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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.

Full post as published by Discriminations on February 22, 2009 (boomark / email).