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Outspoken commentator Jack Lessenberry, a veteran Detroit journalist who shares colorful opinions at Metro Times and Michigan Radio, is a Detroit version of Bill Moyers or Rachel Maddow, in a sense.
He's well-connected, well-informed, a colorful writer and as blunt as all get-out.
Those assets are on display in Lessenberry's latest MT column, which is about embattled state Sen. Bert Johnson, D-Detroit, and those who enable him.
Sen. Bert Johnson is enabled by "white liberals and the Democratic Party establishment," the Metro Times columnist says. (Facebook photo)
The headline distils his feelings into 100-proof Jack: "Reverse racism and liberal hypocrisy." His case:
When a federal grand jury indicted State Sen. Bert Johnson on two felony charges a couple of weeks ago, it was . . . about as much of a surprise as rain in April. Johnson has long had an unsavory reputation as someone who doesn't pay his debts. He often doesn't bother to show up to vote in the legislature either.
And you know what?
To an extent, this is the fault of white liberals and the Democratic Party establishment. They enabled Johnson and other black politicians guilty of bad behavior — out of cowardice, fear of losing votes and perhaps patronizing reverse racism.
And they need to be called out.
The writer doing the calling out, incidentally, was honored last week with a lifetime achievement award from Detroit's chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. As head of Wayne State University's journalism program, he helps shape the skills and focus of next-generation media members.
Related news: No-Show Employee Recorded Conversation with State Sen. Bert Johnson
Lessenberry's column Wednesday says "Johnson . . . is not alone" in being tolerated by his party. Former state Sen. Virgil Smith, Jr., D-Detroit, and ex-state Rep. Brian Banks, D-Harper Woods are cited as similar examples.
Jack Lessenberry: "Are they scared of alienating black voters?" (Facbeook photo by Society of Professional Journalists)
Writing of Banks, Lessenberry says:
I don't know if voters have elected anyone with eight felony convictions to the legislature before. . . . But did anyone suggest not re-electing him? Democrats, once again, stood strong for the felon. Mayor Mike Duggan even disgraced himself by campaigning with him.
Banks was, sadly, re-elected, but he must have known the end was near. He was facing four more felony charges for loan fraud when he resigned Feb. 6, to avoid a long prison stretch.
His voters have no representation in Lansing now -- but did they anyway?
Give GOP leaders credit: They quickly took action to throw Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat out of the legislature, once it was learned they'd used state resources to try and cover up their cheesy and tawdry affair.
But none of the state's top Dems breathed a word against Banks. Are they scared of alienating black voters?
Is this a kind of patronizing "what can you expect from those people" reverse racism?
