Clyburn: Gov. Sanford's Zimbabwe Crack "Beyond The Pale"

Politico.com:

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) told me he thinks S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford's quip comparing President Obama's stimulus package to Zimbabwe's economic policies are "beyond the pale" -- and suggested they might carry a racial subtext.

"For him to compare the president of this country to Mugabe. ... It's just beyond the pale," said Clyburn, who has sparred with Sanford over the Republican's refusal to accept all the state's stimulus funding.

Read the whole story: Politico.com

Comments

[sufi66]

The chances of the GOP finding a new messiah to lead it out of the wilderness are about as great as discovering WMD in Iraq.

[sufi66]

Lincoln might be one of our worst presidents. He failed to get rid of the south when he had the chance. Slavery would have died its natural, justified death and the country would have been spared a region which believed that color or a man's socio-economic status determined destiny.

[Buddy McCue]

The "region" believes...?

No. Here's one Southerner who doesn't recognize a scale of human worth.

[sufi66]

Back then the region did believe it. Still does mostly save Austin, TX or Athens, Ga. I could easily do without the south.

[lowgear]

The tin foil hat crowd continously say they have the ability to perform long distance vulcan mind meld to detect nonverbal communications. If it were true, they would have prevented that eeevil bush, cheney, rove, hallerberton..from doing their eeevil deeds.

sorry to disappoint the socialists, s. carolina unemployment rate is only: 10.4% (dol jan/09) not 14%you have fewer victims to parade around.

[VietVet45]

South Carolina's unemployment rate may be 10.4 percent in January, but it is the second-highest in the nation and the state's highest in nearly 26 years. Allendale County had the highest rate, with 23.4 percent. This is truely a record for Sanford to be proud of. Maybe he could use it as a stepping stone to run for President.

[sufi66]

Disagree with someone by calling him a "socialist." The ploy won't work anymore since just about everyone takes money form the government in the form of tax deductions and credits, not to mention all business tax breaks.

It's a childish term to use too.

[kwoodberryesq]

Okay let's face it Mark Sanford drew a line in the sand and as the latest economic hints suggest, was on the wrong side. He along with the Zero gang in the House, and that cowtow in Louisiana are about to join the ranks of the politically insignifcant. They took their orders from Limbaugh, and now they look as unpatriotic as Rush does... They were willing to destroy people of their constituency over mindless ideology. Instead of being a pillar in the crumbling economy, they instead said let it fall on your heads so we can prove our "PRESIDENT" wrong!

Patriotic Americans like the employees of Beth Israel Hospital are willing to give up something to make sure their fellows can come through this depression. Folks like Mark Sanford, and the Zero Gang, would prefer to act as a degenerative force, instead of offering constructive alternatives they simply attact the only option on the table.

[whosyourdaddy]

Being in opposition to a policy isn't unpatriotic. As so many here have pointed out during the Bush years. Stanford has declined most of the money because he has little or no control over where most of it goes and acceptance is conditional and would require permanent changes to social programs in his state.
I would remind you, many republicans did offer constructive alternatives and were told to run along, you lost the election, remember.

[BruceHNV]

Being opposed isn't unpatriotic. Gutting recovery is.

Apparently in SC it's Stanford's way or no way.

A sensible person would grimace and swallow the medicine. But instead, Stanford's principles are going to to ruinous for the people of his state.

I hate to wish ill on anyone - especially the populace of a whole state, whose destiny is being held hostage by a radical, intemperate idealoque - but apparently some refuse to learn until the lesson becomes painful enough. Let the learning begin.

[BruceHNV]

Sanford, not Stanford

[ladyluck 27]

While I can agree that there have been times when Rep. Clyburn has touted racism as being at the root of an issue when in my opinion it was not, I believe slapping the label "race card" on any accusation of racism does a disservice to this country and its people. It illegitimatizes all racial accusation when some in fact may be legitimate. And I'm sorry in a society where we are in many ways hyper sensitive to race, few people actually come out and spew their hatred and ignorance outright. It has become more subtle over time (just like socialist in many ways has become the new communist). In Gov. Sanford's case, the message is in the symbolism! His comment was meant to stir and cultivate fear and appeal to this country's baser nature. Picking Zimbabwe was no accident; it was calculated and somewhat brilliant. Words without context have no meaning. If his words are viewed in their proper prospective, giving due weight to the history of Zimbabwe/Rhodesia and its leader and the history of this country and our demons and fears, the message is very telling; and is being shouted from atop a hill, unabashedly, loud and clear, for anyone who will listen.

