Emil teed off at the DNC meetings:
WASHINGTON – A key supporter of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama last week urged united African-American support for his Presidential bid, questioning whether black Democrats still “owe” Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton their support, according to several people who attended a meeting of black Democratic politicians.
The comments by Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr., which he confirmed Saturday, angered Clinton backers and deepened a sharp rift among African-American political activists.
“How long are you going to owe” politicians for past favors?, Jones asked in a speech Friday to more than 100 members of the Democratic National Committee’s black caucus and other political operatives gathered at the Washington Hilton for the winter meeting of the DNC, according to people who were there.
Jones, a veteran black legislator, implored the black officials and operatives not to act like “crabs in a barrel,” the attendees said, and drag down a successful member of their community.
Note to the rest of the country, Emil really doesn’t care when others whine about him. Ask anyone from Rockford:
Jones concluded his speech with a reference to the jobs and appointments Bill Clinton had given blacks, including many people in the room, and asked when they would stop owing the Clintons for that patronage, attendees said.
“You could hear a pin drop,” said one person in the room who doesn’t currently support either Obama or Clinton. “It was one of those moments when you say, ‘I can’t believe he just said that.'” Jones’ call was received frostily by Clinton allies, including Minyon Moore, the former White House aide who now heads Hillary Clinton’s black outreach, and former Clinton and Gore campaign aide Donna Brazile, according to some attendees.
I’m from Rockford and yes. But, I like that.
I do feel the black caucus is insecure. They know the Clintons and are afraid of the new and unknown in regards to thier issues. The not black enough is think is an excuse. I mean, WTF is Hillary? black enough, my foot.
Some are probably afraid of the Clinton machine and the leaders fear the new up and comer replacing them.
It is politics and fear. If they let go of the Clintons and let the new ideas come about they may find it better for the communities rather than bad.