By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Analyst

Sept. 4, 2009 – Black lawmakers want to get out in front of the president’s speech next week and have sent him a letter outlining what they don’t want to see “scaled back” in his plans to overhaul the health care system.

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., meets with members of the Congressional Black Caucus on Thursday, June 19, 2008 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Lauren Victoria Burke)

The letter sent Wednesday is signed by three members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) who also serve on the Health and Wellness Task Force:  Representatives Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.) and Donna M. Christensen .  They called on the president to “stress unwavering support ” during his address to Congress for the following:

1. Not  reducing cost:  “Reducing the overall cost of a budget-neutral bill is therefore unnecessary and not a strategy that we do or can support.” 

2. Support for a public option:  “A strong public health option that will allow the nation’s more than 46 million uninsured Americans – more than half of whom are people of color – to finally have access to affordable, meaningful health care coverage no later than 2013.”

3. Eliminating health care disparities: “A strong and demonstrative commitment from the White House to, in the days and weeks to come, use health care reform to achieve health equity.”

4. Equality for U.S. Territories:  “The nearly 5 million Americans who live in the U.S. Territories should benefit from health care reform in a manner that is equitable to those Americans who live within the 50 states and in the District of Columbia.”

5. Rewarding preventive health care services: “This strategy will not only allow the realization of true cost savings of prevention, health disparity elimination and other provisions, but it also will provide an avenue through which the savings generated can replace current [payment system].”

Lee, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said the 43 members of the Caucus “are committed allies and partners in the fight to reform America’s broken health care system.”

It will be interesting to hear if any of these policy issues remain in the president’s new version he’ll unveil Sept. 9.  Throughout this debate members of the CBC have been outspoken on these issues and some have made it clear they will not support any legislation without a public option.

This could be a line in the sand for Obama and his former congressional colleagues.

Full Transcript: See the CBC’s Letter to Pres. Obama

By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Producer 

Nov. 17, 2008 – Illinois Rep. Danny Davis told me this weekend he’s interested in the Senate seat now left open by President-Elect Barack Obama.  “There are number of people being vetted by the governor, I’m one of them,” he told me.

 On Friday, Obama officially resigned from his seat, which has increased the speculation on who will be selected to serve and ratcheting up speculation on who’ll get the nod.

Davis has represented the 7th congressional district in Chicago since 1996.  And like his fellow Black colleagues from Illinois – Rep. Bobby Rush (D) and Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D) – he signed on early as a staunch supporter of Obama’s presidential bid.  

Jackson, who served as co-chair of the Obama campaign, has been mentioned as a possible candidate to fill Obama’s seat.   But today, Davis, 67, will be added to list of those voicing his interest in the position.  

Chicago City Alderman Emma Mitts is bringing lawmakers together to boost support for his appointment today during a scheduled news conference.  Predominately Westside elected official with be joined by city and state officeholders.  The roughly 20 folks on hand hope their message reaches the right ears:  Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), who will make the appointment in the coming weeks. 

Only five African American’s have served in the U.S. Senate, and only three have been elected. Davis said that alone makes it a “pretty unique place to be.  It would be very hard not be interested,” Davis admitted. 

Sen. Dick Durbin, told The Chicago Tribune he would like to meet with Blagojevich to discuss his short list of potential successors.  “I really hope that the governor will be picking someone who can serve the state rather than [be] the caretaker or someone who is, you know, trying to put some last line on their résumé,” said Durbin, a Democrat and the state’s senior senator. “I don’t want to see that happen. I’d like to see him pick someone who can really help me and help our state.”

Blagojevich hasn’t given any indication who he’ll select,  but others on the list with Jackson and Davis include: retiring Illinois Senate President Emil Jones; close friend of the governor, U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Chicago; Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran whom Blagojevich named to head the state Veterans’ Affairs;  Rep. Jan Schakowsky (Ill.-D) of Evanston; and two potential Democratic challengers to a Blagojevich re-election bid: Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan and state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias.

It’s uncertain when the appointment will be made, but Davis told me he thinks the governor will make an announcement before the newly elected members of Congress are sworn in in January.