Quote Originally Posted by CNN
Call for lawmaker to step down irks black caucus
Disagreement abounds on how to deal with William Jefferson

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A drive by the Democratic leadership to strip embattled Rep. William Jefferson of his committee post triggered a backlash Thursday as the Congressional Black Caucus opposed the move and said the Louisiana lawmaker deserves a "presumption of innocence."

The caucus chairman, Rep. Melvin Watt of North Carolina, told reporters that some black voters might ask why action was sought against "a black member of Congress" when there was neither precedent nor rule for it.

Jefferson has not been indicted and has denied all wrongdoing in connection with a federal bribery investigation that has netted two convictions. He has rebuffed repeated calls from Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and others to step aside until any involvement is clarified.

Watt spoke after a Democratic leadership group voted to strip Jefferson of his committee post, at least temporarily. The entire rank and file was then summoned to debate the issue but postponed a vote until next week.

A vote by the full House would be required to force Jefferson to step aside.

"I can guarantee" he will not voluntarily step aside, said Melanie Roussell, Jefferson's spokeswoman.

Several officials said Jefferson had rebuffed a final appeal to step aside in a meeting with three fellow Democrats dispatched by party leaders. They spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the delicate nature of the conversation.

The maneuvering came as part of a determined attempt by Pelosi, D-California, to ease Jefferson from his position. "I feel he should step aside," the minority leader told reporters, declining further comment.

Democrats intend to campaign against Republicans this fall by accusing them of presiding over a "culture of corruption." Jefferson's continued presence on the committee presumably would allow Republicans to blur the issue in the midterm elections.

Several officials said Watt had spoken up at the meeting of the rank and file to invoke a rule that provides for a five-day delay.

Emerging from the session, he distributed a statement that said the Congressional Black Caucus perhaps has a "unique appreciation of our nation's constitutional guarantee of the presumption of innocence."

The statement added the group "therefore opposes suggestions that some have made to force Rep. Jefferson to resign from Congress or to remove him involuntarily from his position on the Ways and Means Committee in the absence of precedents that have been historically applied and will be consistently applied in the future."

Speaking for himself, Watt was more pointed.

He said the leadership was open to a charge that it was acting out of political expedience. "It's about to blow up in their face," he added.

Referring to black voters, who are among the most loyal Democrats in the electorate, he added, "You've got a whole base of people out there who believe that the Democratic Party takes them for granted already."

If action is taken only against someone who "is a black member of Congress, then our community will legitimately ask what in the world are you doing?"

While Jefferson has not been indicted, two men have been found guilty in the probe.

Brett Pfeffer, a former Jefferson aide, was sentenced to eight years in prison last month for conspiring to commit bribery and aiding and abetting the bribery of a public official.

Vernon Jackson, 53, chief executive of iGate Inc., a Louisville, Kentucky-based telecommunications company, pleaded guilty May 3 to paying more than $400,000 in bribes to Jefferson.

Additionally, the FBI claims that it videotaped the Louisianan last summer taking $100,000 in bribe money and that agents later found $90,000 of the money stashed in a freezer in his home.

FBI agents carried out a weekend search of Jefferson's congressional office last month, triggering an outpouring of criticism from congressional leaders claiming they had encroached on Congress' constitutional powers.

In response, Bush ordered the material taken be turned over to a Justice Department official not involved in the investigation.

Race was a further complication in the episode. Jefferson is black, and some Democrats say that black voters could be alienated if he is forced aside.

"The rule is you lose your leadership position or chairmanship" after indictment, said Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, who is also black.

Pelosi recently prevailed on Rep. Alan Mollohan of West Virginia, to step aside as senior member of the ethics committee after questions were raised about some of his legislative actions. But he remains a member of the Appropriations Committee, with broad authority over the expenditure of hundreds of billions of dollars a year.

A vote by the full House would be required to force Jefferson to step aside.
OK. This is the post where a liberal comes out sounding conservative. Here goes.

This is bullshit. The only reason the congressional black caucus is standing up for this guy is because he's black, and it makes them look terrible.

This guy is unquestionably guilty, and being indicted is merely a formality. The democrats need to distance themselves from corruption before the election, and this criminal is dragging the entire party down.

I'm getting so sick of black people sticking up for guilty black people simply because they're black. They are damaging their own party in favor of their own... dare I say... racist agenda? (Racist agenda being advancing black people at the expense of their own country)

And don't get me started on the ACLU. I wish it was disbanded along with the Congressional Black Caucus. I'm sick of these rogue organizations making the entire democratic party look like shit.