Clyburn: Opposition To Stimulus Is Slap In Face

COLUMBIA, S.C. — 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.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Wednesday he would accept the money, and none of the others has rejected it outright. The Republican governors of Idaho and Alaska also said they had reservations about whether the money would come with too many strings attached, but Clyburn said he was particularly taken aback by southern governors who said they might decline it.

"These four governors represent states that are in the proverbial black belt," Clyburn said.

A spokesman for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford accused Clyburn of playing the race card.

"Spending money at the federal level that we do not have represents a future tax increase on all South Carolinians, regardless of their color," Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer said in an e-mail statement. "And in the process of doing so, he's ripping off everyone he claims to represent."

Speaking earlier Thursday on CBS' "The Early Show," Sanford said being against the stimulus plan doesn't preclude taking the money. He said he opposed President Barack Obama's economic plan because it's "a bad idea," but would look over it and decide whether some parts would work for South Carolina.

A message seeking comment was left with a spokesman for Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour. Kyle Plotkin, press secretary for Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who is the son of Indian immigrants, called Clyburn's comments absurd.

"Each state agency is reviewing the bill to determine what strings are attached to any funds coming to Louisiana," Plotkin said. "The governor has an obligation to look out for the interests of Louisiana's taxpayers and that is exactly what he will do."

Clyburn spokeswoman Hope Derrick later said Clyburn didn't mean he thought those governors were racially motivated in their opposition, but that rejecting stimulus money would hurt black residents.

Clyburn began his remarks to reporters Thursday by talking about the Juneteenth celebration, which marks when slaves in Texas finally learned they had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation more than a year after it happened.

"Knowing my history and knowing Texas history, all of this, it was a slap in the face of African-Americans," Clyburn said.

___

Associated Press Writer Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge, La., contributed to this report.

Comments

[kottison]

Blaming invisible rightwingers? I just saying these areas are inflicted with these problems more so than others. Also you speak as if you know exactly what people go through down there which is patronizing.

[Zen0469]

Is this not the ultimate irony? Southern republican governors living well and therefore rejecting funds from the Stimulus Plan projects. In the meantime, minority group members and others have lost their jobs.

If you and your state are doing so well that you do not need Stimulus Plan funds, why not finance projects yourselves in order to put unemployed folks to work?

Where is the principle that you are so righteously upholding? Do you just reject the funds so that you can qualify to be a member of the “Party of No“?

Is it so important to you that Rush think well of you? Up is Down, and Down is Up -- a very peculiar philosophy.

[edwarvir]

These Governors oppose the stimulus , but have
no other answers as to what to do.
This country needs answers, not old men acting
like children. .Clyburn is right . For once put the
people who sent you to Washington first ahead
of your own careers.

[DirtyDave71]

Clyburn is the racist, not the GOP who opposed the porkulus bill. I don't remember anything being said about the supposed stimulus being for African Americans, I thought it was supposed to be to stimulate the American economy.

But here's Clyburn, saying that GOP opposition is a slap in the face to blacks. He's the one that is clearly racist!!

[learntofly]

Really? Don't think a large percentage of Sanford's constituents will see Clyburn as being ra cist here. This one is Sanford's dog & it will come back to sit in his lap.

[ggaitherii]

Are we talking about the same GOP that used the Southern Strategy? Are we talking about the same GOP that opposes equal citizenship for gays? Is this the same GOP that produced scandolous, felonious President's Nixon, Reagan, and Bush? Really, is it? I'm African American and I fail to see where this GOP has ever had my interest in mind with anything they do or say. Genius, the economy is people, not some esoteric entity. Now look at the GOP and think about the people they prioritize. 2+2 does equal 4 after all huh!

[Zen0469]

Oh, go ahead all you Wing.nut Governors, turn down the Stimulus Plan's money for your state. After all is it not a statement of principle?

People in your state who are unemployed would most certainly understand. They do not wish to be gainfully employed if Stimulus Plan money would be used to pay their salaries. It would be downright unthinkable.

Up is Down, and Down is Up when you are a wing,nut and Rush is your Savior.

[kottison]

I guess everyone forgot about Katrina in Louisiana, Rita in Texas, and Mississippi being crappy in general. These states are the worst states in the union with the exception of Texas and people are just focusing on him mentioning black people. What people criticizing him should do is check the poverty rates, the school systems, the average income a family makes, and drug problems in these areas and see if he's telling the truth.

[steamboat]

So why don't the LOCAL citizens complain about the school systems? I know I complain about ours----Chicago. Now we put in $14,000 per student and over half DON'T even graduate high school. Salt Lake City spends half of what Chicago spends per student and there leap-years ahead of us. Why?......­....As far as drug problems, start practicing SELF RESPONSIBILITY and DISCIPLINE. Instead of blaming some invisible rightwinger. There is no supply unless there is a demand.

[NiceguyEddie]

OK... opposing the stimulus is fairly stupid given the alternatives, but there's no need to make it racial.

[maxfax]

If the Republican governors don't want the money, let them refuse outright, and send it to other states.

http://www.southernstudies.org/2009/02/post.html

[chitown8]

I heard Rep Clyburn on MSNBC and he explained him self very well. HP if you could get that it would really help with his opinion.

All he was saying in example for LA the begged for Katrina money. The Stim includes that so refusing to take that now is a slap in the face of the majority of the blacks in that community that are in need of the money.

[robXdion]

HP won't do that because they like to drum up racial indignation at blacks who advocate for their communities and people.

[steamboat]

rob, is the purpose of the Stimulus Plan to give a group of people handout money in some areas or is it as we were told, to stimulate the economy?

