One of Culver City’s most popular political personalities, U.S. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Culver City), laid down a tempting proposition last night to members of the Culver City Democratic Club.
If persons in the crowded room at the Senior Center wanted to invite Ms. Bass into their homes for a private coffee-type talk with a few friends under certain conditions — absolutely no cameras, no microphones, no recording devices, no record of her appearance — she would be pleased to drop by.
Under those circumstances, “I will tell you exactly what’s going on in Washington,” she said.
That, ironically, was the way her presentation last night was billed. The Democratic Club promised Ms. Bass would deliver an insider’s candid assessment of the Obama presidency.
Not close, though.
The second-year Congresswoman turned out to be the most gun-shy person on the grounds.
Standing at a far distance from the administration, she deftly avoided criticizing President Obama, preserving her heat for the well-trod ground of slamming Republicans, especially the “extremists in the Tea Party” for obstructing Mr. Obama, preventing him from advancing his agenda.
Routinely loathe to cite examples, Ms. Bass said she broke with the President on “many” occasions as a freshman.
“All the information, my record, is on my website,” she said.
Ms. Bass said she did not want to publicly criticize Mr. Obama because cutting remarks always find their way into the media, and how would that look?
As a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, she feels uncommonly uncomfortable when journalists are nearby. “The press has characterized the, Congressional Black Caucus as not supporting the President,” and that is not true, she said.
Besides, if she speaks publicly, “the press will twist my words out of context especially because I am in the Caucus.”
Appearing hypersensitive to criticism of herself or her President, Ms. Bass bristled when a woman in the audience suggested that she had been needlessly deferential to Mr. Obama.
Pressing her claim, the club member asked Ms. Bass, “Would you consider breaking with the President?”
“I have many times,” Ms. Bass said, “on the defense bill, on Afghanistan.”
In a rare departure from form, Ms. Bass said that when she invited to President to Los Angeles and he tested waffles at Roscoe’s, on Pico Boulevard near LaBrea:
“I told him, ‘You’ve got to come to L.A. and do something that costs less than $35,000 (the typical price of a ticket for his 100-plus fundraisers in the last 9 months).’”
