If President Barack Obama and the Congressional Black Caucus distinct their relationship on Facebook, there’s little doubt what the status would be: It’s complicated.
This week, Obama will meet privately with the caucus at the White House in the newest attempt to define a sometimes stressed relationship between Congress’s most recognizable legislative coalition and its highest-profile former member. The session with Obama comes just days after a closed-door, clear-the-air meeting last Thursday between the caucus and White House chief of staff Bill Daley.
Neither side would outline the agenda for the upcoming meeting, hesitantly scheduled for late this week.
The membership has long complained that, in addressing the lethargic economy, Obama has neglected chronic problems in the African-American community — including an unemployment rate that’s nearly twice the national average. The caucus has also criticized the president for negotiating away funding for key social programs during the last budget fight — most remarkably, canceling federal funding for abortions in Washington.
But the White House insists Obama hasn’t forgotten black voters, who still give him endorsement ratings above 80 percent. Aides also note that despite three overseas military conflicts and bare-knuckle budget fights with Republicans — not to talk about the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound and the launch of Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign — the president is making sure the lines of communication with the CBC are open.
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