad]

6. A black elected republican

In this political climate??? Disgusting. Sorry just how I feel about it. He meets the requirements so I guess he should be allowed to join if he wants to. I am not sure on how long he will want to stay though.

[FBaggins]

7. I doubt he'll be asking us for our opinion.

As for the CBC? It's tough either way. If he wants to attend and they don't let him, they get some negative press (probably wouldn't last long)... if they DO let him join, he becomes a spy in their midst.

Because you know his priorities aren't the same as theirs. When they debate how to influence democratic caucus decisions... do we really want a republican listening in?

When (not "if") the CBC has redistricting squabbles with the rest of the democratic caucus... will a republican fail to pass the word on?

[sally cat]

28. He's a pretty feisty character as well. This will be interesting.

[RockaFowler]

8. You guys should have seen his commercials here in SoFla

not one Black person in any of them. No-one of color except Allen West. it was rather strange.

[ampad]

10. Is he a tea bagger? (NT)

[jenmito]

12. "Meet Allen West: The Tea Party's black Jack Bauer"

He has become a YouTube sensation for his fiery speeches at Tea Party rallies; saying he would go to Washington and tell House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to "give me that damned gavel!" and enjoining his supporters to "gather your muskets" to fight what he calls the "tyrannical government" in Washington. He is particularly harsh in attacking President Obama, whom he has said he "absolutely can't stand," compared to Hitler, and called "probably the dumbest person walking around in America right now." That rhetoric has helped him rake in more than $5 million for his campaign -- outpacing his Democratic rival, and joining other conservative firebrands like Sharron Angle and Michele Bachmann as leading fundraisers -- and prime targets of attack by those who consider their views to be extreme.

But West's fiery rhetoric - he warns that the U.S. is in danger of falling under Sharia Law, saying the U.S. is at war with Islam and even lashes out at bumper stickers calling on people to "co-exist" -- along with his controversial past, have even turned off some seemingly natural supporters.

Although he is a veteran, West failed to win the endorsement of the Veterans of Foreign Wars PAC to Klein, prompting an outcry from conservatives. Klein also got the nod from Veterans and Military Families for Progress, and the Broward Police Benevolent Association, and even from West's primary opponent David Brady, who called West "extreme and radical."

http://www.thegrio.com/politics/meet-allen-west-the-tea-partys-black-jack-bauer.php

[ampad]

14. LOL I guess that answers my question

I wonder why in the world he would want to caucus with black folks. Seems to me that he would feel out of place.

[jenmito]

16. Yup. Palin endorsed him, too...

and I don't think he really DOES want to join the CBC. I have a feeling he's just trying to make the Dems. look bad if they reject him.

[Number23]

24. Holy crap.

He sounds like a typical FDL reader. And he also sounds like what their readers want OBAMA to sound like.

[ellenfl]

9. let him join. then the dems can create the cbdc and leave his butt

behind. i don't believe he is the only black repub to win a seat, tho.

do progressives let blue dogs join their caucus?

i may need to move out of florida soon. :eyes:

ellen fl

[jenmito]

13. Allen West says he has "clearance that even the president of the United States cannot obtain"

That got a "pants on fire" from Politifact: http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2010/sep/24/allen-west/allen-west-says-he-has-clearance-even-president-un/

[Nancy Waterman]

15. Absolutely not!!

He is a lunatic and a Republican ( a lot of overlap there). The CBC is for Democrats.

[Nancy Waterman]

17. Looks like he is joining

They decided to invite him, and he said he would join whether or not they invited him. What a pompous ass!!

http://floridaindependent.com/13466/congressional-black-caucus-to-allow-allen-west-to-join

The Congressional Black Caucus will allow two black Republicans, Allen West of Florida and Tim Scott of South Carolina, to join, according to a statement made by the CBC’s chair, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif.

“Should either of the two African-American Republicans recently elected to the House of Representatives request membership in the Congressional Black Caucus they will be welcomed,” Lee said in a statement. “Membership in the Congressional Black Caucus has never been restricted to Democrats.”

When asked about joining the CBC by WOR radio, West said, “I plan on joining, I’m not going to ask for permission or whatever, I’m going to find out when they meet and I will be a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and I think I meet all of the criteria and it’s so important that we break down this ‘monolithic voice’ that continues to talk about victimization and dependency in the black community.”

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

18. Yes, he should. J.C. Watts was a member of the CBC. The CBC isn't like

the racist Teabaggers/Republican Party. We allow black conservatives/Republicans in the CBC, despite the shit that CBC receives.

[sally cat]

25. Not true. He refused to join. Check out the link:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1365/is_n12_v25/ai_17179326/

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

26. I stand corrected. Someone else correct me as well. The bottom line is that he wouldn't be refused.

[Number23]

21. That's actually a damn good question.

I would say the answer is yes he should be allowed to join the CBC. They better get used to seeing more black Repubs and indies.

Edit: Just read the article. It's a shitty piece.

"Friction between black Republicans and the CBC dates back to 1994, when J.C. Watts was elected to Congress from Oklahoma. The former college football star chose not to join the group because of its slavish allegiance to the Democratic Party agenda.

"They said that I had sold out and (called me) Uncle Tom. But I have my thoughts. And I think they're race-hustling poverty pimps," Watts said at the time."

Why would they say that the CBC shows "slavish allegiance" to the Dem party? Could they have used a stupider choice of words? That little bit of editorializing should have been removed by a halfway decent copy editor.

As for Watts' comment, I'm sure that he regrets it now. Or at least, he should.

[ibegurpard]

23. I suppose that's up to them

Although if I was a member I would leave the room if they walked in.

[political_Dem]

29. The tale of the scorpion and the frog is apropos here...

West can do what he likes. But I hope that the Dems of the CBC will be on their best guard because a Teabagger is no friend--least of all to people of color. A person of color would have to be blind to not see the racist garbage the TP'ers have stirred up since the 2008 elections. And anyone elected with their foul taint has the stench of corruption, phoniness and ignorance. So, I hope the Dems of the committee will watch their backs and be wary of every intention West has.