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Robert Gibbs Gets Foreman Grilled Over Congressional Black Caucus

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by Tommy Christopher | 5:58 pm, March 11th, 2010

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Since taking office as the United States’ first black president, Barack Obama has taken pains to maintain the perception that he’s post-racial, that he’s everybody’s President, while taking criticism that he hasn’t done enough for black Americans. His meeting today with the Congressional Black Caucus, the source of much of that criticism, was the catalyst for an exchange at today’s White House briefing that perfectly encapsulated that tension, as Robert Gibbs fielded literally dueling questions from April Ryan and Lester Kinsolving.

Anyone who’s a briefing junkie (there are more than you think) can tell you that the back third of the daily pressers are often the source of fireworks like this. As AURN’s April Ryan tries to ask Gibbs if the CBC has the President’s ear, and if the President has an urban agenda, WorldNetDaily’s Lester Kinsolving tries to fight his way in to ask if the President approves of what he calls the CBC’s “racial segregation.”

I’ve seen Gibbs answer questions like April’s (some from April) many times, and the answer is always along the same lines, that by helping all Americans, the President necessarily helps black Americans. However, if stimulus and jobs bill funding is missing minority communities, as critics say it is, this rationale is more of a cop-out.A rising tide doesn’t help people who can’t even get on the boat.

Of course, Lester’s question points up the reason the White House’s relationship with the CBC is so politically sensitive. Race became a flashpoint issue during the President’s campaign, and it wouldn’t take much for his critics to paint him as giving black people special treatment. There’s a long answer to Lester’s question, about the absurdity of accusing an organization whose existence was necessitated by forced segregation of segregation itself, and there’s the short one Gibbs gave.

Whether you think the President has gone too far in distancing himself from the CBC or not, you can take a step back and see this conflict writ large. With record numbers of poor, unemployed, and uninsured Americans, why has most of the President’s pitch on healthcare and the economy been directed at middle class Americans who already have health insurance?

April Ryan, barack obama, Congressional Black Caucus, lester kinsolving, Robert Gibbs, White House, white house briefing

Azarkhan

Of course Mr. Kinsolving was correct in asserting racism on the part of the CBC (but maybe they’re keeping out Mr. Stark not because he’s white, but because he’s a leftist lunatic!). If we use Mr. Christophers logic, in the year 3000, the CBC will still be justified not only in existing, but in excluding whites.

Anyway, on to more important things. For anyone who is interested in corruption at the CBC, the following NYTimes article is informative. For example:

“In 2008, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation spent more on the caterer for its signature legislative dinner and conference — nearly $700,000 for an event one organizer called “Hollywood on the Potomac” — than it gave out in scholarships, federal tax records show.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/us/politics/14cbc.html?pagewanted=all
Olby Sucks

CBC is corrupt? Shocker!
roxsteady

“With record numbers of poor, unemployed, and uninsured Americans, why has most of the President’s pitch on healthcare and the economy been directed at middle class Americans who already have health insurance?”

See 39% increase in premiums! And that’s just in California. See, poor people are on Medicaid and rich people, well who’s worried about them? April Ryan is just awful and Lester writes for World Nut Daily. Nuf said!
Jim R

This administration is in an impossible situation with the CBC and civil rights groups. Ironically, they will end up doing less for the underclass than they would otherwise due to their rational concerns of an explosion of hateful rhetoric from “aggrieved” whites (see Tea Party – no, not 100% of them – so what?).

Attacking the CBC, and therefore members like John Lewis (who still bears the scars of white rage at achieving even a modicum of equality), affirmative Action as reverse discrimination, ACORN, who’s exoneration is the least reported story in the U.S. Media (as is the mountains of good they’ve done for generations of underprivileged citizens of all colors); hardly demonstrates any goodwill or intellectual honesty on the part of the attackers – to put it mildly.

After all, any “corruption” by groups in the pursuit of worthy societal goals pales in comparison to the rampant criminality of those bent on crushing any such aspirations.
MichelleF

Barack Obama has taken pains to maintain the perception that he’s post-racial,

Tommy,
Pepsi came out of my nose when I read that. Since Obama has become president, any criticism of him AT ALL is deemed as racist. I don’t try telling me he doesn’t absolutely love that.
MichelleF

“I” should be “And”, before I’m called a dumb, tea-bagging, uneducated, red neck, unselfish, wish all illegals would be murdered, conservative.
ChrisNH

I still say Bobbie Gibbs will exit Stage Left and be some public school administrator. That seems a likely career path for someone who, day by day, looks a bit more ‘peeved’ at his role. Plus, he’s become an utter caricature. So there’s that, too.
Ted

Naturally, a right wing loon like Mr. Kinsolving doesn’t understand the history of the CBC; the question shows a surprising lack of depth and naiveté. You would think someone who has been around as long as he has would know better. Lester, time to turn in your pencil.
PureFreedom

Nowdays, The only thing that holds back Black America is themselves.
But the Black leaders already know that.
MichelleF

PureFreedom, what a totally racist thing to say? Just wanted to beat Ted to it.