Mark Sanford and James Clyburn Differ Over Stimulus, Racial Politics

South Carolina's Gov. Mark Sanford and Rep. James Clyburn have expressed disagreements about taking the money from Obama's stimulus package. According to Associated Press, James Clyburn argues that Mark Sanford's refusal to take the stimulus money is a "slap in the face of African Americans." Given that Mark Sanford's objections to Obama's stimulus package are based on fiscally conservative principles, James Clyburn is treading on shaky grounds by invoking racial politics into the discussion.

James Clyburn Claims that Opposition to Stimulus Hurts African Americans: Tenuous Arguments

James Clyburn points out that the governors of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina would consider declining some of the stimulus money allocated to their states. He further points out that these "black belt" states have large black populations.

Yet James Clyburn neglects to point out that Gov. Butch Otter of Idaho and Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska have also expressed concerns about taking the accepting Obama's stimulus money. According to the US Census, Alaska has a black population of merely 4.1%. Idaho's black population is 0.9%. This negates the "black belt" argument.

Further, Alaska has a sizeable Native American population. By James Clyburn's logic, he could argue that Sarah Palin's reservations about the stimulus package are "a slap in the face of Native Americans."

James Clyburn and African Americans: Cycle of Dependency

To his credit, James Clyburn at least acknowledges that the objections of Mark Sanford and the GOP governors are not racially motivated. Still, it is a bit demeaning to suggest that African Americans in particular would be hurt by the decline of stimulus funds. It somehow implies that African Americans are incapable of succeeding unless they are crippled and dependent on government programs.

Gov. Mark Sanford Responds to James Clyburn: Fiscally Conservative Principles