Nov. 6, 2009 – The feisty and outspoken New York Rep. Charles Rangel (D) and several other Black lawmakers will most likely be cleared of any wrongdoing by the House ethics committee on Friday.

Rangel has been the subject of an investigation looking into several financial irregularities, including his failure to report more than a half million dollars in assets.  Rangel always maintained it was an accounting error and that he would be cleared. 

Republicans have tried unsuccessfully for months to get him to step down from chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, one of the most powerful committees in Congress, but Rangel declined to do so and for good reasons. 

Roll Call is reporting Rangel along with four other members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) will be cleared of any misconduct for taking a privately financed trip to the Caribbean.  The investigation centered on whether a trip to the Caribbean privately financed broke House travel rules.  I was told by staffers, lawmakers checked with the ethic committee before taking the trip and it was deemed permissible.  It’s not clear why the committee started the probe after the members reported it in their disclosure filings.

The four other Black lawmakers who will reportedly be cleared are: Reps. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI), Donald Payne (D-NJ), and Del. Donna Christensen (D-Virgin Islands).

On Thursday a group of high-profile New York Democrats held a rally on the steps of City Hall to show their support for Rangel.  Former New York Mayor David Dinkins told the crowd, Rangel has had a long record of public service, “Folks seem to have a short memory.”

David Jones, one of the organizers of the rally chided the media for their coverage of Rangel, “Where is the balance? Everything makes him out to look like he’s on the take.”

This will be good news for Rangel and the other four Black lawmakers who can put this all behind them. But for California Reps. Maxine Waters (D) and Laura Richardson (D)  it’s just beginning.  Last week the ethics committee opens two probes looking into Waters role facilitating meeting with minority bankers and government officials and Richardson relationship with the lender who foreclosed on her home.  (See my Blog Oct. 30)

The House ethics committee has launched investigations into seven Black lawmakers; more than 15 percent of the total members in the House, no White members are under any full-scale ethics committee probe.  Politco.com is reporting, an eighth Black member, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.) would also be under an investigation if the Justice Department hadn’t stepped in and asked the committee to stand down.

The 10 member committee seems to have targeted Black lawmakers and is keeping them on the ropes of defending their names and reputations.  It appears to be a distraction they just have to cope with. 

Several of the 42 members of the CBC are majority ranking members and chair powerful House committees, some of these investigations could be a way to weaken their influence or remove them from power under a cloud of controversy. 

It can’t be ignored that all of the ethics investigations are focused on Black lawmakers; they are being held to higher standard and it looks like the other 393 lawmakers are getting a pass.

Nov. 3, 2009 — Democratic candidates for governor in New Jersey and Virginia were defeated and Republicans are calling these races a “referendum” on President Obama.  But just what did we learn Tuesday night from the results?

President Obama campaigning for New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine.

 President Obamas influence in these races can’t be discounted, but neither can the fact that Gov. John Corzine was having problems in New Jersey more than a year before the re-election, and he just couldn’t get Dems behind him which lead to his defeat.  

Corzine’s defeat wasn’t linked to any of the president’s issues, and based on exit polling by CNN, more 55 percent of those surveyed said the president didn’t influence their vote.  Chris Christie, former federal prosecutor   won with the economy as his primary issue; promising to fix the state’s fiscal problems. 

The same was true for the race in Virginia.  Bob McDonnell defeated Creigh Deeds who ran a lack-luster campaign and just wasn’t able to motivate Democratic voters to turn out.  McDonnell was able to capture the enthusiasm of Republican which ended a 12 year streak of Democratic governors in the Commonwealth. 

But two New Yorkers named “Bill” registered the biggest political bang of the night in my book.  One won, and one lost, but both delivered.

 Democrat Bill Owens managed to win an upstate New York congressional seat that has been held by Republicans for 100 years.  Owens won the 23rd District seat by defeating a conservative Independent candidate, Douglass L. Hoffman. 

Owens was helped a bit by the endorsement of the Republican candidate Dierdra Scozzafava who pulled out of the race; endorsed Owens and siphoned 6 percent of the Republican vote away Hoffman because her name remainded on the ballot.    

African-American William “Bill” Thompson, New York City’s comptroller lost his race against  third-term billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg.  But he ran a strong race and loss with a much smaller margin than expected.

