Last Friday, Ohio Congresswoman Marcia Fudge made a most
demagogic debut as the newly elected Chair of the Congressional
Black Caucus. During a press conference, the three-term Democrat
from the Buckeye state’s 11th District
criticized Senator John McCain for his criticisms of UN
Ambassador Susan Rice:
There is a clear, a clear in my opinion, sexism and racism that
goes with these comments that are being made by, unfortunately,
Senator McCain and others.
For good measure, Fudge also
said, “It is a shame that anytime something goes wrong, they
pick on women and minorities.”
Why yes, of course, that’s exactly why McCain criticized Rice.
McCain can’t possibly be criticizing Rice because she made
erroneous statements about the September 11th attacks in Benghazi
on behalf of the Obama Administration. What other reason would
McCain have for criticizing Rice other than she’s black and a
woman?
John McCain can be accused of many things. Being racist and
sexist isn’t amongst them. Unfortunately, McCain can’t win for
trying. Remember during the 2008 presidential race when McCain
called Georgia Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis one
of his three greatest heroes at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Forum? And
how did Lewis repay McCain’s kindness? He
compared him to George Wallace.
So if Lewis can muddy the waters after McCain pays him a
compliment, then what’s to stop Fudge from, well, fudging things
further, when McCain dares offer a criticism? Given her dual
accusations of racism and sexism, one could argue she’s double
fudging matters. Should President Obama appoint Rice his next
Secretary of State, you can be sure that Fudge will cry racism and
sexism like fudge on rice.
Of course, Fudge is hardly alone here. Enter Rep. Gwen Moore, a
Democrat from Wisconsin’s 4th District and also a member of the
Congressional Black Caucus. Moore
said:
To batter this woman because they don’t feel they have the
ability to batter President Obama is something we the women are not
going to stand by and watch.
Now if McCain or any other Republican were to “batter” President
Obama, Moore would be the first to cry racism against McCain for
having the temerity to criticize Obama. Naturally, Moore wants to
have her fudge and eat it too.
It never ceases to amaze how any criticism of a black public
official by a white public official must be motivated solely by
race. It also never ceases to amaze how any criticism of a female
public official by a male public official must be motivated solely
by gender. If the public official in question happens to be both
black and female, then all bets are off.
Does it ever occur to those who cry racism and sexism that the
criticism might actually motivated by something that black and/or
female public official has said and/or done? Of course it doesn’t
because those who cry racism and sexism believe that said black and
female public officials are beyond criticism in the first
place.
Well, actually that’s not entirely true. All things considered,
not all grains of race are created equal — at least in the eyes of
the Congressional Black Caucus. When was the last time the
Congressional Black Caucus stuck up for Condoleezza Rice? When was
the last time the Congressional Black Caucus characterized Condi
Rice’s critics as racist and sexist?
I won’t keep you in suspense. The Congressional Black Caucus
never defended Condi Rice.
Come to think of it, where is the Congressional Black Caucus
regarding Allen West? If West were a liberal Democrat, the
Congressional Black Caucus would make his recount their top
priority. They would be crying fraud and minority voter
suppression. But since West is a conservative, Tea Party activist,
they won’t give him the time of day. The fact that West
joined the Congressional Black Caucus shortly after being
elected to Congress in 2010 apparently doesn’t count for anything.
It could very well be said that the Congressional Black Caucus
treats West as the black sheep of their family.
If we reach the day that the Congressional Black Caucus can
treat Susan Rice and Condi Rice the same, then we will have turned
a corner in our country’s political discourse. Yet somehow I don’t
think the Congressional Black Caucus is going to jump on this like
fudge on rice anytime soon.
