Fear Of Massive Deficits And Tax Increases Is “Insensitive”

Hauling out the most overworked and overheated rhetorical weapon in the Democrats’ arsenal, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and others accused the Republican governors who are threatening to refuse some of the “stimulus” funds for their states as, you guessed it, insenstive.

Other Democratic critics weren’t so, well, sensitive.

Critics such as Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina say the Republican resistance is a political, even racist, ploy to withhold critical help from the nation’s poorest and most hard-hit communities.

Indeed, Clyburn, the Democratic Majority Whip in the House, seems to view the Republican opposition as almost a racist conspiracy:

The governor of Louisiana expressed opposition. Has the highest African-American population in the country. Governor of Mississippi expressed opposition. The governor of Texas, and the governor of South Carolina. These four governor’s represent states that are in the black belt. I was insulted by that…. All of this was a slap in the face of African-Americans.

Here’s an example of the racist slap, as administred by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (did I mention that he’s not white?), as quoted on Bloomberg (linked above):

Republican Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” said he is rejecting $100 million in unemployment assistance in the stimulus plan because it would force the state to raise business taxes to pay for the extra aid once the federal dollars run out.

“It requires us to make a permanent change in our law,” he said. “It’s like spending a dollar to get a dime.”

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour said the same thing. But that just proves Clyburn’s case: everybody knows that whatever Southern Republicans do is racist, no matter what they say.

Say What? (4)

  1. Cobra February 23, 2009 at 12:31 pm | | Reply

    African-Americans are disproportionately affected in a recession.

    The unemployment rate is twice as high for blacks as opposed to whites, and for young black men aged 16-19 the rate is a catastrophic 32.8%.

    In the South, statistics show that there is a DEPRESSION for African-American males.

    So anytime unemployment benefits are witheld, Black men, and by extrapolation, Black families are hit the hardest. That’s what Rep. Clyburn said, and I’m glad he said it. The Majority Whip is handling his business.

    –Cobra

  2. Brad February 23, 2009 at 9:01 pm | | Reply

    “Black men, and by extrapolation, Black families…”

    My mind reels with sarcastic commentary…

    On a serious note: one’s perceived needs are not reason enough to take other people’s money at gunpoint, either directly or through the government; either way it is thievery. In fact, there is never reason enough to do so in any situation, Marxists be damned. All such emotional arguments are shallow and reveal a juvenile logic. If one wishes to make such nakedly Marxian assertions (From… To…), then make them in no uncertain terms and receive the scorn that is due such foolishness and anti-intellectualism. Good people are willing to be taxed to help those who need it, but not to fund the unworthy; that is the difference between a caring society and a dysfunctional nightmare (CCCP). And we are rapidly moving from the former to the latter. Moreover, the veiled threats of violence that accompany these demands are far from productive; they turn good people into cynics.

  3. Cobra February 26, 2009 at 1:13 am | | Reply

    Brad writes:

    “On a serious note: one’s perceived needs are not reason enough to take other people’s money at gunpoint, either directly or through the government; either way it is thievery.

    OK. So you’re basically saying that any level of taxation is “thievery” when you don’t like the folks getting the money, right? Even with “good people”?

    You see, that’s the kind of thinking that put our nation in trouble. Our tax dollars are used for all kinds of things, most of which, we’ll never actually know about, or see the receipts for.

    I’m a liberal. I am my brother’s keeper. I actually like the Constitution where it says “promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” I believe in the Great Seal that boldly declares “E pluribus Unum.”

    When my neighbor needs help, I will reach out my hand, and not turn my back.

    I won’t ask for his “papers”, or claim he’s unworthy because he or she got laid off.

    And you know I won’t turn him down because of the color of his skin, no matter what the popular right-winged stereotype of the day about that particular skin color is.

    But hey, as a liberal Democrat, I say just keep on throwing that “Marxist” line around. It did John McCain a lot of good, didn’t it?

    –Cobra

  4. mj February 26, 2009 at 10:45 am | | Reply

    “I’m a liberal. I am my brother’s keeper”

    Actually you use the government to take from others to keep your brother, taking the credit for something you don’t actually do, all while calling those you take from greedy-evil-racists in order to justify youself.

Say What?