Flipping the Byrd

Vice President Dick Cheney did a whirlwind tour through Richmond last week, flying in to stump (and raise a little money) for John McCain and heading back out again in a matter of hours. His speech reportedly focused on the traditional Republican issues of national security, lower taxes and limiting government.

One might wish he had stuck to those talking points at the National Press Club yesterday, where an ill-advised joke about West Virginian inbreeding turned into a media firestorm. The quote? "So I had Cheneys on both sides of the family -- and we don't even live in West Virginia." I've heard worse in almost every Aggie joke that has been thrown my way in the past thirty years.

Yes, the comment was in poor taste, especially coming from a sitting vice president. And sure, you would expect West Virginians to be grumbling about it, and even to hear the requisite wailing and gnashing of teeth from their representatives in Washington.

But nothing could have prepared me for this ironic response from West Virginia's own pride and joy, Senator Robert Byrd:

"That a man who has ascended to the seat of vice president of the United States would openly display such contempt and astounding ignorance toward his own countrymen is an insult to all Americans," Byrd says in a statement.

This, coming from a one-time Exalted Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan? And considering the Democratic Party's years of exploitation of the black voters who have unexplainably continued to support them, Byrd's next statement is even more incongruous:

"This pitiful comment is not entirely surprising when you consider the source," Byrd adds. "Vice President Cheney's words reflect the attitude of an administration and a party that says what they must to get elected and then turns their backs on those they promised to represent."

Pot, meet kettle.

Congressional Black Clout

The new 2007 House of Representatives is still a couple of weeks away from convening, and yet many members of that august house are already looking forward past next year toward the 2008 presidential race. Those forward-looking lawmakers include the members of the Congressional Black Caucus, but these purpose-driven congressional delegates have another agenda that is, to their minds, of even more import. Clout.

The Congressional Black Caucus, in its 35th year, has grown to a new level of influence. Three of its members now chair major House committees: Michigan Congressman John Conyers (the Judiciary Committee); New York Congressman Charles Rangel (Ways and Means) and Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson (Homeland Security).

Amaya Smith, spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee, says beyond the CBC chairmanship and subcommittee chairs, key members are becoming powerful players in the presidential race because of their influence. That includes Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), the new majority Whip.

Of course, the whole reason the CBC was formed 35 years ago was to unite black lawmakers in their efforts to better serve their primary constituency, black Americans, right?

U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks [I've always wondered: Is that her given name or a nickname?] Kilpatrick (D-Mich.), the new chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, says her role will be to galvanize the clout of CBC constituents to help Democrats win the presidency in 2008...

As I have said so many times before, I think the members of the Caucus would do a much better job of serving their constituents if they were to focus their attention on the betterment of their communities, rather than their continuing, single-minded ambition for more and more political power. If they truly want to help their constituents, perhaps they should be looking for a different sort of clout.

Parting Shot

Now that Washington has closed the door on the 109th Congress, I think we're really going to miss one former lawbreaker... er, lawmaker. While she didn't accomplish much for her once loyal Georgia constituency, Rep. Cynthia McKinney certainly did provide us all with plenty of laughs and good memories with her inspirational service in the House.

Although she publicly despises Republican President George W. Bush, Ms McKinney was well known in DC for arriving early to the halls of Congress for State of the Union addresses and any other occasion when the president was on hand to address the Congress, and procuring a seat right on the aisle in order to take every advantage of getting her picture taken with the commander-in-chief.

She has hosted numerous panels on Sept. 11 conspiracy theories and suggested that Bush had prior knowledge of the terrorist attacks but kept quiet about it to allow friends to profit from the aftermath. She introduced legislation to establish a permanent collection of rapper Tupac Shakur's recordings at the National Archives and calling for a federal investigation into his killing.

But it was her scuffle with a Capitol police officer that drew the most attention. McKinney struck the officer when he tried to stop her from entering a congressional office building.

In what has become the expected response from this grand lady of politics, the race card was played to the fullest effect, and she was never indicted for the act.

Much to her chagrin, Rep. McKinney was unable to play that same race card when she found herself ousted by Georgian voters earlier this year. For the first time in her career she faced another black Democratic candidate, and the voters jumped at the chance to replace her.

But true to form, Ms McKinney left her former colleagues with as much class and panache as she entered their presence -- with a parting shot only she would dare to deliver.

In what was likely her final legislative act in Congress, outgoing Georgia Rep. Cynthia McKinney announced a bill Friday to impeach President Bush.

McKinney ... has long insisted that Bush was never legitimately elected. In introducing her legislation in the final hours of the current Congress, she said Bush had violated his oath of office to defend the Constitution and the nation's laws.

The legislation has no chance of passing and serves as a symbolic parting shot not only at Bush but also at Democratic leaders. Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has made clear that she will not entertain proposals to sanction Bush and has warned the liberal wing of her party against making political hay of impeachment.