  Bloomberg outspent Thompson 10 to 1 close; close to 90 million dollars on his campaign, that’s about $170 per vote.  Bloomberg won 51 to 46 percent over Thompson, not bad for a guy with only $8 million dollars to spend.

Nov. 3, 2009 – Governor races in New Jersey and Virginia are being watched closely by Democrats and Republicans to see if the “Obama influence”  impacts the outcome by delivering a win for either candidate.  

Its doubtful President Obama will determine the outcome of either race, but the fact that he traveled to New Jersey five times to campaigned for the Democratic incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine can’t be ignored.  In Virginia the president wasn’t as visible for Creigh Deeds and his campaign was slow to accept help from Pennsylvania Ave.

Deeds is trailing in recent polls by double-digits and appears to be headed for defeat by his rival Republican challenger Bob McDonnell.  But it might be too soon to count him out; Deeds won the primary trailing his Democratic challengers and bested both with a sizeable margin.   

Other Key races to watch around the country with African American conternders include Detroit and Atlanta. Detroit Mayor Dave Bing is pretty much a shoo-in but Atlanta, for the first time in 35 years, may elect a White Mayor, Mayor Norwood.

More: See other Key races to watch on CNN.Com

Few races in the country have African-American’s in contention, but one to watch is in California.  Kamala Devi Harris (D) is running for California attorney general in 2010.  In 2003 Harris became the first woman to become San Francisco district attorney the first Black woman to serve as District Attorney in California’s history.

Another California political powerhouse, Rep. Maxine Waters (D) released a statement in response to the pending investigation by the House Ethics Committee (see my Blog Oct. 30) regarding her influence with federal agencies on behalf of a minority owned bank that received bailout dollars.

 “My longtime advocacy on behalf of women- and minority-owned institutions is well known and appreciated by these institutions, which have been historically denied access to government regulators to address their concerns.

“I am confident that as the investigation moves forward the panel will discover that there are no facts to support allegations that I have acted improperly or violated the Code of Official Conduct or any law, rule, regulation or other standard of conduct in performing my duties and discharging my responsibilities as a United States Representative.”

On a lighter note, Monday First Lady Michelle Obama made an emotional announced she was launching a mentoring program to give local high school girls access to women at the White House.

Mrs. Obama was joined by 13 of the young ladies in the State Dining Room who will be matched with White House staffers as mentors including senior advisers Valerie Jarrett and Melody Barnes.

Mrs. Obama said, “We thought, what we can do to make the White House different, to make kids in our own new neighborhood know that the White House is a place for them?” She also told the   young women, “That when you get to this position in your life that you do the same thing for somebody else.”

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, greet trick or treaters at the White House, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009 in Washington. Beside the first lady on the left is her mother, Marian Robinson. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Analyst

Oct. 31, 2009 – The president and first lady greeted some 2,600 children and their families at the White House Saturday evening and handed out treats alongside First Grandmother Marian Robinson.

The president reframed from wearing a costume and the first lady opted for a tasteful Cat Women outfit.  Other senior staff joined in on the Halloween sprit by donning costumes, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs appeared as Darth Vader and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice as Goofy. (Not sure that was the best pick.) 
 
The lucky guest were children from 11 area schools, five in the District of Columbia, three in Maryland and three in Virginia.  All the schools were selected by the Department of Education.

The party continued inside the White House for military families and White House staffers.  The president told the families gathered,   “We are so grateful to you,” especially those who are separated from family members to serve your country.

The president thanked staffers and their children, and Mrs. Obama chimed in, “They’re so cute!”  The president agreed, “They’re adorable,” he said, “as is, by the way, my wife — a very nice-looking Cat Woman.”

Oct. 29, 2009 – Reps.  Maxine Waters and Laura Richardson could be in hot water, The House Ethics Committee voted unanimously Thursday to look into ethics violations by the two African-American Southern California congresswomen.

Reps. Maxine Waters and Laura Richardson pose outside the Martin Luther King Harbor Hospital Medical Center.

The committee released a statement saying it was looking into whether Richardson had failed to report real estate liabilities and income on her financial disclosure forms.  They also have plans to investigate if she received a “gift or preferential treatment” from Washington Mutual; the same bank that sold her home at auction following foreclosure action, but later returned the house to congresswoman. 

According to The Associated Press a four-member committee will investigate Waters’ activities surrounding the National Bankers Association and OneUnited Bank.  Water’s husband, Sidney Williams, owned stock in the bank and served on the board of directors until early in 2008.

