Black Lawmakers Plot 'Walkout Strategy' During Holder Contempt Vote
By Shane Goldmacher June 27, 2012
influencealley.nationaljournal.com
The Congressional Black Caucus has called a members-only "emergency" meeting on Thursday to plot a "walkout strategy" ahead of the scheduled contempt vote of Attorney General Eric Holder later in the day.
The plans, detailed in an email from the executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus obtained by the Alley, include circulating a letter disapproving of the vote and having lawmakers walk out of the Capitol to hold
The letter, a draft of which is being circulated for signatures, accuses the GOP leadership of "rushing recklessly to a contempt vote." The letter is being circulated among the Black, Hispanic, Asian and Progressive caucuses, among other.
"We cannot and will not participate in a vote to hold the Attorney General in contempt," says the letter, in which the signers urge that "all members of Congress to stand with us during a press conference on the Capitol Building steps during this appalling series of votes to discuss our nation's most significant priority--creating jobs."
The House is expected to vote on Thursday hold Holder in contempt of Congress for refusing to release certain documents related to the failed "Fast and Furious" gun-running program.
At moments, the fight has taken on racial undertones, most notably when Holder, who is African American, told the New York Times in December 2011 that he served as a stand-in for GOP attacks on President Obama. "This is a way to get at the president because of the way I can be identified with him," Holder said, "both due to the nature of our relationship and, you know, the fact that we're both African-American."
A copy of the full draft letter is below:
Dear Colleague:
We write to urge you to stand with us in the pursuit of justice for the Attorney General of the United States of America, Eric H. Holder. In its history, the United States House of Representatives has never held a United States Attorney General, or any other Cabinet official, in contempt.
Instead of focusing on job creation and other critical issues before this Congress, we have been asked to engage in a political stunt on the floor of the United States House of Representatives. Our constituents elected us to do real work, not to engage in meaningless partisan activity.
Over the past 15 months, Attorney General Eric Holder and the Department of Justice have cooperated with the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's requests for information on "Fast and Furious", an unfortunate operation that began under the Bush Administration and, in fact, was terminated by Attorney General Holder. The Department has made extraordinary efforts to accommodate Congress by turning over almost 8,000 documents--including all the documents that relate to the tactics in this investigation and the other flawed investigations that occurred in Arizona during the Bush Administration. The Attorney General also participated in a bicameral meeting in a good faith effort to satisfy the Committee's information requests. While the Attorney General has advised House Republicans that he is willing to work with them in attempting to reach an agreement, the Republican Leadership is instead rushing recklessly to a contempt vote.
Contempt power should be used sparingly, carefully and only in the most egregious situations. The Republican Leadership has articulated no legislative purpose for pursuing this course of action. For these reasons we cannot and will not participate in a vote to hold the Attorney General in contempt. We adamantly oppose this partisan attack and refuse to participate in any vote that would tarnish the image of Congress or of an Attorney General who has done nothing but work tirelessly to protect the rights of the American people. We must reflect upon why we are elected to this body and choose now to stand up for justice.
We call upon all members of Congress to stand with us during a press conference on the Capitol Building steps during this appalling series of votes to discuss our nation's most significant priority--creating jobs. At this critically important time in our nation, we must work as colleagues rather than political enemies.
Guest
These lawmakers are remorselessly racist bigots.
Like 2 hours ago 318 Likes
adieB
Running away from reality worked so well in Wisconsin, hmmm?
Like 2 hours ago 352 Likes
TallDave Here I am!
I wonder how the families of the hundreds murdered by this deliberate plot to gin up gun violence feel about the walkout.
I hope Brian Terry's family is there to meet them on the Capitol steps...
Like 2 hours ago 426 Likes
Viator16
"Fast and Furious" was started under the Obama administration. I guess if you tell a lie long enough, people will believe it. Don' t take my word for it. Look it up for yourself. Holder and Obama have done everything possible to block congress from finding out the truth.
Like 2 hours ago 369 Likes
AngryinOhio
This is just typical isn't it? The black caucus walking out...so mature, so professional. Is this what Sharpton came up with? EVERY ONE OF THESE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS SHOULB BE IMPEACHED. A sorrier bunch of Congress I have never seen.
Like 2 hours ago 389 Likes
HostileLogic
Mother Nature created houseflies, cockroaches, maggots, mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, slugs, leeches and intestinal parasites.
Then she lowered her standards to a breathtaking new depth of depravity and created Progressives.
Like 2 hours ago 394 Likes
Dan from Pheonix
Keep walking and don't come back. 98% of the Black Caucus are either Marxists or believe in the racist liberation theology with is Marxism with a heaping helping of racism and a sprinkling of voodoo. They should loop by the White House and pick up their fellow traveller Obama.
Like 2 hours ago 417 Likes
ron
They need to grow up and act like adults. The people are sick and tired of these childish actions demonstrated by these democrats everytime they dont get their way.
Like 2 hours ago 343 Likes
Yukiko
While they are out of the room the real politicians can burn the race card.
Like 2 hours ago 241 Likes
darrylseeTop 50
Again I say:
Let them walk out. Just establish they're playing politics on Bryan
Terry's death, Jaime Zapata's death, and up to 600 Mexican nationals'
deaths.
DISGRACEFUL!!!!
Like 2 hours ago 324 Likes
dtom2Top 100
I have no problem with the Black lawmakers walking out. However,I do have a problem with their returning.
