Sanders to meet with Congressional Black Caucus

[Cheese Sandwich]

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will meet with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) on Wednesday, according to a source with direct knowledge of the meeting.

"Leaders in the CBC have been wondering when Sanders was going to come around," said an advisor to a senior member in the CBC. "It appears he sees an opening with his growing polling numbers and frankly it's about time."

According to an invitation, "the meeting will be an overview of CBC priorities and a conversation on pressing issues impacting the African American community."
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The meeting also comes as Sanders is expected to unveil a criminal justice reform bill later this week.
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more: http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/dem-primaries/253024-sanders-to-meet-with-congressional-black-caucus

[SoapBox]

1. I have a couple of questions...

"Leaders in the CBC have been wondering when Sanders was going to come around," said an advisor to a senior member in the CBC. "It appears he sees an opening with his growing polling numbers and frankly it's about time."

1. They were wondering when he was going to come around...which other Presidential candidates have come around?

2. They are assuming that he "sees an opening"...and it's about time? Really?

"Strategists say Sanders will need to expand his support behind the progressive base if he hopes to overtake Clinton."

So...here he is THE Proggressive in the race (vs The Corporatist/Bankster type) and yet the article says that he needs to expand his support to overtake Clinton? Like she's a true Proggressive?

[Cheese Sandwich]

2. Seems like Hillary met with them in July

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/07/hillary-clinton-cbc-tuesday_n_7747576.html


It should be cool though. I guess it will closed with no press so it will be interesting what news we get tomorrow.

[merrily]

6. Bernie met with many of the members of the CBC for years (and still does) while Hillary was a member

of the New Democrat caucus. Please see my reply below: link http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1280&pid=48254

[appalachiablue]

3. Bernie has working relationships with CBC members like Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN),

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) with whom he's sponsoring a bill for 'Youth Employment Now', and others. Bernie maybe hasn't met officially with the caucus regarding his campaign, but he will soon. CBC members are noted at the webpage below.

Congressional Black Caucus website,
https://cbc-butterfield.house.gov/members

[merrily]

5. Of course he does.

[merrily]

4. There was a lot of overlap between the CBC and the Progressive Caucus, which Bernie founded with

a few other Reps as soon as he got to Congress for the first time.

The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) was established in 1991 by six members of the United States House of Representatives: U.S. Representatives Ron Dellums (D-CA), Lane Evans (D-IL), Thomas Andrews (D-ME), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Maxine Waters (D-CA), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Additional House Members joined soon thereafter, including Major Owens (D-NY), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), David Bonior (D-MI), Bob Filner (D-CA), Barney Frank (D-MA), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Patsy Mink (D-HI), George Miller (D-CA), Pete Stark (D-CA), John Olver (D-MA), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Then-U.S. Representative Bernie Sanders was the convener and first CPC Chairman. Bill Goold served as Staff Coordinator for the Progressive Caucus in its early years until 1998.

The founding CPC members were concerned about the economic hardship imposed by the deepening recession, and the growing inequality brought about by the timidity of the Democratic Party response in the early 1990s. More importantly, on January 3, 1995 at a standing room only news conference on Capitol Hill, they were the first group inside Congress to chart a detailed, comprehensive legislative alternative to U.S. Speaker Newt Gingrich and the Republican Contract with America, which they termed "the most regressive tax proposals and reactionary social legislation the Congress had before it in 70 years." The CPC's ambitious agenda was framed as "The Progressive Promise: Fairness."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Progressive_Caucus

That Caucus (Progressive) elected him chair for 8 consecutive years. Many of the members of that Caucus are current members of CBC. I am certain that they know his stands and know that they are not racist or indifferent.

After Ferguson, he and Conyers immediately co-sponsored a bill for jobs, etc. Yes, I know that is economic, but there was no mistaking which group they intended to benefit with that bill and why.


He marched alongside icon Lewis for the 50th anniversary of Lewis's beating on the Pettus bridge. Here is Lewis photographed while speaking to Ms. Sanders.




He has defended Obama, also in that photo, and Obama's programs over and over for years. Also, BLM approved his platform. Despite what has been said, he was the first candidate to speak to many of the things that BLM has asked for, like prison reform.


This sounds to me like a lot more about closing ranks to support Hillary, per DNC policy and the Hillary campaign, than it does finding actual fault with Sanders. In any event, going forward, my faith is in Bernie Sanders to fight hardest for both social and economic fairness for everyone. If that we not so, I could never support him.

[hootinholler]

7. I suspect this is more about his crime bill than campaign n/t