- Whip Clyburn did NOT sign
THE UNSIGNED… Well here’s one way of spinning something positive out of 20 members of the Congressional Black Caucus signing on to kill ethics reform: Focus on the 21 members who DID NOT SIGN. Praise Jesus: House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn did not sign on. As a member of the leadership this would have been the dumbest thing going for him. Further, it was Speaker Pelosi who backed the Office of Congressional Ethics and House ethics reform so it would be crazy to see Clyburn’s name on this resolution. Had Clyburn been dumb enough to sign on it would have given the action instant legitimacy — which is why Chair Barbara Lee’s decision to support the thing is de facto CBC endorsement. Thankfully, Reps. G.K. Butterfield, who is a member of the House Ethics Committee is not a co-sponsor of H.Res. 1416. Accordingly, Reps. Bobby Scott and Emanuel Cleaver, who are on Ethics subcommittee investigating fellow CBC members Rangel and Waters stayed away from this thing.
- Rangel NOT a co-sponsor
Interestingly, Rep. Charlie Rangel didn’t get involved in this. Everyone would have understood if he had as he is currently an ethics subject. Same with Jesse Jackson, Jr. Most of the senior members of the CBC did NOT sign: John Conyers, Ed Towns, Diane Watson, Alcee Hastings, Eleanor Holmes Norton and John Lewis probably figured out it was a PR disaster. The most senior CBC members to sign on are are don Payne, Maxine Waters and Danny Davis. Makes sense since Payne and Waters were on the St. Maarten’s trip that was investigated by House Ethics.
Funny: Del. Donna Christensen, who was a subject of the St. Maarten’s trip, and Rep. Laura Richardson, who is currently the subject of an ethics investigation, did NOT sign. Good. Typically what you find on the list of 20 signers is that anyone who has been named in any type of ethics investigation is on the list. See Reps. Carolyn Kilpatrick (St. Maartens trip), Greg Meeks (Feds investigating NY charity), Yvette Clarke (St. Maartens trip), and Bennie Thompson (St. Maartens trip) fit that discription.
Jesse did NOT sign
Then, there are members who signed on who have NOT been named in an ethics investigation yet are on here. Who the hell knows why Reps. Andre Carson, Hank Johnson, Sheila Jackson Lee, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Lacy Clay, Gwen Moore, and Corrine Brown are on this.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington took no time to focus on this and has the entire Resolution (H.Res. 1416) here: http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/45105
Of those who DID sign there is only one true surprise for me: Rep. Mel Watt. Watt usually steers clear of foolish things and is observant of ethics issues so I can’t figure out why his name is on this thing.
