Clyburn: Opposition to stimulus is slap in face

[Number23]

Snip:

The highest-ranking black congressman said Thursday that opposition to the federal stimulus package by southern GOP governors is "a slap in the face of African-Americans."

U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., said he was insulted when the governors of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and his home state, which have large black populations, said they might not accept some of the money from the $787 billion stimulus package.

Article here

I have to admit, my first response after reading this was a very loud groan but is Clyburn on to something???

[Raineyb]

1. I'm not sure.

It's no secret in this country that if the country catches a cold the black community end up with pneumonia. On the other hand, Republicans don't give a damn about poor people no matter what their color. Until poor white people get this through their skulls Republicans will always try to play off government money as a hand out to black people when attempting to get their votes. (This not withstanding the fact that most of the people getting government assistance are white.)

The Republican ideology tends to lean towards believing that one is poor because the person is morally lacking so punishing people who are already suffering is not exactly a stretch for them either. They are so nasty and unfeeling in their ideology it's just hard to determine if its by design or mere accident that these governors would refrain from taking money that would benefit their constituents.

One thing I do know for certain though is if you don't believe in helping people who are not rich you have no business being in government in the first place. Maybe this will get people to wake up in those states.

Regards

[Number23]

2. You speak the truth

On the other hand, Republicans don't give a damn about poor people no matter what their color.

Truth!

One thing I do know for certain though is if you don't believe in helping people who are not rich you have no business being in government in the first place.

Absolute truth!

The thing that gets me is that the dirt-poor and less educated whites who continue to support the Repubs despite the number of times they have been lied to and spat upon will continue to support the Repubs because they are all to receptive to those racist dog whistles they keep hearing. So while you and I may think that people who don't care about poor people have no business being in public service, why would anything change when so many poor people are just too happy to keep putting people who don't care about them in office??

The main thing that concerns me about Clyburn's statement is that yes, those states have large black populations but there are also alot of the poor, less educated whites that I mentioned before. And those folks won't take too kindly to having some colored man tell them what they need to be doing. Maybe Clyburn is trying to permanently activate the large black populations in those states into political activism, but he may be activating just as many uneducated whites too.