HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO BUY THE CBC?

You would think the CBC would take heed from their base and stop this madness. But they are pressing forward with the Fox Debate anyways, but as the New York Times reports in, For Democrats, Debate on Fox Reveals Divide

The caucus is bent on salvaging what remains of the debate, and of a relationship that has produced other benefits. Not only has Fox given over precious air time for the debate, but an examination shows that its parent company, News Corporation, has also taken other steps to reach out to the group’s constituency, including making campaign donations to the caucus and its members and creating internship programs at predominantly black colleges.

As I wrote a few day ago I was going to research the financial link between FOX News (News Corp) and the CBC. I didn't have any hard evidence of one at the time I made that statement. But I have found over the years that when politician make a move that seems counter to their normal political behavior money is usually involved. So I will answer the question: How much does it cost to Buy off the CBC?

First price quote:

...News Corporation also gained currency among black and Hispanic leaders by helping orchestrate a campaign to increase the participation of minority viewers in the television ratings system, a task it entrusted to a consulting firm with strong ties to Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Mrs. Clinton, in turn, has established a relationship with Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of News Corporation, who, for example, held a fund-raiser for her last year during her Senate re-election campaign.

It seems that wasn't enough as Bill is very popular amongst Blacks but isn't a member of the CBC.
Second price quote:

Despite a fierce debate within the 43-member caucus over whether to sever ties with Fox News, those representing the caucus in its dealings with Fox have thus far held firm. The network itself has apparently urged the caucus to do just that. There was, for example, a meeting for caucus press secretaries attended by representatives of News Corporation and Fox News, where talk turned to how to publicly present the merits of the debate. (Also working in Fox’s favor is that the debate is to be held in Detroit, the home city of Representative Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, the caucus chairwoman.)

Find a Congresswoman who is so desperate to hold event in her city she will "sell out"
Third price quote:

The partnership between Fox News and the caucus began in earnest in 2003, when the news channel responded to the caucus’s request for a broadcast partner for its debates for the 2004 presidential election. (Technically, the caucus was sponsoring the debate through an affiliate group, the Congressional Black Caucus Political Education and Leadership Institute; the use of the institute gives the caucus itself some distance, even though several prominent caucus members are on the institute board.)

Fox’s proposal included broadcasting the debates in prime time, giving the caucus a say in selecting moderators and covering much of the production cost, said one former caucus staff member close to the negotiations.

Make a reasonable sounding proposal to your intended -victim- partner, and hope they don't notice that you will cut the debate short, and call it the "Democrat Party Debate".
Forth Price quote:

Months after joining forces with the caucus, Fox News created internships for students at Morgan State University, a black college in Baltimore, in the Congressional district of Representative Elijah E. Cummings, who was then chairman of the caucus.

In June 2003, its political action committee, known as News America-Fox, made a $1,000 contribution to Mr. Cummings’s political committee.

The Fox group later made contributions of at least $1,000 each to other caucus members, including Representatives Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas, and Gregory W. Meeks and Edolphus Towns of New York. The political arm of the caucus itself received a $5,000 contribution from the Fox group, in May 2006. And on the Web site of its foundation, the caucus lists News Corporation among several dozen corporate sponsors.

For a total of $4,000 in direct contributions, $5,000 to the CBC PAC, and a few -indoctrination studies- internships that were jobs that needed to be filled anyways. You can buy the CBC.

Well the strong negative reaction to the CBC debate is finally starting to leak through to the some of the members.

James Rucker, executive director of a group that has tried to mobilize opposition to the partnership between Fox News and the caucus, said that the news channel was using its association with the caucus to inoculate itself against criticism that its coverage of Democrats in general and blacks in particular was biased.

“This is Fox’s brilliance,” said Mr. Rucker, whose group is known as the Color of Change. “In ’03, they made a brilliant investment. On the one hand, they got to be aligned with the brand of the Congressional Black Caucus. On the other hand, they got to proceed with business as usual.”

Mr. Meeks acknowledged that Fox, in partnering with the caucus on the debates, seemed to be trying to do a little image-building. But he said at least Fox was willing to sponsor the debate, when no other network would.

Mr. Meeks was further quoted as saying:

Mr. Meeks said that he had yet to decide whether to advocate canceling the debate. Fox’s supporters within the caucus have moved quickly to close ranks, even taking the unusual step of sending a letter to candidates seeking the Democratic nomination, urging them to participate in the debate and noting “the importance to African-Americans and others to hear from you.”

While 26 members of the caucus signed the letter, it is also notable who did not, including Representative Maxine Waters of California, a prominent and powerful member of the group.

Asked about the debate in a brief telephone interview, Ms. Waters said only, “I’m opposed to it.”

Thank you Ms. Waters, and hopefully Mr. Meeks comes around.
In the mean time hopefully the CBC members find a spoke person who is "clean, neat, and articulate enough because":

For now, at least, the caucus and Fox News can count on having at least one participant, Mr. Biden. Luis Navarro, Mr. Biden’s spokesman, said in an interview that Mr. Biden would be there because the caucus represented “an important base” and Fox offered an unparalleled forum for a candidate “to hold the Bush administration’s feet to the fire on their handling of Iraq.”

With thanks to dnA for the diary List Of CBC Members Who Signed The Letter Urging Candidates To Reconsider On Fox Debate (and Britain33 )

Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick
Bennie Thompson
James Clyburn
Sanford Bishop
Gwen Moore (?)
G.K. Butterfield
Mel Watt
Danny Davis
Bobby Rush (?)
John Lewis
Keith Ellison
Charles Rangel
Eddie Bernice Johnson
Stephanie Tubbs Jones
Sheila Jackson Lee
Donna Christian-Christensen
Diane Watson
Al Wynn
Elijah Cummings
David Scott
Yvette Clarke
John Conyers
Hank Johnson
Al Green
Corrine Brown

A list of at least some of the members who did not sign the letter.

Julia Carson (Indianapolis)
William Lacy Clay, Jr. (St. Louis)
Emmanuel Cleaver (Kansas City)
Artur Davis (Birmingham, Alabama)
Chaka Fattah (W. Philadelphia)
Alcee Hastings (Ft. Lauderdale)
Kendrick Meek (Miami)
Jesse Jackson, Jr. (South Side Chicago)
William L. Jefferson (New Orleans)
Barbara Lee (Oakland)
Gregory Meeks (Queens)
Donald Payne (Newark)
Bobby Scott (Richmond)
Ed Towns (Brooklyn)
Maxine Waters (Compton)