Heroes and Hypocrites: CBC Shattered on Iraq

[Bullet1987]

http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=163&Itemid=39">Here

More than two-thirds of the Congressional Black Caucus signed on as members of the Out of Iraq Caucus, but when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic corporate cohorts turned up the fire, all but four melted into the mass of hypocrisy that joined the U.S. war machine while pretending to resist it. The heroes are mostly heroines: Reps. Maxine Waters, Barbara Lee, Diane Watson, and the only man in the bunch, John Lewis. The collapse of the CBC is not a morality play, but the story of a power play. The lesson: the CBC will not stand up to Power, and is a politically spent force as presently constituted. The same must be said of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, only four of whose non-Black members stuck by their guns.

[Dhalgren]

1. Yep. Sad, but true. Makes the ones who showed true courage

seem even more brave...

[EFerrari]

2. Every group has its ebb and flow. The CBC has done more

than most during these last six years and I hope you take that into consideration.

[The Magistrate]

3. Take Heart, Sir

Perhaps in the vote on the final Bill, sufficient persuasion will be brought to move these few people to a decent showing of solidarity with the people of the country and their Party, and they will clear their names of this foolishness they committed last week. There is no reason to lose hope that they will support a course that is the best one available, is supported by a landslide proportion of the people of the country, including easily nineteen in twenty of the people who express themselves in opposition to the occupation of Iraq, and is doing great political damage already to the Republicans and their administration.

"A politician pleading conscience is like a burglar pleading honesty."