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GUEST COLUMN--Understandably reluctant to be "a co-star on the reality show,” the Congressional Black Caucus has declined a most kind invitation from our Great If Kinda Racist Leader to come "meet" with him so he can show everyone that black people like him so much, really!
Of course he likes them too, at least a few of them, especially Omarosa Manigault, the former “Apprentice” contestant and current White House "advisor" who actually was the person to summon them because, being black, she probably knows how to, you know, talk black to them and stuff.
After rumors had floated that the 49 members of CBC were unlikely to accept an invitation to a self-serving photo op with a political figure who has done nothing for the people they represent except pass legislation that would "affirmatively hurt" communities he's persists in portraying as carnage-ridden, hell-hole ghettos, the head of the CDC released a scathing mic-drop of a letter Wednesday saying, in essence, yeah, about that, thanks but no thanks, loser.
The letter from CBC chair Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA) was the latest in a series of fraught incidents between the group and Trump, who had failed to respond to a requested meeting in January, asked reporter April Ryan if she wanted to set up a meeting because hey they're her peeps, and neglected to read a 130-page policy proposal on helping black families the CDC gave him.
In his letter, Richmond cited that failure along with many other Trump actions potentially "devastating" to black communities - on health care, hate crimes, voting rights, police violence, criminal justice reform, Pell Grants, energy assistance, the war on drugs, funding to black colleges and a proposed budget that would shred both the social contract and safety net that supports it.
Despite repeatedly seeking to "educate" Trump, the letter said, "We have seen no evidence that your administration acted on our calls for action...Given the lack of response to any of the many concerns we have raised, (we) decline your invitation ... The CBC, and the millions of people we represent, have a lot to lose under your Administration. I fail to see how a social gathering would benefit the policies we advocate for.”
Then again, they could have gone and worn these, "the freshest in resistance gear," with profits to the ACLU.
(Abby Zimet writes for the excellent Common Dreams … where this piece was first posted. Ken Draper will return on Monday.)
-cw
