Rep. Allen West threatens to quit Congressional Black Caucus

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: Congress

(Credit: West.House.gov)

Tea Party-aligned Allen West, the only Republican member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), sent a letter to CBC Chairman Emanuel Cleaver today, asking him to disassociate the group with what he calls "race-baiting."

The letter comes in response to remarks from CBC members Andre Carson and Maxine Waters. Last week, Carson said some Tea Party-backed members of Congress would love to see African Americans "hanging on a tree." At a separate event, Waters said the Tea Party "can go straight to hell." Both remarks were premised on the notion that Tea Party-backed Republicans have blocked an economic agenda that would help minorities.

West called the remarks "unconscionable" and "appalling."

"As Chairman of the CBC, I believe it is incumbent on you to both condemn these types of hate-filled comments, and to disassociate the Congressional Black Caucus from these types of remarks," he wrote. "Otherwise, I will have to seriously reconsider my membership within the organization."

Carson's remarks were baseless and amounted to race-baiting, West said, adding that he considers race-baiting a racist tactic.

"All of us, especially Congressman Carson, Congresswoman Waters and others who have engaged in racially-motivated rhetoric, should follow the example of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., not the example of Reverend Jeremiah Wright," he wrote.

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by agnesdeo September 1, 2011 10:35 AM EDT: "All of us, especially Congressman Carson, Congresswoman Waters and others who have engaged in racially-motivated rhetoric, should follow the example of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., not the example of Reverend Jeremiah Wright," he wrote.

AMEN! AMEN! That is YES! YES! it shall be so!; Reply to this comment

by ruffiannd August 31, 2011 11:28 PM EDT

No one really cares what this lunatic has to say. He's all done as of the next election.

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by simpleconservative September 1, 2011 2:33 AM EDT: Lunatic? Do you know nothing about this man? If West is a lunatic we need a lot more of them!


by ruffiannd September 1, 2011 7:20 AM EDT: Yes Lunatic. But the Tbaggers just love him - which I guess makes sense.

by kbrum1066 August 31, 2011 8:59 PM EDT

There have been many accusations of racism associated with the tea party. Unfortunately, in every instance I have investigated or tried to find evidence of it occuring, there is nothing.
Andre Carson and Pelosi claimed that the "N" word was thrown at them... but every single piece of audio has failed to verify it. There was one report of a person showing up at a tea party meeting with a racist sign... but they were immediately asked to leave and it later turned out that it was a liberal Democrat teacher who did this (NOT a tea party member). This is the common thread... lots of hearsay and anecdotal reports but nothing with hard evidence.
Even the most offensive signs I have been able to find are not racist. There have been several that were poor taste (like the one with a bone in Obama's nose) but that does NOT make it racist. Perhaps people should look up the word in the dictionary and find out what it means before they go around accusing these people of this.
If anyone can show me evidence that they are racists, I am more than willing to listen... but all I have seen so far is hearsay.
As far as Rand Paul goes, he is NOT a Tea Party member.

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by retm-w August 31, 2011 9:02 PM EDT: So a bone in Obama's nose isn't racist, then what do you call it?


by kbrum1066 August 31, 2011 9:23 PM EDT: To RETM-W
I find it offensive! If I put an Indian war bonnet on him (or anything else for that matter) and it is not true then it would still be of poor taste and offensive. Have you talked to the person who did it to find out WHY he did it? Perhaps it was his way of indicating a head hunter or cannibal... I do not know. But I refuse to ASSUME what his intention was nor will I judge him on what someone else speculates.

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by nearl451 August 31, 2011 8:54 PM EDT: Better off without him.; Reply to this comment


by RetiredArmy_Nurse August 31, 2011 8:14 PM EDT: Just as well they are rid of this guy. Hard to believe I served in the Army with this wingnut. Even harder to believe he made lieutenant colonel. Well, I always did lament the low quality of some of the people we promoted.; Reply to this comment

by RobAla August 31, 2011 8:00 PM EDT

Let's flip this around. What if a white member of Congress was a member of a "white only" group, that was telling other groups to go to hell or making up slanderous statements about hanging people? Every reasonable white person in this country would EXPECT that Congressman to distance himself from such nonsense and inflammatory rhetoric.

