Black Caucus Furious Over Neglect by Obama

Barack Obama is sure to get an earful when he meets with the Congressional Black Caucus on jobs today; the CBC is none too happy with the first black president. The much-respected John Conyers tells Politico that Obama “isn’t listening” to black lawmakers, while others accuse him of not paying enough attention to the poor or focusing on his own political fortunes.

Privately, aides report even more grievances. They say lawmakers feel neglected, noting that Valerie Jarrett, Obama’s point-person for dealing with the Caucus, has cancelled eight separate lunches with them. “None of these members think they are going to be onstage with Obama having a black party,” said one aide, “but they desperately want to have a relationship.” Obama doesn’t need the CBC to win black voters, Politico notes: They give him a 96% approval rating.