First, it was S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford’s infamous “I was hiking the Appalachian Trail” statement. Then came U.S. Rep. Addison Graves “Joe” Wilson shouting “You lie!” at President Barack Obama.
Who’s the latest South Carolina politician to open his mouth and insert a generous helping of foot?
Try U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham.
During the debate over the latest version of President Barack Obama’s socialized medicine program, Graham took to the floor of the Senate in the wee hours of the morning on Monday to oppose the payoff made to Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson (pictured above, with Graham).
What happened next?
Check out the clip …
Wait … did you catch that? Did Graham just imply that South Carolina’s 31% African-American population is – like the state’s 12% (actually 12.3%) unemployment rate – some sort of problem?
Here’s the transcript:
If you don’t live in Nebraska, here’s what’s coming your way. Your state is gonna be required to cover more people under Medicaid because the eligibility, I think, goes up to 133% above poverty, which is an increase over the current system. So throughout the nation, there are gonna be thousands of more people enrolled in Medicaid. And every state except one is gonna have to come up with matching money. I have 12 percent unemployment in South Carolina. My state is on its knees. I have 31 percent African American population in South Carolina. How did they get the 60th vote? It was the weekend before Christmas and they were one vote short. Well, here’s what they did to get that one vote…
You know, as much as we cannot stand RINO sellouts like Lindsey Graham, we’re going to try and give him the benefit of the doubt on this one (well, except for the whole “on its knees” reference :) ).
Certainly Graham doesn’t really think that South Carolina’s 31% African-American population is a problem akin to 12% unemployment, does he?
Does he?
Some people are certainly taking it that way.
“South Carolina is the most backward State in the Country,” wrote one YouTube viewer who watched Graham’s faux pas on video. “It used to be Mississippi, but? South Carolina now holds the title.”
Hat-tip to SC News for uncovering this story and providing the transcript …
By southernmapart December 21, 2009 at 7:11 pm
Sure he does.
“Certainly Graham doesn’t really think that South Carolina’s 31% African-American population is a problem akin to 12% unemployment, does he?”
By mackone December 21, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Ambushed again! There is a certain segment of our society that is always looking for ways to turn any comment by basically anyone into a racist statement. I guess I grew up thinking we had one America, but the more I read statements like this I am convinced that we have a hard road ahead of us as our supposed Diversity becomes Divisive. I have been indoctrinated over the years of what the buzz words are that automatically cause a response. In reference to the youtube viewer, quite possibly if you left the South Carolina and moved to Mississippi, you could raise the IQ of both states.
By countryboy December 21, 2009 at 7:22 pm
God knows I hate to defend little Lindsey, but I take what he said to mean that with Medicaid applying to far more low income people under the new bill, and with 31% of the SC population being black, SC will have more people going on Medicaid than a low minority population state like Nebraska, yet Nebraska’s vote is being bought by special provisions in the bill…Doesn’t make me like the little “Pelosi” any more but I think I am seeing his point.
By Ynot December 21, 2009 at 8:31 pm
white people are poor too and getting poorer every single day… don’t forget it Lindsey.
By Martha Washington December 21, 2009 at 8:40 pm
MAYBE FITSNEWS WAS DESPERATE FOR A STORY.
I am really disappointed that i feel inclined to make an excuse for Graham. As much as he is wrong, he is right to refute this health care bill. And i support his pro-life position mentioned in other conversations.
He isn’t calling out the Feds on their desire to control the people and steal the wealth of the nation though.
By SC1st December 21, 2009 at 8:41 pm
What point? It assumes that the majority on Medicaid are blacks. Per SC local DHHS not so. Poor whites, elderly poor whites, foster children which statewide are majority white, temp unemployed which is heavily white are on Medicaid. He should have tried for months now to work out a deal on healthcare reform instead of providing only criticisms not solutions. Or he could have been smart for SC like Nelson for Nebraska and did some quid pro quo for SC instead of now whining about what Nelson got for his people.
