"When I saw the reticence, I didn't want anyone to misunderstand my motives. Politically, it was the right thing to do.There are other ways to gain fellowship with people I respect."
-- Pete Stark
I seem to recall some heated discussion we had around here about exclusive country clubs or some such. So you ask who is Pete Stark. He's one of the first whitefolks who tried to join the Congressional Black Caucus back in 1975. His application got kicked to the curb despite the fact that the district he represented was about half black. You should see the wisdom in his compromise, but it is the kind of wisdom some black partisans are not likely going to give any credit for on the other shoe.
So today's man bites dog story is that what goes around 22 years ago, goes around once again. This time, the congresscritter is one Stephen I. Cohen out of Memphis who hit the screens of the CBC.
As a white liberal running in a majority African American district, Tennessee Democrat Stephen I. Cohen made a novel pledge on the campaign trail last year: If elected, he would seek to become the first white member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Now that he's a freshman in Congress, Cohen has changed his plans. He said he has dropped his bid after several current and former caucus members made it clear to him that whites need not apply.
Sounds a little bit like that sign I used to see in Brooklyn. "Don't even THINK about parking here." I don't think this is such a big deal. There's not much that the CBC does that anybody recognizes or really cares about. It's just another club, and a decent one worth having. It has been about 13 years or so since they've been completely defunded for their exclusivity, and that's about the last time anybody has really cared about a major controversy involving them.
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