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President Barack Obama is scheduled to meet with his former colleagues from the Congressional Black Caucus. Even though the all-Democratic CBC supported Obama during his presidential run, some members are hinting they will grill Obama to make sure black folks don't slip off his agenda.
I hope they think better of it because going by an early glance of his budget, President Obama is keeping the needs of black America foremost in his priorities. ...
An early review of Obama's proposed budget spending shows increased allocations for Americans getting unemployment benefits.
Obama's budget will also make it easier for low-income Americans, of which blacks represent a disproportionately large share of the population, to protect theri futures. Under Obama's proposal, low income Americans who start a retirement account with $1,000 would receive a matching $500 for government funds.
Obama also plans to spend more for people needing job training and for ex-offenders, again a population black people are overrepresented in.
The president has frustrated some supporters because he almost never brings race to the table in his public comments. But that doesn't mean he isn't instituting policies that will benefit minorities.
Hopefully members of the CBC will do their homework before the meeting with President Obama, (and that is not a given - I worked on Capitol Hill for the Associated Press). If they do, they will see that Obama hasn't forgotten his black half.
Paul Shepard blogs the Democrat side of politics for Black Voices. He has been a journalist for 16 years on the national urban/minority affairs beat for The Cleveland Plain Dealer and for AP in Washington, D.C. He now runs his own public affairs firm, Shepard Strategic Communications
Comments: (13)
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By: Jim on 3/03/2009 12:45PM
What a dumbass thing to say, his "black half."
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By: Nurse Snow on 3/03/2009 3:33PM
I think you know what he meant...perceived black vs. white interests...sometimes we are torn between competing philosophies and identities. Let's see, I'm a multi-racial AARP professional woman. Issues can affect those "portions" differently.
The sooner we can just call ourselves "Americans" the sooner this "portion" system will be dispelled.
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By: Mark Berthiaume on 3/04/2009 10:49AM
The heading says that he is doing right by his people. I suppose I'm one of his people but he is not doing alright by the standards I believe in. Being one of his people, as a Christian, I believe that he needs to repent of his sins that he has made public. The first one being abortion. Abortion is murder and it is also the sixth Coomandment, Thou shalt Not murder. Also as one of his "people" same sex marriage is an abomination unto God. If he claims to be a Christian then I am one of his people. But only if he works for Gods will and not his own. If he supports something that is Anti-God or Anti-Christian then he is not one of my People.
IF anyone claims that abortion is right THEN THEY ARE NOT CHRISTIAN! They are false prophets according to The Word of God. They are unbelievers according to The Word of God. They are not Christians.So the only way I could be linked to Obama as "one of his people" is that he repents from his misguided beliefs and walks and lives in His Commandments and not that of the worlds.
By the way I'm not a color, I'm a Christian and there is NO COLOR in Christianity.
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By: El Roy on 3/03/2009 2:07PM
He's SUPPOSED to be the president of ALL Americans, not just the 12% that are negro. "His people" are supposed to be each and every American.
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By: brad on 3/03/2009 2:47PM
"His people?" What the hell? I thought he was half white. I see how it goes. If he does good he's black, If he screws up he's white? I see where the real racism is in America.
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By: brad on 3/03/2009 2:47PM
"His people" make ignorant comments like this and then wonder why Klan membership is up all of a sudden.
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By: virginia on 3/03/2009 2:46PM
i hope when you say "his people" you mean ALL people in the US, not just blacks. we're all HIS PEOPLE now altho some of us went unwillingly into the eye of the tornado.
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By: n luv wHim on 3/04/2009 12:57PM
Thank you very much for the compliment of OUR president. The safest and most peaceful place to be in a tornado is in the eye. And since this one is not a natural disaster, exactly who are we blaming for this catastrophe? Certainly not Obama! Instead of belittling the president before he even has a chance to try fix this mess for America and all the other countries effected, why don't we just be quiet and reap the benefits of the good that is coming if we cant offer anything positive?
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By: brad on 3/03/2009 2:48PM
I suddenly feel a need for a CongressionalWhite Caucus.
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By: ED on 3/03/2009 2:53PM
I hope they have better luck with his "Black" half than Whites are having with his "White" half.
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