I applaud all of you who have hear this message, seen it for what it was, and called the Governor out on it as being unacceptable, unfounded, and appealing to the worst part of us as opposed to our better angels.

[bubbuh]

Sanford is the head of the Republican Governors Association and thinks he can shoot past Jindal in 2012 now that everyone has discovered that Bobby might have the brain of one of Palin's kids. Sanford has named himself chief resister to President Obama's stimulus package and to the Democratic approach to fixing the economy.

First Sanford says he won't accept money for jobless benefits because he would have to make more South Carolinians eligible. the fact fact that these these residents of his state payed for unemployment insurance and are now unemployed because of the economic problems is neither here nor there. It's a philosophical stand. Let 'em eat grits. Then he says he says he'll turn down $700 million of his state's $2.8 billion share of stimulus money unless he gets to use it "his way," to pay off debt. He says spending that money would destabilize the South Carolina's economy. Like Zimbabwe?

Now Sanford is comparing Obama's fiscal policies to those of Zimbabwe, saying the U.S. economy could collapse if it keeps spending money. Of course, Zimbabwe's government collects almost no taxes and is actively destroying the entities that formerly did pay taxes. But, hey it's Sanford's comparison.

A

[LooktotheLeft]

Rep. Clyburn, the most respected whip in many moons, is as incensed by his Governor's comment as any rational person should and would be. And he has every right to suggest race is part of the equation given Sanford's choice of country's to make his insipid comparison. And Jim Clyburn is genuinally concerned about the welfare of his state and its 14 % unemployment and other dire circumstances whereas Governor "Cracker" wants to exploit the stimulus for his own political advantage.

As far as tr0lls are concerned, what is it? Anytime anyone, anywhere, at anytime suggests race may play a factor in an issue, even if it's a legitimate claim, you're going to accuse them of playing the "race card"?

[roshni]

The USA resembled Zimbabwe under the Bush/Cheney dictatorship with civil rights being suspended on a lark. Things are under control again and we have some semblance of normalcy.

[foxbat]

As the old saying goes, "It's not paranoia if someone really is out to get you."

[howcome]

Jim Clyburn,,,,,Thanks to the race card being played at every juncture by you and your ilk over the last two years , serious and actual racist incidents are jaded and dismissed...You also just become a caricature in the same manor Jackson and Sharpton have become .

[lowgear]

You see, clyburn has no real argument, so he throws out the “race card” in his feeble effort to silence opposition. For way too long, “the left” has used this false claim in an effort to intimidate people, knowing that no one likes to be called a racist… Especially when it is a false claim. And now clyburn is simply making up a claim that the words “Zimbabwe's economic policies” is in its self a racist term.

[foxbat]

What has the common American heard or known about Zimbabwe's economic policies for the past 10 years? They are more likely to have known the woes to have befallen Japan or even those in place in Germany after WWI before they would have equated any economic policy at all with Zimbabwe. What they have heard about Zimbabwe in the last year, however, was about a brutal dictator who didn't subscribe to the law of free elections and used intimidation and violence against his people. Oh yeah, and the country is in AFRICA.

Maybe Governor Sanford is given the benefit of the doubt, but whether it was a racist statement or not, the sentiment is to try to draw, with very distinct detail, the parallels in race and a tangential reference of automatic recoil for lawlessness, violence, and thuggery. There was a very calculated reason for the words that Sanford used and it had very little to do with economics. Sanford is an intelligent man and isn't likely to just "throw words out there."

[eden4barack08]

Well said.

[levibatgirl]

When will the rethugs realize that America rejects parroting the rush/coulter talking points filled with lies, r@cism, h8red and opposition for the sake of opposition?

Wake up, tone deaf GOP, or you will continue to wither away. There is no 'come back' awaiting you with this same old garbage. It's over!!

[messy]

this is why we should only have straight white men as president. You can be as nasty as you want to be with a straight, white male. Barry O is President. Democracy demands that we be nasty to him behind his back.