The Massachusetts-based OneUnited Bank dealing with Waters is under scrutiny because the bank received $12 million in bailout funds three months after a meeting was arranged by Waters with members of the banking committee , other minority-owned financial institutions and U.S. Treasury Department representatives.

Oct. 29, 2009 – The Democrats stepped out boldly Thursday with the announcement by the Majority House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) of an $894 billion health care package.

On the steps of the U.S. Capitol Pelosi unveiled a plan surrounded by her colleagues laying out a health care system which would provide tens of millions of Americans access to affordable insurance. 

Dems estimate the bill would provide coverage to more than 35 million Americans, cut more that $150 billion from the Medicare Advantage plan over the next ten years without cuts to Medicare benefits.

Michigan Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) who has been a staunch supporter of the public option said the bill would be “the greatest humanitarian need this country confronts, and the greatest economic problem.”

Dingell added, “The only citizens who will have to worry about their participation in Medicare being cut are the insurance companies.”

Pelosi told reporters, “We have listened to the American people,” We are putting forth a bill that reflects our best values and addresses our greatest challenges.”

The bill could reach the floor as early as next week, giving every member a chance to read the bill before the vote is scheduled.

It’s not likely it will get much support from the other side of the aisle. Republican Minority  leader Rep.  John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) responded quickly calling the bill “costly and unsustainable.”  Boehner maintains the Democrats worked on the bill behind closed doors and designed it to appease the liberal arm of the party.

The White House was quick to heap praise on the bill, releasing a statement from President Obama calling the bill “another critical milestone in the effort to reform our health care system.”

 “The House legislation includes critical reforms to the insurance industry, so that Americans will no longer have to worry that they will be denied coverage, or that their coverage will be dropped or watered down when they need it most,” the statement said.

More importantly the president also praised the public option in this legislation.  “I’m also pleased that the bill includes a public option offered in an exchange. As I’ve said throughout this process, a public option that competes with private insurers is the best way to ensure choice and competition that are so badly needed in today’s market. And the House bill clearly meets two of the fundamental criteria I have set out: it is fully paid for and will reduce the deficit in the long term,” Obama said.

If this bill makes it through the House there is no way to predict how it will look when it emerges from conference with the Senate version, the Senate version does not have the public option. 

Recent polls indicate the American public is showing more support for the government run insurance option to compete with private insurers. Pelosi and the majority of Democrats thinks it’s the only way to hold cost down.  Republicans maintain the public option will drive private insurance companies out of the market.

They could both be right, bad insurance companies will go away, good ones will be competitive and the public option will provide an affordable option for individuals, small business and the unemployed.

Former Sen. Edward Brooke accepts the Congressional Medal Gold Medal in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.

By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Analyst

Oct. 28, 2009 –Sen. Edward Brooke, the first African-American man elected by popular vote suggested to lawmakers gathered to honor him Wednesday to put aside partisan bickering and work together.

Brooke, 90 years-old, said to Republican and Democratic lawmakers gathered in the packed Rotunda of the Capitol, “We’ve got to get together.”  Acknowledging Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Brooke added, “We have no alternative. There’s nothing left. It’s time for politics to be put aside on the back burner.”

The president departed the ceremony before Brooke’s remarks but delivered a similar message.   “He didn’t care whether a bill was popular or politically expedient, Democratic or Republican — he cared about whether it helped people, whether it made a difference in their daily lives,” Obama said.

“When pressed to define himself, he’d offer phrases like “creative moderate,” or “a liberal with a conservative bent.”  But in truth, Ed Brooke’s career was animated not by a faith in any particular party or ideology, but rather, by a faith in the people he served,” the president said.

President Barack Obama and former Sen. Edward Brooke.

The late Sen. Edward Kennedy,( D-Mass.), along with other lawmakers introduced the legislation to give Brooke Congress’ highest award.  Kennedy’s widow, Victoria Kennedy and son Rep. Patrick Kennedy, (D-R.I.) attended the ceremony.

Oct. 28, 2009 – President Barack Obama  joined members of Congress in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol Wednesday to honor former Sen. Edward W. Brooke (R-Mass.) with the highest civilian honor; The Congressional Gold Medal. 

Former Sen. Edward Brooke (R-Mass.)

