CBC leaders help Clinton tread on Obama’s turf

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), aided by her allies in the Congressional Black Caucus, sent notice on Friday to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) that she would fight for black votes.

{mosads}Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich.), chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), invited Clinton to speak to activists and youth voters taking part in the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference. Obama will host his own forum on climate change and global warming later in the day.

Clinton’s event led to complaints from some black lawmakers supporting Obama who consider her appearance divisive. Under CBC rules, only its members can hold forums. They argued that Kilpatrick and Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.), chairman of the CBC Foundation, paved the way for Clinton to have her own forum.

Kilpatrick has not officially endorsed Clinton, but Meek has.

While introducing Clinton, Meek dismissed criticism of her appearance at the “What’s at Stake in ’08” event.

“This is just a continuation of her public service,” Meek said, adding that Clinton has attended the event in past years.

Clinton, standing between Kilpatrick and Meek on a stage with a midnight blue background lit up by tiny white and blue lights, took questions from audience members, the first of which concerned environmental racism — perhaps a subtle acknowledgment that Clinton would cede no issue to Obama either.

The event had the feel of a Sunday morning church sermon mixed with a dry policy seminar. Kilpatrick began introducing the lawmakers in the audience.

“She’s a bad sister, she’s a Delta, she’s got the Deltas in the house. My friend, our leader, Stephanie Tubbs Jones [D-Ohio],” Kilpatrick said.

When it was Clinton’s turn to begin her short opening statement, she recognized New York Democratic Reps. Gregory Meeks and Yvette Clarke, who represent Queens and Brooklyn, respectively.

“Brooklyn and Queens are in the house!” Clinton said.

When she concluded her remarks, she talked about the Masi warriors in Africa who greet fellow travelers by asking them, “How are the children?”

Besides talking about the environment, Clinton spoke about voting rights, economic justice, education, crime and retirement security.

Clinton appeared relaxed and chatty as she rallied the audience and excoriated the Bush administration. At one point, while castigating Bush’s plan to reform Social Security, she welcomed Reps. John Lewis (D-Ga.) and Corrine Brown (D-Fla.), who arrived late.

Clinton concluded her remarks by talking about her first job after graduating from Yale Law School at the Children’s Defense Fund, where her first task was to conduct a survey of children in adult prisons.

“We’re having to do the same thing all over again,” Clinton said.