[Buddy McCue]

Democracy makes no such demand.

[StillIRise]

No dear. You're confusing democracy with racism! But then again, I guess some people conflate democracy with racism, and think that a truly democratic nation would support racism ... as your comment suggests.

[Spesabsquemetu]

Rep. Clyburn is an impressive representative of the people.

Mr. Sanford needs to explain how the United States of America and the people's business ended up being a matter about Zimbabwe.
Let Republicans and Democrats in S. Carolina know that Mr. Sanford seems to be more interested in comparing the United States of America to Zimbabwe, than GOVERNING and REMEDYING the MANDATES that the AMERICAN PEOPLE voted President Obama to ADDRESS, whether Mr. Sanford likes that mandate is irrelevant. HE HAS A DUTY TO EITHER SERVE THE PEOPLE'S MANDATE OR STEP ASIDE AND LET SOMEONE ELSE STEP FORWARD WHO KNOWS HOW TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH DEMOCRATS AND WHO CAN CARRY THE PEOPLE'S MANDATE OUT.

[LooktotheLeft]

You're spot on...couldn't agree more. Sanford's comparision of the any U.S. policy to a completely failed state as Zimbabwe is beyond the pale and speaks volumes of the Governor's true character. Unlike those who think such comments should be swept under the carpet, I think it should be thoroughly scrutinized to publicize just what you're stating in your comments.
Rep. Clyburn is a highly respected House Whip who would never, I repeat, never make such statements without validity.

[schicklett3]

I commend Clyburn for his remarks against Gov. Sanford....because he's right.
UNLESS you live in South Carolina you have no understanding of the politics there.... go live there and see for yourself.
S.C. is a state ruined by the republican party. Trust me, I know.

[robXdion]

I guess Obama's "white half" doesn't matter when he PO's full white conservatives. There are PLENTY of white despots Sanford could have used, but we all know only the black ones drive home the fear factor. Sanford goes right for the Mugabe comparison and how dare Clyburn get upset that Obama is compared to an obscure to most black despot leader who's best known (of late) for having the audacity to reclaim his land from European squatters. Really?

Conservative Tim and imrighturnot28 are typically clueless race tro//s. Accuse blacks of playing a "race card" while they deal a full deck at crying over this unflattering comparison to another black person of ill repute. The "race card" martyrdom whine is pathetic. You're not a victim of a "race card" because blacks won't let you insult them or their intelligence.

[LooktotheLeft]

Great thoughts. Thanks much articulating better than I

[mjb5406]

Thank you. My wife is from South Africa and we follow the chaos in Zimbabwe quite closely... to compare our country to Mugabe's regime is simply crazy and racist. But as you say, there are those who complain bitterly if an African-American justifiably plays the "race card", even after it's played first by an ignorant White SC governor.

[StillIRise]

Excellent as usual.

[LeftofCentaur 08]

Excellent post!

[jubei]

Hell yeah RobXdion you hit it right on the nail dam it,I agree wit your post 110%

[ohiomark]

Clyburn is always good at injecting race into a conversation when it doesn't exist.

[Wiseup2Day]

I am tired of it too..it was so obvious he just was referring to third world country..it's ridiculous..time some of these black politicians get over being black.

[DocJerome]

Perhaps it's time for white-trash talking points to be eliminated from the American ethos. I smell fear. Both you and ohiomark are upset that blacks won't allow such gutter talk and thinly veiled references designed to race bait and strike fear in the good white folk to stand unchallenged. Wake up fool, it's a new day.

[DocJerome]

To know and not acknowledge is more tragic than not knowing at all.

You are guilty.

[mjb5406]

*I* am tired of people of YOUR ilk who are knowledgeable about a subject and insist on displaying that lack of knowledge publicly. You have no clue what goes on in Zimbabwe, and are even more clueless about the overtones Mark Sanford has engendered by using that particular country to use in comparison to the US. It goes past the "currency printing" idea; it infers that Barack Obama is a ruthless monster who will do anything it takes... anything... to remain in power. Do a little research before accusing Rep. Clyburn of playing the "race card". Sanford dealt the first ugly hand.

[mjb5406]

Sorry... I meant UNknowledgeable, not knowledgeable. And, when will YOU get over being White?

[StillIRise]

You need to "wise up."