Shame on Congressional Black Caucus

The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) should be ashamed of themselves. They showed up at Tuesday�s State of the Union address, donned in kente cloth to protest President Trump�s alleged �s-hole� comment about African countries and Haiti. That part is fine, I suppose, if they think that helps. But then, how do they explain their lack of enthusiasm at his declaration that black unemployment is �at the lowest rate ever recorded�? CBC members just sat there looking like they were baptized in vinegar, to steal a phrase from a pastor I had many years ago.

The scene gripped me, and I wrote, �President Trump just mentioned the historic low rate of black unemployment, and a section of black lawmakers � all wearing black � sat there looking upset about it. They didn�t even clap. If that doesn�t tell you something��

It certainly tells me something. These lawmakers, wearing clothing representing the black people of Africa, do not care enough to celebrate the growing prosperity of the black people in America. Embarrassing � and yes, telling.

How do they not clap when they hear that people they pretend to represent have more opportunities for a better life now? Despite their dislike for President Trump, how does knowing that more families are able to live better not make them cheer � jump up and cheer, actually? So worried they are that Trump might get some credit that they can�t even get excited about those who really need the bump they are experiencing. And not only do they not applaud the good news; they sit there, in their black funeral attire, looking like they mourn it. I guess prosperity does throw a wrench in the Democrats� dependency plan, though.

It wasn�t just the CBC; other members of Congress behaved in ways even a toddler would not have behaved. They refused to stand, clap, look like they had a pulse, or show respect to families who lost loved ones at the hands of illegal immigrants. They shunned chants of �USA!� because, well, you know, that�s xenophobia or something. They couldn�t even get excited about religious liberty. Tuesday was just one more example of what politics does to people. Lest Trump get credit for the positive state of the union, it�s better to look miserable during the State of the Union. Lest it damages their amnesty for legal immigrants position through which they expect to get votes that will keep their Party in office in perpetuity, they had better not respond at all, much less with compassion. Instead, some rolled their eyes; sat on their hands; pouted; played Candy Crush Saga � which one lawmaker was busted doing; messed around on Twitter � as other members were doing; and rushed out afterwards. They made their statement loud and clear, and it is this: �We are a hot mess � a hot, juvenile, messy mess.� If they could not muster that much, they should have done what about 12 of their colleagues did: stayed home.

We have lost all semblance of decency. What happened to the time people showed respect for the office of the presidency, if not the president himself? And don�t tell me that this is the same partisan way Republicans have acted when a Democrat was president. Everyone knows that�s a lie. In fact, it�s a lie bigger than the lie Republican Rep. Joe Wilson shouted about at a joint session of Congress in 2009. �You lie!� he yelled as former President Obama spoke about health care. And before I get accused of being a hypocrite by being silent then: No, I called out the outburst then, even as I�m calling out the silence now. My criticism of Wilson made some unhappy, but I�m not for sale, so�

Unlike the Democrats, who actually planned to �act a fool� en masse, Joe Wilson was on the limb alone in his spontaneous response. There wasn�t a room full of people joining in with his actions, though some, no doubt, agreed with his assessment. There was no plethora of people embarrassing the nation and acting like petulant toddlers. There was, rather, an outburst by � Joe Wilson, who issued an apology, stating in part, �I let my emotions get the best of me. �While I disagree with the president�s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility.�

Public officials need to show up and do their jobs, represent their constituents, and if they don�t like what they see, pretend they do for an hour or so. But what pretense was necessary? The drop in black unemployment should be a cause for all to celebrate, especially the kente cloth-cladded Congressional Black Caucus. And let�s admit it: Democrats would have double-downed on the �Republicans are racists� narrative had the GOP not clapped at the news of a decline in black unemployment under a Democrat administration. But clearly, Democrats would rather have high black unemployment so they can continue to accuse Trump of being a racist who hasn�t done anything for the black community. They are willing to see their own do poorly if it means Trump comes across poorly. It�s stomach-turning.

Oh, and Happy Black History Month, Congressional Black Caucus.