Like 2 hours ago 526 Likes
MacGyver
If only they would STAY out
Like 2 hours ago 277 Likes
amplitude jones
arrest and execute the congressional black traitor pig marxists.
Like 2 hours ago 150 Likes
grumpyolguy
If only they would walk out and stay out.
Like 2 hours ago 197 Likes
Scooter Van Neuter
Racist morons :(
Like 2 hours ago 149 Likes
Mary_teri
and the press like the lap dofgs they are will run to the new shiney toy
Like 2 hours ago 121 Likes
Beartooth777
Is Michelle proud of her country now?
Like 2 hours ago 204 Likes
darrylseeTop 50
She don't care about any of this!
She's looking to take another expensive taxpayer-financed vacation!
...and Barack better say nothing, or else she'll go all Diva upside his head!
Like 2 hours ago in reply to Beartooth777 161 Likes
darrylseeTop 50
Let them walk out. Just establish they're playing politics on Bryan Terry's death, Jaime Zapata's death, and up to 600 Mexican nationals' deaths.
DISGRACEFUL!!!!
Like 2 hours ago 144 Likes
Tosheba
Racial hypocrites all. Their abject racist attitudes shock the conscience.
Like 2 hours ago 163 Likes
yusa1929
If they walk out they should keep on walking. The congress is not a place for thin skinned people that labor under the delusion that their opinion is the only correct opinion. The overriding problem is how government can adapt to an era where the main problem is determining a method of distribution of goods that is acceptable to the majority. The problem is fraught with conflict. Posturing and playingbthe race card is of no value. We need more statesmen and less politicians.
Progress is the key, not who wins or loses a battle.
Like 2 hours ago 126 Likes
Pouncekitty
This will be a scandal if the black congressmen walk out, a scandal for them. It will prove to the entire nation that some black people are not willing to move forward, but prefer to stick to the plantation politics of the democrat party. This will be shown to schoolchildren 50 years from now as an example of how backward the civil rights movement became.
Like 2 hours ago 223 Likes
Chuck Upster
They are the very definition of racists.
Like 2 hours ago 184 Likes
Cogsys
You have to wonder what would be said if the Republicans had walked out during the ObamaCare process, what would the Press and Media have said. In this case they will say little except to ratify the action because these are (almost to a person) sympathizers with Holder.
Is it racial, you betcha, but that is a secondary derivative of the direction of their politics.
Like 2 hours ago 108 Likes
Mike Crognale
They didn't have to walk out. They were deliberately excluded from the entire process. You'll recall that the bill passed without a single republican vote.
Like 2 hours ago in reply to Cogsys 86 Likes
mustberacist
Racists being racist... I'm not surprised.
Like 2 hours ago 153 Likes
Beartooth777
so, their message is? if you are black you are never wrong?
Like 2 hours ago 190 Likes
Brian110256
this group of people are corrupt to the bone they will do whatever necessary to support holder and protect him anyone remember how they came to slick willie's defense when he was caught his his pants down
Like 2 hours ago in reply to Beartooth777 122 Likes
darrylseeTop 50
Yes, that is their message. Right or wrong, black Democrats MUST stick together, no mater how disgraceful the matter is.
Like 2 hours ago in reply to Beartooth777 155 Likes
Mike Crognale
Sort of typical for Democrats though. Bunch of cry-babies, stamping their feet and threatening to run away if they don't get to have it their way. Well guess what CBC? Go right ahead. We've tried to compromise on this since last year, so there is no "rush to judgement." Just like there was no "rush to war" which is what your party accused the Presidents Bush of the last time you came up against men with cojones.
Like 2 hours ago 133 Likes
Bob Nunemaker
Just the fact that they are walking out because he is Black shows THEIR racism. So, because he's black, we should never hold him accountable because they want to play the race card? It's the boy who cried wolf and when there truly is racism, no one will pay attention. Holder has been anti-American so many times and now he truly is hiding something. Those who walk out should be ashamed and shamed publicly in ads.
Like 2 hours ago 197 Likes
Gator345
The black caucus, what joke. Their policy to stop red-lining loans is what got us in this economic mess in the first place. Their use of the race card is really starting to become tiresome.
Like 2 hours ago 167 Likes
holistic
Does anyone really give one crap whether the black lawmakers walk or not. NO! They are doing nothing more than showing their ignorance.
Like 2 hours ago 145 Likes
Guest
When you walk out, think of the family of Brian Terry FIRST!!!
Like 2 hours ago 114 Likes
Richard Bolles
Then it will be an honest and clean vote. Nice!
Like 2 hours ago 101 Likes
BHO_CONNECTICUT_SSNTop 100
Shocker.
The list grows daily of dem lawmakers employing a "WHITE BOYCOTT STRATEGY" against Barry's convention.
Like 2 hours ago 76 Likes
coast2co
Over 200 mexican nationals have been killed by the gun running fast and furious. And The 2 federal agents killed that we know of. And there stone walling and now its executive priviledge WHAT? Those of the black caucus are a bunch of racists. They always have been racial hate baiters. Its never what right or decent but whats in it for the black community. Now they do this I guess its because there crooked like Boxer, Rangle, Holder and Obama. Birds of a feather. You can't have it both ways.
Like 2 hours ago 118 Likes
MaryASanDiego
And don't forget to add that racist Maxine Waters to the list.
Like 2 hours ago in reply to coast2co 140 Likes
JamesDrouin
Why is it that racists always assume others are as racist as they are???
Is it a mental disease???
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