Posted by Christi Parsons at 11:30 am CST
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) is hanging out with hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean this week, touring his native Haiti as a guest of a non-governmental organization he founded to improve the Caribbean nation.
Schakowsky said she is embarking on her second trip to the country to learn more about rebuilding and peace efforts there -- and to inspire future conversations about how the U.S. can help the impoverished and strife-torn country.
“My hope is to make some contacts and see what is the best way that the Congress can be helpful,” Schakowsky said shortly before her Wednesday departure. “I’d like to establish myself as a contact in the U.S. House as someone interested in Haiti.”
As part of her trip, Schakowsky will have dinner with Jean and attend his parade and concert. She also plans to meet with Hatian President Rene Preval, sworn in for a second term last summer with a pledge to quell violence and begin rebuilding the country. She said she hopes to talk to him about trade and reforestation, among other things.
Not long after her first trip to Haiti as a guest of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Foundation, Schakowsky became an outspoken critic of the Bush Administration for its role in the 2004 departure of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from the country. Some believe Aristide was forced into exile by
U.S. troops, but administration officials argued they saved Aristide’s life by flying him out as rebel forces approached the capital city that winter.
Jean, rapper and member of the Fugees, calls his Yele Haiti foundation a “non-political organization intended to empower the people of Haiti.” He is giving a free concert on Friday in Jacmel , where he may also be joined by actress Angelina Jolie.
Aides to Schakowsky say she’ll be back in time for House action on Tuesday.
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Comments
In other words, Jan Schakowsky is on a junket to Haiti where she'll be wined and dined and sung to, the trip paid for by some "hip-hop artist' who uses his foundation to sell overpriced "Yele Haiti" t-shirts (see the website at http://www.yele.org/shop.html) and provide publicity for his concerts.
Posted by: Bruce | November 29, 2006 11:54 AM
Bruce,
Why are you putting hip-hop artist in quotes?
Posted by: jethro | November 29, 2006 12:23 PM
No Bruce,
Rep.Jan is over there taking hip hop lessons from Wyclef.
You Repubs need to loosen up a little.
Our guys can rap better than yours can,we win again.
Posted by: John E. | November 29, 2006 12:35 PM
Bruce - I wish you would inform yourself before you write foolish Blog entries. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere - it has the highest AIDS/HIV rate in the Hemisphere as well. Haiti has no trees, no clean water, no electricity, and no economy. It is a 40 min flight from Miami – the US should be ashamed of itself. The Congresswoman's trip is far from a "junket" (Tom DeLay in Scotland - paid for with lobbyist money). The great things that Rep. Schakowsky, who represents a large community of Haitian-Americans, can do for the people of Haiti upon her return are certainly worthwhile.
Yele Haiti (a 501(c)3 organization with no lobbyists), under the leadership of Wyclef Jean, as done marvelous things in Haiti. If you look past the “overpriced” t-shirt section you would see that. Mr. Jean has donated millions of his own dollars and his time to his native Haiti. What have you done lately? Other than write ignorant blog entries of course.
Posted by: Jimmy Goodman | November 29, 2006 3:58 PM
Jethro, I put "hip hop artist" in quotes because I was quoting Wyclef Jean's description in the Parsons article. If you have a problem with the description, go after Ms. Parsons, not me. And unlike you, Jimmy, I AM a scholar of Haitian hstory. Try reading Heinl's standard history of Haiti (to give but one example) before you start accusing others of ignorance.
Back to another main point: Jan Schakowsky's husband, Robert Creamer, has been sent to jail for check kiting. The fraud occurred in a corporation Ms. Schakowsky was the director of. She claimed not to have known about her husband's frauds. Accepting her claim as the truth (though the claim IS hard to believe) the question must be asked: if she can't observe the fraud in her own household and in her own corporation, why would anyone trust her ability to accurately observe things in Haiti?
Posted by: Bruce | November 30, 2006 8:57 AM
Bruce, it's unnecessary to put quotes around careers that do exist. Hip hop artist is not an adjective.
Posted by: jethro | November 30, 2006 10:08 AM
dis is a gansta
Posted by: Darien | November 20, 2007 5:43 PM