But caucuses can either be about advancing specific issues, or about advancing a given group's power within the caucus. If your goal is to emphasize (and increase) the number and power of black representatives by having such representatives hang together, it makes sense to divide things along those lines.

Then you must also think that mentorship programs at large corporations that match up young black managers with senior black managers -- who are scarce enough that if it weren't deliberate such mentorship would never happen -- is racist. Or the same sort of thing for women, who seek senior women as mentors. And maybe it is racist, by a broad definition of the term. But it's also a fact that many people are more comfortable mentoring/being mentored by people similar to themselves, because they often share similar experiences and challenges.

I don't have a great deal of respect for the CBC, because they've taken to putting skin color above everything else, including ethics and common sense (note their defense of William Jefferson, or their displeasure at Alcee Hastings being kept off the Intelligence Committee). But I don't have a problem with them existing.

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Man up.

Agree. I don’t think the concept of minority groups forming caucuses is racist. If there are specific issues that they want to address within their community, they should be able to form constructive organizations and implement ideas among their representatives. In this case, Cohen is a valid candidate; he represents a district with blacks being in the vast majority.

To not accept him solely because of his skin color is the definition of racism.

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"A government that is big enough to give you all you want is big enough to take it all away."

The Solution for Illegal Immigrants (Gray areas discussed throughout the thread)

Oh snap! We better get an african american and a latino in here quick before we get busted...doesnt matter what they stand for as long as we dont look racist! We should get some women too...and at least one homosexual.

Go!

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America is a melting pot, the people at the bottom get burned while all the scum floats to the top.
- - - Charlie King

[quote]I had no trouble with the Boy Scouts decision to exclude gays. They are a private organization and are free to make their rules as bigoted and homophobic as they wish.

[quote]Oh, you don't, eh?
Such an organization would delight me to no end.

How about you?
Would you like to see a "Congressional White Caucus" JP?

If he looked like his MOM would he still be black? If it were reversed and his Dad was white and his MOM was black, would he still be black? Honest question - I really wanna know.

Cohen apparently thought so. Then again, he musta thought that the CBC dealt with black issues.

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Do you know what it's like to fall in the mud and get kicked... in the head... with an iron boot? Of course you don't, no one does. It never happens. It's a dumb question... skip it.

i'll share what some black people have told me on this subject. apparently, if you look black (at all) you will be considered black. so, no matter how light your skin may be, if your facial features show any indication that you may be black, most will simply think of you as such. and most people with that appearance will conform to the title, and only explain their full background if asked.

Now that would be a fun question to pose to the CBC. It's like "what makes a Jew?" How much black blood is required before you can join the CBC?

Is Tiger Woods black enough? Or too Asian?

Ooh, I smell a blog entry....

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Man up.

Uh, there is no "white caucus".

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Read this post quick before the mods delete it!

Why should he or ANYONE join a group that seeks privileges for a racial group? Isn't that kind of like joining the Klan?

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Read this post quick before the mods delete it!