West shows both reason and class to put his nation above race. We show expect such rational thinking and decency from any member of Congress, of any race.

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by retm-w August 31, 2011 8:09 PM EDT: How do you know he put's his nation above race? Being a member of the tea party he puts grover norquist above his nation.


by RobAla August 31, 2011 8:20 PM EDT: retm-w: I couldn't care less about Norquist. West is separating himself from those of his race who are practicing slanderous and ridiculous statements about hanging people (where is the prove that anyone in the Tea Party is saying anything of this nature?) and saying hateful things like telling the Tea Party to "go to hell".

There are members of the Black Caucus who are lashing out with vindictive nonsense, with nothing to back up what they are saying. I am white. If I heard a white person saying similar things to what these people have been saying about the Tea Party, I would want nothing to do with them. Pure hate is coming out of these people.

by bigsk8fan August 31, 2011 7:44 PM EDT

i don't care what rep west or any other tea party member says. all you have to do is go by a tea party rally. you will see people happily carrying racist posters. the tea party members will be happily chanting racist chants. go see for yourself. if tea party members do not like to be seen as racists, then they should not act like racists.

tea party folks do not even try to hide their racist underpinnings. even if you are too lazy to go to a tea party rally to see for yourself, just google the words 'tea party racist posters'. check either for text, image or video. enough said.

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by RobAla August 31, 2011 8:23 PM EDT: The media has been covering the Tea Party for 2.5 years, and I have seen no evidence of this racist crap you are talking about. Believe me, if it was there - it would be all over the news. Anybody can say anything. Racism is a very serious charge - and it shouldn't be just thrown around.

by retm-w August 31, 2011 7:07 PM EDT

What has west done for the blacks?

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by myIife2live August 31, 2011 10:38 PM EDT: That should not be the question. In fact, that makes you a racist for asking that question. What has West done for the people he represents? I'm sure that would include people of all races.


by retm-w August 31, 2011 10:52 PM EDT: Ok what has west done for anybody? Call me what you want I know what I am. Since you think it's racist you must be one.

by Guitfiddel August 31, 2011 6:46 PM EDT

Yeah Allen! You and Herman get to be in da BIG HOUSE with Masah now!

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by bigsk8fan August 31, 2011 7:47 PM EDT: they can join clarence 'uncle tom' thomas.

by Guitfiddel August 31, 2011 6:43 PM EDT

The Tea Party was formed because of the first Black President being elected in the United States. (NOTICE THE PERIOD AFTER THE SENTENCE)The first Tea Party marches were riddled with RACIAL HATE SIGNS that had images of Obama with a bone in his nose, hanging from a noose, eating watermelon, dressed in PIMP outfits and the usual KKK, SKIN HEAD BIGOT sharades that always have happened in the past until they wanted to change their image SOMEWHAT so they can pull in TOKENS like Allen West so they won't look like the total BIGOTS they really are. (NOTICE THE PERIOD AFTER THIS SENTENCE ALSO) Allen is nothing more than a PUNK, SELL OUT, UNCLE TOM'S CABIN, OPERTUNISTIC TOKEN FO' MASAH Tea Party that would dropkick his own Mother for two dollars if he needed it. Custer had Indians working for him just like Tonto worked for Kemosabe.

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by myIife2live August 31, 2011 10:41 PM EDT: Show the video & pictures. Give us a link. I'm sure they are on the web somewhere if they exist. Go ahead, prove your points.


by KyanWan September 1, 2011 12:59 AM EDT: The Tea Party was formed because of taxes and crazy spending, which Obama and the Democrat congress supported blindly. You'll notice it really took off when the mandate for all of us to buy healthcare was passed. That's $1400 a month for some people, a lot of people who don't have the money.

There's POOR people in Massachusetts who have been fined thousands of dollars for NOT buying healthcare. These are people who barely have the money for their kids to eat, yet they're expected to pay $1400 a month for healthcare. Their punishment for being poor - a $2000 fine. ( Then they still need to get healthcare or they're fined again. )

So, give em credit where credit is due.

But they have degraded into bigotry and racism. So ... you're partially right.