www.MarcCooper.com July 25, 2004 Bombs Away: Black Dems and Lockheed Martin Together At Last
Take a close look at these two pictures I snapped tonight at the Congressional Black Caucus Institute's homage to Fannie Lou Hamer at the Massachussetts State House on Boston's Beacon Hill. That's right, the same Fannie Lou who led the Mississppi Freedom Democratic Party delegation into the 1964 Democratic Convention saying she was "sick and tired of being sick and tired" and --unsuccessfully-- demanded full racial integration of her state's Dixiecrat delegation.
We've come a long way, baby. In the photo on the left you can see Fannie Lou's portrait posted next to the co-sponsor of tonight's event, Lockheed Martin. Fourteen original and now aging members of the Freedom Delegation were flown into the event by the other corporate sponsor, our friends at Verizon.
The photo on the right features CBC co-chairs, Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummins and California Democrat Barbara Lee -- the only member of the House who refused to vote George W. Bush authority to retaliate after September 11th (not to be confused with the Iraq vote).
"I don't know anything about it, I'm just the co-chair of this," Congresswoman Lee said when I asked her what Lockheed Martin had to do with the legacy of Fanny Lou Hamer.
Congressman Benny Thompson of Mississippi was more enthusiastic. As he introduced Lockheed Martin exec Art Johnson to the crowd of several hundred, he said "We had to have someone step up to help us... Lockheed stepped up to the plate. They've been very supportive of our caucus and our activities."
Johnson reciprocated the comments saying his company is "pleased with the relationship we have with the CBC. We work together on a number of projects countrywide."
Lockheed is one of America's largest defense and war contractors. It also administers several outsourced and privatized computer programs for what used to be the federal welfare system -- the same one Comrade Bill Clinton dismantled in 1996. Lockheed has also recently been embroiled in accusations of employment discrimination.
The CBC is well-known for its alternative, liberal budget proprosals which traditionally call for a 30% or more cut in military spending. Indeed, Congresswoman Lee said tonite that the "CBC is the conscience of the Congress. It's the resistance movement inside the House of Representatives."
A dandy phrase, for sure. But apparently a posture that doesn't frighten Lockheed Martin...or Verizon.
There are, of course, two ways to look at all this. Either you believe that money permeates all politics and the CBC is only doing what everybody else does and, in fact, has no choice other than to wet its beak with all the others. Or, conversely, you believe that the CBC ought to be, indeed, the conscience of the Congress and that calling upon the likes of Lockheed and Verizon to sponsor an homage to Fannie Lou Hamer is, at a minimum, in bad taste.
We merely report. You decide.
The formal DNC opens Monday night with a speech by Mr. Clinton.
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