House GOP committee chairs named, all white men

During a news conference Monday, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), joined by other House GOP members, including Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) released a new plan he calls "less than perfect" to deal with the nation's debt crisis.

As House Democrats are proclaiming 2012 the year of the minority because for the first time white men will not make up the majority of their caucus when the new Congress assembles in January, Republicans have a long way to go to get to that point.

House Speaker John Boehner released the proposed recommendations for chairmen in 19 of the 21 House committees - powerful posts that set legislative agenda and priorities in respective issue areas - and there's not one woman or minority on the list.

In the current congress, one Hispanic woman led a committee: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., who is chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee through the end of the year. She's stepping down as chairman due to caucus-imposed term limits on committee chairmen.

In fact, most of the chairmen from the 112th Congress are returning to their posts in the 113th - there are only six new chairmen out of the 19 announced.

Boehner, however, did include women in his new leadership team: Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., will be the Republican Conference Chairman, the fourth top Republican in the House, Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan., will be the conference's vice-chair, and Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., will act as conference secretary.  

Lessons from the 2012 House elections

Even if the House GOP wanted to load up on women and minorities in leadership roles, the lack of those demographics in their caucus poses a bit of a roadblock.

While Democrats boast 61 women among a caucus of 200 or 201, depending on some still-disputed races, Republican women will make up only seven percent of the GOP caucus next year with only 17 women among the ranks of 234 or 235 Republican members come January - that's six fewer than they had in the current Congress.

Meanwhile, on Election Day, the GOP lost one of their two current African-American members (Rep. Allen West lost) and one Hispanic member, leaving the Republicans with seven Hispanic members next Congress.

[ManOfSteel-Velvet]

GOP MOTTO: This is the White Man Government, for White People, by White Men Only. Vote Republicans!

THE PARTY JUSTIFICATION:

Declaration of Independence states "All men are created equal" but it only means "All men are created equal" in the eyes of the laws. Whether the person is rich or poor, educated or not, man or woman - that person is promised to be treated with equal justice under law.

When humans come together, by nature they establish complex hierarchy within society. Some are destined to be the rulers. Some are condemned to be ruled.

As God's chosen one, the White Man is forever appointed to be the ruler while women and the rest of color people are forever condemned to be his subjects and bowed to his commands. LOL!

[SARAHMAX8]

Please tell me you're playing here...right?? I sure hope you're not that ignorant man..

[CnfdntiaI]

Solution? Get out there and keep voting them out.

[nearl451]

Sure. I believe in color-blindedness when considering an individual's talents and abilities.......

.....and with that stated, it is still curious why the leadership did not select any outstanding GOP women or minorities for chairman positions.

Even within the GOP, you have to ask: "Why is this so?" It needn't be.

A 1840's black man is not racist to simply notice or point out that all the slave owners in the South are White and all the slaves are black.

[eklypse0]

I would like to point out, that your statement is factually incorrect. There were black owners of slaves. They also tended to be the _most_ brutal of the slave holders.

[SARAHMAX8]

Sooo.. NEARL4, you say:"and with that stated, it is still curious why the leadership did not select any outstanding GOP women or minorities for chairman positions" This is sooo not true friend. & I'm not a Republican myself, but if you're familiar with any of the news in the last 2-25 years, you should know that among a few others they've 'run' Allen Keyes, who was basically blocked by the news media in most cities that refused to let him into any debates except for small cities..then of course recently there was Herman Cain, whom every person in my family & my friends LOVED & were supporting right up to their contributions, along with another 3-4 million folks, most of which are WHITE & then there was Mrs. Love from Utah who is an angel, a mom, a Very intelligent lady, & powerfully intelligent..Black too.. then there's Allen West whom I also supported, tho I'm not from his state..& a few more great persons..but, All of the above were blocked, lied about by leftist media, & hollywood jerks of all types & mocked & harrased by Blacks all over the airwaves.. for NO REASON at all, except they were running as conservatives!! so u lie dude! It was NOT the GOP who blocked them, it was racist blacks & liars in hollyweird & Obama followers that besmirched their good names & blocked them.

[sjc_1]

The GOP did not even want to give women the right to vote, not a surprise.

[SARAHMAX8]

And who in the heck told you that lie sjc?? That's insane, & insane of you really believe that. If u do, may I suggest you study a little bit of history.. thanks

[omnibus66]

nomoreniceguy replies:

Oh come on. 1/2 the country voted GOP. I really don't think 1/2 the country is white, old or rich.

---------------------------------

First of all, it was 47%, not half. Secondly, MORE than half of the country are white, rich, or old. I would ask you where you get your "facts", but you would probably have to miss out on something Hannity or Limbaugh are saying in order to reply.

[vanderleun1]

"The white members of the Congressional Black Caucus could not be found for comment..."

Get cracking Leigh Ann. You know.... pick up the phone. Get the reactions like a good little reporter. Thank you.

[no1blonde]

Not surprised by anything this do nothing group has done. All they do is grease their and other old white men's fat bank accounts. Then they wonder what the issue is. Why do their voters return them to office? Someone from their jurisdictions provide some solid reasoning, please?

[Dancing-in-the-Streets]

They didn't learn anything! : /

I mean, I know they have closed minds, they see in black and white...but damn! You'd think they'd learn Something from the election!

[phydeux2]

With the Democrats promising freebies of one sort or another to every demographic BUT white men, why is this surprising? We live in a society where more and more people want a handout from the government. And the Republican party is the last bastion of people who believe in self-reliance and working for what you get. Maybe when the Democrats run out of stuff to give away, or people get tired of being taxed to death because of all the giveaways, you'll see a shift back the other way.

[KPeters_from_UK]

Freebies? Like the ones given out by Ronald Reagan...you know...those tax reductions.

Christ, most of the 47% that you and Romney hate so much, those who receive tax refunds, got them because of Reagan. Jeeze.

[canislupus16]

Hmmm... Phydeux2, you seem to have overlooked the billions upon billions of dollars Republicans heap upon mostly white men in the form of tax breaks, and the billions upon billions of tax breaks, credits, grants, earmarks, etc. that Republicans heap upon white-run corporations.
By appointing more WHITE MEN to head all committees in the House, the white men that run the House will ensure that other white men continue to receive the lion's share of our tax dollars.
Speaking as a white man, btw.

[RuinedbyBush]

Goodby GOP. RIP