Behold, Nancy Pelosi, the monster you yourself created.
Sure, Democrats have opened another front on their illusory Republican “War on Women.” But a key constituency of Mrs. Pelosi’s political jalopy is not too happy about how the party got there.
Congressional Black Caucus members are resentful and bitter about the way Mrs. Pelosi turned on pervy Rep. John Conyers, the Michigan Democrat, after he was accused of improprieties with female staffers.
Mrs. Pelosi’s initial response to the allegations against the powerful ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee was part of her political DNA. Invoke race.
Mr. Conyers is above reproach, she insisted, because he is an “icon.” That is a code word for a hero from the civil rights movement and therefore any regular laws of politics or decency or of, well, actual laws, do not apply.
The hint here is that only someone who does not recognize Mr. Conyers as an “icon” would dream of holding him to any standards of decency. In other words, only a racist would take exception to Mr. Conyers‘ lecherous horn-dogging around the office. And, in one case, during church!
Most of Mr. Conyers‘ staffers, one accuser said, have seen the congressman in his underwear.
But, really, those young women should all be grateful for the opportunity to see an “icon” in his undies.
Then a light bulb went on in the heads of Democrats less aged and addled than Mrs. Pelosi. If they could just run out all of the perverts from their party so that the only perverts left in Congress are Republicans — why then they could run yet another campaign against the Republican “War on Women!”
This meant Mrs. Pelosi had to turn on her “icon” and join the ranks of closet racists who don’t understand what an honor it is to be molested in church by an honest-to-God hero of the Civil Rights movement.
While political expediency may work magical wonders in Mrs. Pelosi, it’s not quite the same elixir for members of the Congressional Black Caucus.
They belong to a party that gives them full cover for every racist conspiracy theory, no matter how far-fetched. In exchange, the CBC delivers the Democratic Party’s most important bloc of voters.
But here was Nancy Pelosi turning on them. It wasn’t long before someone invoked racism.
“You can’t jump to conclusions with these type of things,” said CBC member Jim Clyburn, the South Carolina congressman who is the third-highest ranking Democrat in the House. “For all I know, all of this could be made up.”
He went even further, noting that all of Mr. Conyer’s accusers to that point had been white.
Oof. It would be appalling except that it is so funny to see Mrs. Pelosi and her fellow Democrats accused of being part of this racist plot to oust a civil rights “icon” from Congress.
Mr. Conyers will defend himself “until the cows come home,” Mr. Clyburn claimed, shortly before Mr. Conyers decided to quit instead.
So, apparently, Mr. Conyers‘ cows are still wandering around somewhere away from home. But, to be sure, Democrats’ chickens have come home to roost.
And it sure is fun to watch.
• Charles Hurt can be reached at churt@washingtontimes.com; follow him on Twitter via @charleshurt.