West to Cleaver on Carson: “I will have to seriously reconsider my membership…”

Sad isn’t it? That at a time when the unemployment rate is at 9% overall and 40% in several communities this is what your elected officials are focused on: He said/she said foolishness.  Rep. Andre Carson said at the CBC town hall in Miami on Aug. 22 that, “some of these folks in Congress right now would love to see us as second-class citizens… Some of them in Congress right now of this tea party movement would love to see you and me … hanging on a tree.”

Now, of course, Rep. Allen West is asking CBC Chair Cleaver to get Carson to apologize.  I wonder will Cleaver ask Rep. West to apologize to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Rep. Maxine Waters, Rep. Barbara Lee and Rev. Jesse Jackson, who are “overseers” on a “plantation” according to West.  That it was Rep. Carson who was involved in the Tea Party “n-word” incident of March 2010 and one of only two Muslim members of congress serves as a noteworthy backdrop. One would hope this level of energy can someday go to policy matters. If any of this endless cable bickering was lowering unemployment everyone would have a job.

From the office of Allen West: Congressman West Reaction to Congressional Black Caucus Statements – (WASHINGTON) — Congressman Allen West (FL-22)  sent this letter today to Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Emanuel Cleaver, regarding recent comments about the Tea Party made by members of the CBC.

Excerpts from the letter:  “It is unconscionable when a fellow CBC Member, Congressman Andre Carson, comes to South Florida and claims that some in the Tea Party would love to see black Americans ‘hanging on a tree.’ It is appalling to hear another CBC colleague, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, say ‘The Tea Party can go straight to hell.’

“As Chairman of the CBC, I believe it is incumbent on you to both condemn these types of hate-filled comments, and to disassociate the Congressional Black Caucus from these types of remarks. Otherwise, I will have to seriously reconsider my membership within the organization… Congressman Carson’s desire to generally criticize a large grassroots group as racist is baseless and desperate. When individuals believe they are defeated in a political disagreement, they normally resort to race-baiting, which in my opinion is in itself racist.”

“As a member of the CBC, I look forward to working with you to help end this practice.  All of us, especially Congressman Carson, Congresswoman Waters and others who have engaged in racially-motivated rhetoric, should follow the example of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., not the example of Reverend Jeremiah Wright.”