Alton Drew: Maybe the congressional black caucus should start criticizing its own self

"It seems that the Congressional Black Caucus has decided to stop being 'on the down low', and show their player-hater colors. The Associated Press reported this morning that the CBC, a group of senators and house representatives that advocate for issues impacting blacks, are growing frustrated with what they perceive to be President Obama's lack of attention to the impact that the recession is having on blacks.

"The CBC is particularly concerned with the unemployment rate among blacks as compared with the general population. While the nation's overall unemployment rate is at 10%, unemployment amongst blacks stands at 15.6%. The unemployment rate for whites, on the other hand, is 9.3%. Hispanic unemployment also exceeds the national rate at 12.7% while unemployment among Asians comes in at 7.3%. The CBC is also reportedly frustrated that blacks are apparently greater impacted by the onslaught of foreclosure versus the general population.

"The cries of 'kumbaya' is not surprising given the philosophical make-up of the CBC. It is 100% Democrat. More importantly, the group appears to espouse the messianic view regarding expectations from a president; that somehow the person that sits in the big chair in the Oval Office has some magic wand that can make all our problems go away. Given that Mr. Obama is the country's first black president, the expectations of deliverance are even greater.

"The black electorate has bought into this nonsense for too long and Democrats in particular have been selling the 'rely on government' snake-oil with the expectation that this president should start pouring out and rubbing the oil all over us. Fortunately Mr. Obama is too pragmatic a politician to go out on that limb and pull that Elmer Gantry stunt.

"Maybe our so-called leaders in the congress should exercise a little more policy initiative themselves as opposed to letting us know that they have successfully memorized the lyrics to 'We Shall Overcome.' In short, their records on economic development and wealth creation (the lack thereof which is the primary cause for our economic malaise and immobility) is, in a word, trifling.

"Take, for example, Representative Maxine Waters, Democrat from California. Ms. Waters is a member of the House Committee on Financial Services and has sponsored 21 bills so far in the 111th Congress. Her only legislative success this Congress has been getting the House to pass a resolution congratulating the Los Angeles Lakers for winning last season's championship. Wow. That should go a long way to putting in place the infrastructure needed to create wealth.

"Another critic of Mr. Obama, Representative Barbara Lee, Democrat from California, has sponsored 46 bills so far in the 111th Congress. Like Ms. Waters, she has sponsored no bills that reduce taxes, encourage Americans to diversify portfolios, and build the assets that would have helped us avoid the ravages of foreclosure and job loss."