Dem Congressman Contrasts 'Minorities' with 'Good American People'

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: ABC News

Representative Kanjorski Says He has Nothing to Apologize For

By JONATHAN KARL

June 24, 2010

A Democratic congressman is under fire contrasting "minorities" and the "defective" with "good American people."

Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-Pa.) made the comments Wednesday during the House and Senate conference on the financial reform bill. He was defending a Pennsylvania program that provides assistance to low-income people facing foreclosure on their homes.

"Because of the longevity of the recession, these are people – and they are not minorities, and they're not defective, and they're not all the things you like to insinuate that these programs are about. These are average good American people. Most of them have been veterans who served, responsible, have worked all their lives, but they're not full of money," Kanjorski said. "They live pay check to pay check and they always will because they are in the lower margins of our society."

Kanjorski was urging the conference committee to extend the Pennsylvania program nationally, which he said would cost "three lousy billion dollars."

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Media/dem-congressman-contrasts-minorities-good-american-people/story?id=11006485

[Liberal_in_LA]

1. omg

[Kingofalldems]

2. Bad things about Democrats

Perhaps you could combine it all into one thread, that way we will have all the info and such.

[droidamus2]

3. Okay maybe I'm wrong

This is how I interpret what he said. He is alluding to the fact that many conservatives use the 'welfare queen', 'too lazy to work', alcoholic, no good drug addict lines whenever they talk about programs that help people. Usually this is in reference to things like Welfare and Food Stamps but I have even heard it in reference to unemployment benefits. He then goes on to say that the reference is not true because most the people needing assistance are just ordinary citizens. I also don't interpret what he said to mean that people that do fall within the right wing target group don't deserve help as well. Maybe I'm just being naive but that's how I read it and he probably could have stated it better.

[Sinistrous]

5. Agree.

On edit: add:

As a case in point, when I looked at the post listing for this thread, it looks as though I am agreeing with your surmise that you could be wrong, when in fact, I am agreeing with the text of your post.

Language is a tricky thing.

[MellowDem]

7. It is what he meant...

but it came out pretty badly unfortunately for him.

[rpannier]

11. That's how I took it as well

But as many people pointed out it came out wrong

[johnnyplankton]

13. You're right.

Using the language in a way that clearly echoes the language of the right makes his intent clear. Let's not be so freakin' high and mighty. Remember the PC years? Dumb. Dumb> Dumb.

[saigon68]

20. Ah YES the Language of the RIGHT

Its about racism primarily

Scapegoating Blacks, Hispanics and lately Jews

Those people etc

LOL

LOOK AT A PHOTO OF A TEA BAG RALLY------ angry white faces screaming to the point where their white faces are flushed red with anger.

[1monster]

16. That was my perception too. nt

[EFerrari]

26. He meant to say those words with quotation marks around them

-- is how I'm reading it.

[Dark]

28. That's what he meant. But that's not how it sounds.

He really should have picked his wording better, as it sounds like he's saying that the minorities are defective and not real americans.

[AlinPA]

30. I agree with you. He was saying that the republicans insinuate that the recipients are bad people.

[Mojambo]

4. At the absolute very best, he phrased his remarks horribly. n/t

[amandabeech]

6. Too many people think that only minorities use various forms of assistance,

and because of that, oppose all forms of assistance, even unemployment and social security. They not only be racist, but also at minimum they are astonishingly selfish jerks.

But they vote, and maybe too many of them vote in Kanjorski's district.

What he's trying to do, inartfully, is to get these troglodytes to understand it's not just those minorities that they hate getting this help so that the troglodytes will shut up and quit making it difficult to pass decent legislation. I think that what Kanjorski's trying to do is an exercise in futility, but I obviously don't know his district like he does.

Unless Kanjorski has a history of racism, I'd give him a pass here.

[MadMaddie]

15. You are right

The MSM and the right since Reagan have pushed this meme over and over again that it's only minorities and no one has ever pushed back to say that it's not true.

[CakeGrrl]

27. Agreed. He just didn't put it as articulately as he could have

...and what do you bet that because he's a (D), they'll try to make the worst of it?

[spiritual_gunfighter]

8. I understand what he meant

He was saying that these are the things that Republicans say about people who need assistance, I guess it wasn't very artful but I think it is a reach for his Republican opponent to come out and cry racism on this one.

