Black conservatives talk about gaining strength

JWR: Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., is the head of the Congressional Black Caucus. A pastor, Cleaver noted that "the black church is the most conservative institution in the black community." Cleaver told the crowd that he also wouldn't budge on some social issues. When asked by a woman in the audience whether he would vote to slash the budget of Planned Parenthood, Cleaver said no. He told the woman that federal money to pay for abortions doesn't go to Planned Parenthood, the reproductive health care service that has been a target of anti-abortion activists. It provides critical health care to poor people, Cleaver said, and he'll continue to support budgeting federal money for those services.