Several months ago, on this very page, you read about the open season on Black politicians. You read about New York Governor David Paterson being railroaded in the majority press along with President Barack Obama and Congressman Charles B. Rangel. We wrote about the unsubstantiated reports and news stories that never materialized that would "bring down the governor," the "irrefutable" evidence that there had been wrongdoing. Yet time after time, the stories never materialized and, in some cases, charges were never brought.

In the case of Governor Paterson, the steady drumbeat of the dreary tabloids and The New York Times acting much too much like a tabloid, the governor was forced to end his reelection bid. There were also calls for him to resign. This page urged the governor to remain strong and in office, and we encouraged other African-American leaders to stand by him because we felt the allegations against him were unfounded and based on an overzealous press pursuing its own agenda rather than giving Paterson a fair hearing. It has been New York's loss, since so much of the governor's message and what he has set out to achieve has been undercut or overlooked, caught in the incessant desire to take him down.

Now, we are seeing a somewhat different line of attack, but the goal remains the same: It is still open season on Black politicians.

This time, the charges are coming from inside the hallowed halls of the Congress.

The charges are ethics violations. And what is anything but surprising to folks familiar with our history in this country, the overwhelming target of these attacks have been African-American members of Congress. Eight of the nine investigations in the past year have been against African-American members of Congress. With a House membership of 435 and just 42 African-American members, this is particularly troubling.

Two of those African-American members – Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters – have demanded congressional trials to clear their names.

The Congressional Black Caucus is quietly, and not so quietly, trying to get the message out that it is open season on its members. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), the House whip and the third-ranking member of the House, openly questioned the ethics process that seems to almost exclusively snare African-American politicians.

The Congress has an ethics committee that receives referrals from the Office of Congressional Ethics, which is supposed to be a semi-autonomous body. But like so many things in Washington, when you look a bit below the surface, you find a different story than the public relations message that's been created for the people.

The co-chair of the Office of Congressional Ethics is Porter Goss. Many may not remember Mr. Goss' background, but he was a highly partisan former Republican congressman, a favorite of former Vice President Dick Cheney and the CIA director under George Bush. Goss had a particularly rocky tenure as CIA director from 2004 to 2006, the period when the CIA's reputation went downhill after Goss ordered the destruction of tapes showing CIA agents torturing reported Al Qaeda operatives in a secret program.

Many believed that, at the very least, Goss was himself ethically challenged. And now he is instrumental in judging others' ethics.

For the entire history of Blacks in politics, we have been under greater scrutiny than our white counterparts. And few in the media have questioned the process or the motives of those managing the process. So it is no surprise that our folks are quickly and unceremoniously convicted in the court of public opinion rather than a court of law.

We have consistently fought for equal justice under the law. Even though it has been continually denied us, we continue to fight for the principles of the Constitution and that the Black members of Congress should not be treated differently under the law or in practice.

The process, according to insiders of the ethics committee, has always focused on plea deals. Most times these deals occur before the allegations even come to light. Historically, most members of Congress look for a deal when they are charged with anything.

We can say with pride that Maxine Waters and Charlie Rangel are not looking for a deal. Instead, they are looking to clear their good names before the American people. There are those in the media who are ignoring these facts and want to judge Rangel and Waters as corrupt. We know better. They are demanding their right to be heard and defend themselves. What is more American than that?