President set to speak at Congressional Black Caucus’ annual conference in Washington

Obama set to speak to Congressional Black Caucus

WASHINGTON — Before becoming president, Barack Obama was the only senator in the all-Democratic, 42-member Congressional Black Caucus. He wasn’t particularly active in the group and isn’t especially close to many of its members.

Obama is scheduled to speak at the caucus’ annual conference Saturday night in Washington. Cabinet secretaries have appeared on panel discussions to highlight initiatives for creating jobs, improving education and preventing home foreclosures.

Animosity toward the president and his policies has boiled over in recent weeks, most notably with South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson’s “You lie!” comment. Democrats from Jimmy Carter on down have blamed the increasingly harsh criticism of Obama on racism.

Obama says it’s not racism but an intense debate over the proper role of government.