Luckily for all of us, Ms McKinney is -- as always -- much more interested in seizing the limelight than being a team player, so Speaker (that title still rankles) Pelosi's warnings bore little weight to this lame duck.

We'll miss you, Cynthia!

Calling the Kettle Black

President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" education reform has had its share of opponents since it was passed by Congress in 2001. Few individuals or organizations have been more vocal in its opposition than the NEA, which holds that the law is "fundamentally flawed," and which has hounded the president and supporters of the law steadily over the past five years.

The law's critics cried foul in 2005, when documents revealed that the Bush administration paid TV and radio commentator Armstrong Williams $240,000 to promote it on his syndicated programs. The revelations led to a government-wide inquiry.

Interestingly enough, it turns out the administration is not the only party to put its money into swaying public opinion.

A report to be released today by the group Education Sector says the National Education Association (NEA) has given at least $8.1 million to education, civil rights and policy groups that have opposed or criticized No Child Left Behind, Bush's far-reaching and controversial effort to reform public schools.

Now that's the pot calling the kettle pitch, sable, ebony and as many other forms of black as Mr. Rogett could ever dream of.

Another Step Backwards

According to Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the Senate took another step backwards today in the fight against terrorism.

Senator Chuck Grassley today said the Senate failed to pass an amendment that would help break down the barriers of information sharing between federal agencies. The amendment, sponsored by Senator John Cornyn of Texas, would have allowed the Department of Homeland Security to share information about illegal aliens who receive amnesty if they were connected to national security or criminal investigations. The underlying bill says that if an illegal immigrant applies for amnesty, the federal government cannot use information provided in the application for anything but adjudicating the petition. This provision was one of Grassley's "Top 10 Flaws" that he outlined in a press release Tuesday.

Here is Grassley's statement on the failed vote.

"This provision in the bill is a serious flaw. National security is at risk because some believe that illegal aliens deserve unlimited privacy. But, it ends up handicapping the federal government while it tries to protect the American people. Since September 11, we have made information sharing one of our top priorities. The failure of the Senate to pass the amendment takes us backwards in our fight against terrorism."

Remember that the individuals targeted by this immigration reform bill include all illegal aliens, not just those who have poured over the southern border. This also includes those who have overstayed expired student or work visas.

Top 10 Flaws with Immigration Reform Bill

As discussed today by Rush Limbaugh, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa is standing strong against the Senate's version of the immigration reform bill:

Sen. Chuck Grassley today said the immigration reform bill being debated in the U.S. Senate is riddled with loopholes and flaws. During a speech on the Senate floor, he outlined for the American people nearly 30 flaws within only two sections of the bill.

"I was burned once in 1986 when I voted for amnesty believing that it would solve our problems. Now, we have a 12 million illegal immigrant problem. I'm not getting burned again," Grassley said. "Not only do we have a glide path to citizenship, but it's a glide path with plenty of loopholes that don’t meet the common sense test."

Grassley's Top 10 Flaws with Amnesty and Guest Worker Portions of the Senate's Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill:

1. $2,000 fine — Under the bill, an illegal alien can go from illegal to legal by paying a small fine of $2,000. ...
2. Taxes — ... The bill would treat lawbreakers better than the American people. ...
3. Security Clearances in 90 days — ... This is a national security concern because Homeland Security will be pressured to complete these checks without doing a thorough job.
4. Work Requirements — ... [T]he bill ... allows illegal aliens to ask anybody to attest that they have been employed. This invites fraud, and the government cannot realistically investigate all these cases.
5. Confidentiality — Under the bill, if an illegal alien applies for amnesty, the federal government cannot use information provided in the application for anything but adjudicating the petition. ... This provision severely handicaps national security and criminal investigators. Also, if a federal agent does use information provided by an illegal alien in an application for amnesty the agent would be fined $10,000. This is five times more than the alien has to pay to get amnesty.
6. Social Security to illegal aliens &mdash Under the bill, illegal aliens are not prohibited from getting credit for the money they've put into the Social Security system if they've worked in the U.S. illegally. ...
7. Employers get a tax pardon for hiring illegal aliens — ... Businesses that hired illegal workers would now get off scott-free from paying the taxes that they owe the government. ...
8. Family Members of H-2 Visa Holder need not be healthy — Under the bill, spouses and children of H-2C visa holders are exempt from a requirement proving that they meet certain health standards. ...
9. Mandatory Departure isn't really Mandatory — Under the bill, the Secretary of Homeland Security may ... waive the departure requirement if it would create substantial hardship for the alien to leave.
10. No Interview Required — Under the bill, illegal aliens in the 2nd tier who are required to leave the country can re-enter the United States on a visa. However, the bill does not require these individuals ... to be interviewed. ... Today, the State Department requires most applicants to submit to interviews, and waives them only for children and the elderly.

See Sen. Grassley's web site for his complete discussion of each point.