JAVIER DAVID COMMENTARY: Congressional Black Caucus Bogged Down By New Ethics Scandal

The conservative writer in New York City argues that rather than representing the best of Dr. King's dream, many of his self-described intellectual heirs are using their public platforms to enrich themselves and those around them: "The latest African-American member of Congress to be caught engaging in ethically-questionable behavior, Ms. [Eddie Bernice] Johnson [a Congresswoman who steered $20,000+ in Congressional Black Caucus Foundation scholarships to her relatives and her staffer's children] joins veteran legislators Charles Rangel and Maxine Waters on the hotseat for lavish malfeasance with other people's money. Though surely the congresswoman from Dallas sets a new standard for political chutzpah: when cornered by reporters about her actions, Ms. Johnson averred that she might not have given the money to her grandchildren had more qualified scholarship applicants materialized."

He continues his commentary: "Ms. Johnson's actions are all the more disdainful when viewed in light of the scandals that have beset the Congressional Black Caucus in recent months. Many observers have been quick to accuse the CBC's critics of racism. But in these cases, an unfortunate yet unambiguous pattern has emerged: many black congressmen have begun taking care of themselves instead of the constituents they represent. In the midst of a polarized electorate and what is expected to be a hotly contested midterm election, one might think that congressmen of all ethnicities and regions might be more circumspect in how they discharge the public's trust. But Ms. Johnson's moves - and her brazen attempts to defend herself - are symptomatic of a larger disease that seems to have infected the black political establishment."