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) requested the honor for the African-American senator she credits with forging the support for the voting rights bill. Norton credits Brooke for reaching out to his fellow Republican colleagues and wooing them to support the bill that also made it possible for Washington, D.C. residents to have a representative in Congress.  

Brooke a native of D.C. represented Massachusetts from 1967-1979. As the first popularly elected Senator after Reconstruction, Brooke will be receiving this honor while disappointed D.C. residents remain waiting for full voting rights participation in Congress. 

“Wednesday’s ceremony will help drive home the disempowerment of D.C. residents as Congress gives its highest honor to our native son, who left his hometown, unable to vote for president, mayor, House representative, or senator, and became our nation’s first popularly-elected African American senator,” Norton said.

Norton has been close to getting a bill through both houses of Congress – but has faced some obstacles.    Earlier this year, she was able to get the bill passed in the Senate,  and she worked for months to get the legislation moved in the House – but was bogged down before final passage because an amendment that would weaken bans on  lethal guns attached was added to the  Senate version.

 “Norton is encouraged by responses to a detailed proposal she submitted after months of research to attach the bill to the Defense Appropriations bill or to use any of several other ways Norton has found to get a clean D.C. House Voting Rights Act passed,” Norton said.

 You may recall Brookes made news earlier this year when journalist  Barbara Walters disclosed in her book she had had an affair with the senator while he was in office.

Oct. 26, 2009 — A clear majority of Americans support reforming the current health care system by including a public option.  If our government is “representative” of the people, why don’t the majority of our lawmakers agree with us?

It appears there could be a link between the amount of  money being pumped into the coffers of some elected officials that’s wooing them to favor the interest of contributors over the interest of their constituents. But that can’t be the only reason.

I’m not saying the health insurance  industry is doing anything wrong, they are suppose to lobby for their interest, chat up members of congress and make friends across the aisle,  but I take exception if it takes place at the expense of the folks they represent. 

Last week the Washington Post/ABC News poll found the public support for a government run option has increased over the last two months (since the August recess town halls) from 52 percent to 57 percent.

While the Post/ABC Poll was a national survey, a similar poll taken by Democracy Corps’ in Maine found an overwhelming majority of Mainers want to see a public option non-profit health insurance.

When looking at the findings by Democracy Corps, 63 percent of those surveyed  support a public plan with only 27 percent opposed – you have to wonder where’s the disconnect for these lawmakers.

Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe was the only Republican to vote with the Dems to move the bill from committee, only because it did not have a government-sponsored public option.  Her colleague Republican Sen. Susan Collins is on the same page with Snowe and has said she too opposes a government run option. 

How Snowe and Collins vote on health care reform could very well determine what kind of bill comes to the president’s desk - but it could also represent a defining vote and determine their political futures.

If the majority of Americans support a public options why don’t  they have a majority votes in Congress?

Oct. 23, 2009 –The public option is starting to look good to the American public and  to lawmakers burning the midnight oil working on health care reform legislation. It looks like late night talks could bring the White House and senior Senate Democrats closer together on how to reform health care that includes a government run insurance program.

 Thursday night’s meeting ended with talk of health care legislation that would strongly consider a requirement for the federal government to compete directly with private industry in the sale of insurance.

This is exactly what Black lawmakers have wanted from the beginning and something President Obama said he “strongly supported” but wouldn’t require.  Following the summer town hall meetings were folks railed against the plan, the alternative proposed co-op by some Senate conservatives and flexibility of the presidents’ stand on the issue made it difficult to secure congressional support.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was asked Thursday about the possibility of a “state-based” public option gaining support.  Gibbs wouldn’t commit,  “Obviously we’ll continue to evaluate proposals as they come down the pike that are involved in the merged legislation as we go forward.”

But if individual states decided to “opt-out” that would create another set of circumstances – but it appears to be one of the options being discussed. 

But the first glimmer of hope for the public option came from Democratic Sens. Ben Nelson, (Neb) and Kent Conrad,(N.D)., when they told reporters they had heard private negotiations were considering the plan.

In recent weeks support for the public option has increased.  The Congressional Budget Office gave it a better score than the suggested co-operative plan and five of the proposed health care bills in the House and Senate committee have a public option.  

Opponents contend an affordable public option would drive private insurers out of business and be the first steps toward a government run health care system.  However supporters of the public options say if the insurance companies offer fair market prices there business will grow with an additional 40 million Americans entering the market place.

The president should put his full force behind the public option – the tide is turning and he should grab onto the wave.