Minority Front Men and Women

[msgadget]

Yesterday, February 8, C-Span ran the Social Security and Interest Groups forum from Cato Institute. The event was chaired by a black female and featured Women for Social Security Choice’s Leanne Abdnor, Jesse Brown of Krystal Investment Management and Robert de Posada of the Latino Coalition.

The common theme was: minorities and women – especially single mothers – earn less and contribute less but receive proportionately more from Social Security. While they appeared to be talking about empowerment, ownership and the value of saving, the subtext was: these people get more out than they put in and the system needs to be changed so no one subsidizes them. In fact, Ms. Abdnor’s closing graphic was of two black, fatherless families and Mr. de Posada connected non-English speaking to non-saving. That’s what I saw and heard but what would a woman, black or latino who happened upon the show hear?

While we’re disputing the facts and being outraged at the lies, the Republicans are speaking to the hearts of the vulnerable…AGAIN. Jesse Brown appears in Ebony, was on Tavis Smiley’s show, and has books on saving and investing for blacks. de Posada and Abdnor are - plainly - established Republican tools. I’d like to compile in this thread a list of front people whose primary purpose is to appeal to minorities and women so we can adopt them, pay close attention to them and, refute them. Or, even better, pair them with their opposite.

So, if you know anything more about these three good citizens or have the names of others, please contribute.