[Grannysue]

Living in Idaho, yesterday our Gov said he didn't think he was going to take the money, excuse me sparky but the people here in Idaho are hurting. You see Idaho is a "right to work state", which means LOW WAGES, no benefits and if they your boss gets a hair up their butt you can be fired, no reason has to be given. People here are also out of work, losing their homes and going without. Unfortunately the Morman church and GOP rule here, the people of this state will vote for Republicans no matter what. If the guys LDS and REPUBLICAN he could committ murder in the middle of main street and still he would be elected, that's the mentality here. Some of us are fighting to change that, but it's difficult.
Fortunately for me, I work for a group of Physicians who pay fairly well and offer benefits, jobs are far and few between like mine.
As far as I can tell the Gov was elected to represent ALL the people of this State, but apparently NOT.
So I say, any Gov. that refuses the funds to help their State, should be impeached or recalled!

[mrfreeze]

Having grown up in Utah which is a state with similar economics and culture (e.g. total domination by an ultra-cons­ervative/f­ascist theocracy), it doesn't surprise me that your representatives don't want help.....A­fter all, those in charge have done such a good job to encourage enterprise and growth without "the big bad government­." I'm afraid you find yourself in one of the red states which, if you look at the map, represent the shabby South and the rural-dominated central states where people are living in the past. Good luck, you're going to need it.

[kottison]

Why don't ya'll go check the rate of joblessness in these states besides condemning anyone who mentions the welfare of black people in these areas. I'm from New Orleans and I know what it's like down there if anything they've needed this money for years.

[ohioan73]

I'm glad somebody's saying something about it. Black people in the south have been quietly suffering for too long and the GOP needs to stop talking about people's bootstraps and actually serve their constituents.

Sen. Brown of Ohio (D) wrote me back TWO responses to my letter about the Stimulus bill. I'm still waiting on Voinovich (R) to respond. Its been two weeks. Brown wrote me back the next day. I bet the southern GOP Senators and Governors are even more unapproachable than Voinovich. That whole party is a slight on real democracy.

[kottison]

JafiJafur do you hear anyone else speaking on our behalf?

[JafiJafur]

If there is a common goal for black people - that affects all of us - like we've seen in the past during the civil rights era and before - then a statement made for all of us is appropriate.

But this is not a civil rights issue. This is one group's stubborn opposition to a stimulus package for Americans, based on political posturing.

All I'm saying is - let's save the monolithic black america talk for issues that affect ALL of black people.

[JafiJafur]

I think Clyburn would have been better served to say that GOP opposition to the stimulus is a slap in the face of poor america, a group comprised of all different types.

As an AA I am tired of this concept of a monolithic black america, where a handful of leaders can express outrage on its entire behalf.

The black population, like any other, has its share of rich, middle class, and poor people.

The truth is that there are a lot of poor whites and blacks and others in the south, all of whom would benefit from this stimulus.

So the GOP's opposition is not a slap in my face, as Clyburn has indicated. The GOP will come around once they start feeling the fire from their constituents. I think that the real racial problems need to be addressed as they happen, and crying wolf will only hurt us.

[ohioan73]

I was feeling like that just a little while ago but from what people are saying in this thread, its pretty bad down south for black folks. Not that it isn't bad elsewhere too, but the south in particular is being hit hard by the economic fail from what I'm hearing.

[plwood01]

You are correct in your assessment, here in Atlanta we have lost so many jobs now that we are 4th in the nation as far as foreclosures, so you see GA is losing ground very quickly. We have people here from New Orleans that have had to stay because of Katrina and they cannot go home because the infrastructure would not support anyone who was disabled, elderly, ill or very young children who are subcepitible to infections, etc. Because of the burdens of people relocating due to the hurricanes, we have more people here now than our own systems can support. We almost lost Morris Brown College to a huge water bill and then they reported that the water meters they put in were not working propering causing residents to receive bills in the thousands and getting their water cut off for not being able to pay them. If you add the fact that the city of Atlanta suffers from past wrong doing by a former Mayor who is now in prison, you get a clear but stark look at what might be happening to this city as well as those up north like Detroit! I certainly expect that our representatives look more to what we need here than for them to maintain allegiance with their party instead...

[robXdion]

He was talking about blacks in the South. You may not apply in this context. And as an AA, you can express an opinion and hold a job while advocating your rights and fairness because "a handful of leaders express outrage on our behalf". Are YOU gonna do it? Or will you just look out for self? And you should take a look at Southern job/employment statistics or take a road trip to get context before you campaign for your multiracial "thumbs-up".

[JafiJafur]

Even if he is only talking about Blacks in the south, how is making this racial going to solve anything?

The GOP are not racially motivated to decline the funds - they are doing so to appeal to their base and to position themselves for 2010 and 2012. Political - not racial.

What I'm trying to say is - before you judge me based on what you think you may know about me or my status - is that battles for justice and equality have to be chosen carefully - and should not just be based on the whims of a man who thinks he speaks for all of us at the moment.

And as I recall, Clyburn was also the man who made a racial issue about the Blagoyevich senate pick. See what I mean?

[maxfax]

From Jindal's spokesman, "Plotkin said. "The governor has an obligation to look out for the interests of Louisiana's taxpayers and that is exactly what he will do."

In plain English, that means "what can I (Bobby Jindal) get away with refusing to look strong and powerful against the Democratic President, to keep my rightwing constituents happy to vote for me for President.­"

While in the meantime, he's serving-self with $3.3Millio­n in his coffers for his future venture.


http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/politics/39765837.html

[Montreaux1991]

Hate to break it to you Mr. Clyburn, but the GOP doesn't give a flying f*** about African-Americans.

They didn't 100 years ago, they aren't going to start now.

[maxfax]

Kanye said as much.

[jazzycafe]

And just when will Steele weigh in on this?