Are Black Politicians Screwing Up...or being Targeted?

A number of African-American politicians have tarnished their reputations over the years, and sadly, there are also a few recent examples.

• Council members recently voted 12-to-zero to strip Marion Barry -- the former Washington, D-C mayor who was notoriously popped on video by the feds for smoking crack in a hotel room in the 1990s -- of his committee chairmanship and refer allegations of public corruption to the U-S attorney's office for possible prosecution.

• New York councilman Charles Rangel -- the chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee -- has been forced to "step aside" amid ethics investigations and tax controversies.

• New York Governor David Patterson recently announced he won't seek another term following allegations he may have been involved in witness tampering in a domestic abuse case involving a staffer, among other political scandals that have followed.

1.  Do you think politicians plagued by scandal should be automatically thrown out of office?

2.  Do scandals affect your voting decisions?

3.  Do you think scandal-plagued black politicians face more scrutiny than others?