[Lucky Luciano]

10. That is what I thought too.

:shrug:

Looks like the media is trying to trump this up.
Muchado about nothing.

[LisaL]

14. Open mouth-isert foot.

It sure did not come out well.

[lunasun]

9. Being a minority I have already figured that out

in the eyes of many I can never be an "average good American".

[No Elephants]

23. I'm sorry.

Eta: I hope your own eyes tell you better things. If so, take their word for it. If not, find a way to make them tell you better things. In either case, never let the negative opinion of others define you, or convince you, especially the opinions of bigots, whose thinking is clearly impaired.

Blessings.

[Newsjock]

12. TPM reports that the quote is taken out of context, probably intentionally

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/gop-say-they-caught-paul-kanjorski-racism-on-camera.php?ref=fpi

... What the clipped video of the quote -- which was first posted to the Human Events website -- fails to show, according to Kanjorski's office, is the fact that the Representative was actually referring to the views of critics of a foreclosure program aimed at helping low-income Americans. Many of those critics are Republicans.

Kanjorski was calling on members of the committee to extend to the entire country a Pennsylvania program that helps low-income families avoid foreclosure, a move that he said would cost $3 billion annually. In the statement Kanjorski was addressing critics of the scheme who, he says, claim that the program amounts to freeloading for people who sought mortgages they couldn't afford during the housing bubble.

"The experience in Pennsylvania and the reason I and other of my colleagues fought for this program isn't because we're trying to give relief to people that aren't responsible, who don't know what the hell we're doing," Kanjorski says, responding to critics of the program, in the full clip -- which Human Events did not post. In his statement in the conference committee, Kanjorski said most of the relief from the program would go to the unemployed as he says it has in Pennsylvania.

"We're giving relief to people I deal with in my office everyday now unfortunately," he said, a comment aimed at critics of the bill.

... There's an irony in Republicans taking on Kanjorski for insensitive remarks about minorities. Their man in the PA-11 race, Barletta, is known among anti-immigrant advocates as a champion of their cause. Barletta is the mayor of Hazleton, PA where, in 2006, he pushed through laws making it illegal for landlords to lease housing to illegal immigrants, required tenants to register with the government and banned city employees from operating in any other language but English without authorization from above. His stances brought Hazelton a stern rebuke from the federal courts and the ire of groups like the ACLU. As for Barletta, he got an endorsement from David Duke when he ran against Kanjorksi in 2008.

[No Elephants]

24. the only real story here is David Duke endorsed Kanjorski's opponent in 2008.

this is Republicans accusing a Democrat of his Republican opponent's Achilles; heel in order to prevent Democrats from aiming for that heel.

Same tactic as they used to cut off discussion of Bush's disappearance from the texas air natioal guard shortly before he had to take a physical. Between Swiftboating a deccorated combat veteran and messing with Dan Rather, they took Dummya's desertion and suspected cocaine addiction right off the campaign table. Don't EVER let them do that again.

As for Kanjorski, he was addressing Republicans, trying to get their approval of a program. His operative words: "they're not all the things you like to insinuate that these programs are about."

He's guilty of speaking inartfully, when saying things to try to help poor people. His opponent is guilty of attracting Duke's endorsement. Do the math.

that said, if it should appear that Kanjorski has any kind if history of this, or says anything even ambiguous in the future, I will turn oh him so fast heads will spin. Just sayin'

[awoke_in_2003]

17. ...

[Francisco]

18. Came out the wrong way..

but we all know what he meant so whatever.

:shrug:

[McCamy Taylor]

19. He should just go ahead and switch parties. What a loser.

[saigon68]

21. Nah he's just "mining" the fringe of the

discontented sheep

[AlinPA]

31. He was saying that the republicans insinuate that the recipients are bad people. You are wrong.

[Maeve]

22. I think they got the punctuation wrong

The meaning is clearer if you add some...

Because of the longevity of the recession, these are people – and they are not "minorities", and they're not "defective", and they're not all the things you like to insinuate that these programs are about. These are average good American people.

God but I hate gotcha games!

[Posteritatis]

25. I "like" the appearance of the word "defective" there too; ugh. (nt)

[Vidar]

29. I hope it's just "foot-in-mouth" disease and not a serious conviction.