Political Corner with Juan Williams
NPR political analyst Juan Williams discusses issues affecting African Americans with guests Rep. Melvin Watt (D-NC), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus; Tara Wall, director of outreach communications for the Republican National Committee; and Ron Walters, a professor of political science at the University of Maryland and an adviser to the Rev. Jesse Jackson's campaigns for president.
FARAI CHIDEYA, host:
I'm Farai Chideya and this is NEWS & NOTES.
Now we turn to our weekly feature, Political Corner. This week, NPR senior correspondent Juan Williams tackles Wal-Mart's overtures to the Congressional Black Caucus. Plus, reported conflict between Illinois Senator Barack Obama and members of the CBC.
Juan Williams' first guest is Congressman Mel Watt from North Carolina.
Representative MELVIN WATT (Democrat, North Carolina): We're not at odds with Senator Barack Obama. There's been some headlines in some very conservative newspapers, The Hill newspaper, in particular, that try to make it sound like we're at odds with him. But when you read the body of the story, doesn't even support that.
JUAN WILLIAMS reporting:
He did vote for cloture. The motion for cloture passed, 81-to-18. But you had Democrats--such as Barbara Boxer, of California; John Kerry; Ted Kennedy--opposing it while Barack Obama was for it.
Rep. WATT: The cloture vote is not really the vote on whether to confirm somebody. The real vote on whether to confirm somebody is the vote on the confirmation itself.
WILLIAMS: So these reports of tension between Congressional Black Caucus and Senator Barack Obama are incorrect?
Rep. WATT: Absolutely incorrect. There's absolutely no tension at all in our position, and we've been talking to him on a regular basis. So he's in full support of the positions we've been taking on these nominations.
WILLIAMS: Congressman, one last question about the relationship between the Congressional Black Caucus and Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has started to make contributions to members of the Caucus, much to the concern of the Service Employees International Union that has written to you in protest. What's your reaction?
Rep. WATTS: Well, I don't have a reaction because the Congressional Black Caucus doesn't take political contributions. And again, that controversy actually was blown up by the same newspaper that reported the conflict between the Congressional Black Caucus and Barack Obama. The problem is that that newspaper doesn't know how to distinguish between one individual member of the Congressional Black Caucus or several individual members of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus itself. It suffers from a common problem that people have. If one black person does something, everybody must agree to it.
So the Congressional Black Caucus has never taken any position with respect to Wal-Mart, has never taken any money from Wal-Mart and we have the same objectives to encourage Wal-Mart in our respective districts to be more supportive, provide more health care, provide better rights to their employees, that the Service Employees Union has. And so, we're not at odds with the Service Employees on that either.
WILLIAMS: All right. Thank you so much, Congressman.
Rep. WATT: OK.
WILLIAMS: Congressman Mel Watt, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus.
We're now joined by Professor Ron Walters. Professor Walters is a professor of political science at the University of Maryland. He was an adviser to Reverend Jesse Jackson's campaigns for president. Also with us today, Tara Wall, director of outreach communications for the Republican National Committee. Thank you both for coming in.
Ms. TARA WALL (Director of Outreach Communications, Republican National Committee): Thanks for having me.
Professor RON WALTERS (Political Science, University of Maryland): Good to be with you.
WILLIAMS: We just heard from Congressman Mel Watt, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, about the controversy over these judges and the relationship between the Congressional Black Caucus and the lone black person in the US Senate, Barack Obama. He says there's no controversy, although Barack Obama voted differently than Barbara Boxer, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry with regard to cloture, the deal that allowed Republicans and Democrat centrists to prevent a ban on filibusters. Do you think that the congressman is trying to paper over a real divide between the Caucus and Barack Obama?
Prof. WALTERS: Let me just say to begin with that I talked to Senator Obama last week and there is, really, no difference between him and the Congressional Black Caucus on the issue of Janice Rogers Brown's nomination. His vote on cloture was a technical vote, as he explains it, because it was his understanding that the votes weren't there. And so he came to the Congressional Black Caucus meeting. He told them that. And I respect his opinion because he is in a different theater. He has to make so--different calculations.
WILLIAMS: The Congressional Black Caucus, when it comes into the news these days, we hear these reports about a split with Barack Obama over the judges or we hear about conflict with the Service Employees International Union over Wal-Mart. Mel Watt says these stories are overblown. But, yet, if I was to ask you--What is the agenda for the Congressional Black Caucus? Do you know, Professor Walters?
Prof. WALTERS: I have an idea. But I think, to be fair, the Congressional Black Caucus--what we have to look at is the fact that they're on the defensive. They are in a body, are in a Congress, that's controlled by the Republicans, both the House and the Senate. They have tremendous power if for--the Democrats are in power, except that--they are chairs of committee, they have a long seniority. They can use none of that power right now.
WILLIAMS: Tara Wall?
Ms. WALL: Well, you know, I think there is some question as to what they stand for and who they stand for at times, because, for one, you know, I think that--as they met with the president earlier this year, I think that's admirable. I think that they sat down, they listened and they had some--Mel Watt, in particular, had some positive remarks coming out of that. I think, though, down the course of a few months, there have been some criticisms of the administration, and, honestly, certainly, he has--they have a right to do that. But I think when you say things, when you attack the president for his position, for example, on African-Americans and Social Security, when, coming out of the meeting, you, in fact, said that you understood the president's position and thought there was an issue there that needed to be looked into. And I think he's reversed course on that. I think those are the kind of issues that need to be looked at.
WILLIAMS: I want to thank both of you for joining us today. Tara Wall is director of outreach communications for the Republican National Committee. Also with us, Professor Ron Walters, professor of political science at the University of Maryland. Professor Walters was an adviser to Reverend Jesse Jackson's campaigns for president. Thank you both for joining us.
Ms. WALL: Thanks for having us.
Prof. WALTERS: Good to be with you.
CHIDEYA: Join us next week to hear Juan Williams and Washington insiders right here on Political Corner.
Copyright © 2005 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.