So... according to the left... Newt Gingrich has been making racist statements... and lying.
Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) on Monday defended Newt Gingrich for referring to President Barack Obama as the “food stamp president,” disputing critics who have blasted the former speaker’s comments as racially charged.
“There is no race code. It’s a fact. Since President Obama has been in the Oval Office, you ‘ve seen a 41 percent increase in the food stamp recipients in the United States of America,” West said on Fox News. “We have a president that’s making more American victims rather than victors.”
He added, “We also have a 16 percent increase in Americans on the poverty roll — 6.4 million more Americans are on poverty since President Obama took office.”
(Newt Gingrich) “I think it’s unfortunate that liberal leaders, whatever their ethnic backgrounds, can’t have an honest debate about policies that fail,” the former House speaker said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
According to 2010 U.S. Census data, blacks comprise only 12% of the U.S. population, yet make up 26% of SNAP recipients. These figures are sometimes cited by conservatives to argue that blacks are “oversubscribed” in the food stamp program relative to their numbers in the overall U.S. population – notwithstanding that blacks are hardly the largest recipients of food stamps. 49% of SNAP benefit recipients are white,[/i] and 20% of recipients are Hispanic.
That depends on the perception that African-Americans benefit disproportionately from the food stamp program, even though blacks are not the majority of food stamp recipients.
First off. Newt never used terms like "blacks, minorities, illegals" or any other label to designate who is receiving food stamps. He simply stated a documentable fact.
"Over here you have a policy which, with Reagan and me as speaker, created millions of jobs — it's called paychecks. Over here you have the most successful food stamp president in American history, Barack Obama," Gingrich said.
If you see racism in that remark, then you spend too much time dividing our country into races, you spend too much time trying to read peoples minds and you spend too much time fabricating unsubstantiated stories... simply put... lies.
But former Oklahoma Rep. J.C. Watts — a black Republican who is campaigning for Gingrich in South Carolina — says that's not what the debate is about.
"I think you have sensitivities, things that happen on both sides that I personally might not like, but I think it is a fact that more people [are] on food stamps today because we don't have jobs," Watts says. "And that shouldn't be the economic policy of our country."
Maybe white people need to be manufacturing a "make believe outrage" since according to the data, whites are the largest recipients of food stamp assistance. And maybe the rest of you that see race codes (isn't that a clever term, a list that anyone can add to as they see fit to manipulate the dialog) can tell us... what was racist about Newt's remark?
Only partially true about the huge increase in food stamp people being due to Obama. Many states have made it much easier to get on the rolls. And corporate food sellers like the increases in sales. Some fast food coporations are looking for a slice of this goverment money too.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
Food stamps should be limited to the staples... bread and tortillas, milk, cheese, stew meat, chicken or pork, veggies, macaroni or spaghetti, and of course - Poptarts.
"Whatever you are, be a good one." ~ Abraham Lincoln
Nobody that matters wrote: Food stamps should be limited to the staples... bread and tortillas, milk, cheese, stew meat, chicken or pork, veggies, macaroni or spaghetti, and of course - Poptarts.
FredHayek wrote: Only partially true about the huge increase in food stamp people being due to Obama. Many states have made it much easier to get on the rolls. And corporate food sellers like the increases in sales. Some fast food coporations are looking for a slice of this goverment money too.
The over all federal economy effect ALL states.
What is happening in Idaho is a stark reminder of the impact the weak economy is having on newly poor Americans and on cash-strapped states trying to help them. The federal stimulus package provided $58.5 billion for food stamps, temporarily boosting monthly benefits until Nov. 1, 2013. Starting in April 2009, most four-person households received an $80 increase in their monthly food stamp allotment.
And the Federal government is encouraging states to go out and find eligible citizens (which in itself is not bad, but it encourages states to make it easier to get on the food stamp rolls.
The federal government has given bonus money to states that increased SNAP participation...
Between the crappy economy being spearheaded by the administration and the overburdened state agencies... this is certainly belongs to Obama. He's going to have to start taking credit for something, sometime... or else he's not going to have crap to run on.
I agree that Obama's economic inexperience has added to the food stamp roll combined with his anti-corporate background. He is fine to take donations from the big boys but don't ask him to approve pipelines that will create jobs, drive down petrol prices and put more money in the pockets of the poor.
I saw posted on facebook the new talking point that Romney doesn't represent normal Americans, he may not, but he does know how to make money and understands economics something beyond the current community organizer in chief whose own staff admits his eyes glaze over when economics issues come up.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
Nobody that matters wrote: Food stamps should be limited to the staples... bread and tortillas, milk, cheese, stew meat, chicken or pork, veggies, macaroni or spaghetti, and of course - Poptarts.
You said "tortillas"... you racist
I said Spaghetti too. That's chinese, ain't it?
"Whatever you are, be a good one." ~ Abraham Lincoln
ComputerBreath wrote: Aren't there a lot more WWII baby boomers that are eligible for assistance?
Maybe, but boomers have been eligible since the late 60's and you only see an explosion now when they are 46-66. And currently those over 40 are doing a lot better than those under 40.
Plus young umarried mothers with children are more likely to qualify for food stamps than empty nest households.
It would be interesting to see a graph on what the age distribution is for WIC and other programs.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
