By C. Nicole Mason

As the old adage goes, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Over the last several weeks, President Obama seems to have gotten himself caught between a rock and a hard place with black legislators and advocacy groups.

Most recently, nine members of the Congressional Black Caucus banded together to boycott a financial regulation bill that would spend down remaining TARP funds supported by the President until a provision was added that would provide relief to unemployed homeowners and give grants to local and state governments to buy foreclosed homes.

And last week when Obama delivered his much anticipated speech on job creation and unemployment, noticeably absent from his remarks were his plans to address the disproportionate unemployment rate in the black community, nearly 16 percent compared to 10 percent nationally. Shortly after, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) voiced their concern that the Administration wasn’t doing enough to reduce unemployment in communities hit hardest by the recession, specifically African-American and Latino communities.

Obama’s response to the CBC’s concerns is that it is a “mistake to focus on particular ethnic segments of the population.” He goes on to say “The most important thing I can do for the African-American community is the same thing I can do for the American community, period, and that is get the economy going again and get people hiring again,”

The problem is he’s missing the point. It is not about favoring one group over another, but about addressing the ways in which the recession has unevenly affected and impacted different communities.

Colorblind public policies do not work and have the tendency to ignore those most in need. Policies need to be specific and targeted. For example, when Obama provided a bailout to the banks, he was clear that if he didn’t, the economy would collapse. The same is true for the African-American community. Without targeted support, it will be difficult for the community to fully recover from the recession in ways similar to whites or others.

The rumblings have become a roar

Until now, few black leaders and legislators have been willing to publicly criticize Obama’s policies and legislative priorities. The feeling is that he is one of us, and, given the criticism coming from Rush Limbaughs of the world, we need to be supportive even when it seems like his policies are out of step with the needs of our communities.

But some black legislators have chosen tough love over blind loyalty. Maxine Waters, Barbara Lee, and John Conyers, all three highly respected and influential legislators, have raised questions about the Administration’s economic policies, its willingness to negotiate the public option in the health care bill and its decision to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan.

They feel their responsibility and loyalty lie with their constituencies and are willing to work with the President to make sure their needs and concerns are heard and represented. They are also pressing for more dialogue around issues impacting low-income and working class blacks.

Are Blacks Expecting Too Much from Obama?

From the moment of his electoral victory, Obama has gone to great lengths to let us know he’s everyone’s President. We get it. We’re not expecting reparations, just a little acknowledgment that disparities still exist and that despite gains made over the last few decades, economic and political parity has not yet been achieved.

And like most Americans who campaigned and voted for Obama, African Americans expect that he will be an advocate or at the very least an ally in helping to alleviate disparities not only with respect to race, but with respect to gender and other markers of difference as well.

Too Much of This, Too Little of That…

Conservatives have accused Obama of being too progressive, and liberals have accused him of not being progressive enough. He’s been accused of giving handouts to the undeserving and not giving enough to those truly in need.

Pressure will continue to come from both sides. That’s politics. The test of Obama’s first term and whether he will be elected to a second will be how well he is able to negotiate this pressure and meet the competing, and sometimes conflicting, needs of his entire constituency.

Dr. C. Nicole Mason is the Executive Director of the Women of Color Policy Network at the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University.