By Lee December 21, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Don’t worry people – if you think Nebraskans are happy about this. If they are, it’s temporary! In a few years, they will hate the senator who sold them out!!! At the moment, their uninsured and Medicaid requirements are low, but in a couple of years, they will get an influx of those coming in and their crime rate, unemployment, and all that applies will go through the roof. For now, let them celebrate! But mark my words, in time we will see the effect this “bonus” will have on their people.
By TUPAClives December 21, 2009 at 8:51 pm
I’ll give the guy the benefit of the doubt. This is almost verbatim what he said on CNN yesterday, except I think he got ahead of himself and didn’t finish what he was saying.
Here’s what he said yesterday on CNN, which makes sense:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jew3NhBv-RU&feature=player_embedded
“There is one state in the union where new enrollees for Medicaid will be signed up and it won’t cost anybody in that state money. It’s not my state, I’ve got 30 percent African American population — a lot of low income African Americans on Medicaid. I don’t know what the numbers are in Nebraska, but there are a lot of people — Republicans and Democrats — who are upset by this.”
By SnakeMD December 21, 2009 at 9:10 pm
The middle class is getting poorer everyday. The lunch bucket crowd is growing. The Federal Government will now tell us when, where and how we are to be taken care of. During Reconstruction, Southerners had a saying that “…the bottom rail is now on top.” And, so it is now and will be. The less productive (white or black) will be taken care of first, on my nickel. Prejudice? Hey, I resemble those remarks! Just being honest.
By Liberty For Me December 21, 2009 at 11:26 pm
It might not be fair…but at this point anything against this asshole is at least fun to watch
By Ynot December 22, 2009 at 7:20 am
Little Lindsey coulda bargained his vote for healthcare thereby extending the graciousness of the federal government/treasury on the good people of South Carolina.
Question is why didn’t Lindsey get us anything??
HA
Pingback: Lindsey to Investigate Nelson Deal : The Pink Flamingo
By The Associate December 22, 2009 at 8:52 am
FITS, I generally love what you have to say (whether I agree or not), but even this is a stretch for you.
By Thad Viers December 22, 2009 at 8:55 am
Will,
he could be making a reference to the demographics more likely to use medicade? I don’t know the statistics, but if more black Americans are on medicade than white, and since Nebraska has a lower black American population than South Carolina maybe he was trying to bridge why SC is more deserving than Nebraska of the funding for medicade expansion?
What are the demographic statistics of medicade users? I would be interested to know.
By Jeffy01 December 22, 2009 at 9:12 am
He is one of my favorite Democrats!
By fitsnews December 22, 2009 at 9:26 am
People, people … unlike his support for “Cap and Trade,” we’re giving Miss Lindsey the benefit of the doubt here.
We just think it was woefully worded.
-FITS
By stimulus guy December 22, 2009 at 9:28 am
I think he’s just saying that only the majority has a voice in DC now.
By Brandon December 22, 2009 at 10:06 am
It was not a problem….until about 1964.
By COOL December 22, 2009 at 10:25 am
The problem is most Americans agree that something needs to done about Health Care in the US. Both the house and senate plans aren’t very good. I’ve talked with Jim DeMint, Gresham Barrett, Lindsey Graham and a few others. All agree the two plans don’t get the job done.
I still don’t see anyone else at the table with a plan. The GOP is planless.
By John Fleming December 22, 2009 at 11:01 am
uh Mr. Elected Viers….it’s MEDICAID…not MEDICADE…
and we wonder why people?
By countryboy December 22, 2009 at 11:16 am
Cool, the thing is, our national problems are so great no one in government has the balls to really solve them, so politicians only come up with half a$$ed plans to address every problem. Which of course results in no significant problem ever going away. We are heading for “deep Pelosi” with Social Security, Medicare, the deficit, immigration, unemployment, etc. and no solution requiring courage will ever be forthcoming, period.
By Not in the Know December 22, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Thad, Thad, Thad. The dumbest lawyer in South Carolina speaks again. Whew!
By bucephallus December 22, 2009 at 1:04 pm
i saw the clip yesterday and immediately made the connection that a 31% black population and a 12 % unemployment rate were being compared, in graham’s mind, as similar ills for the state. of course it didnt surprise me that he would say that, because for most white sc-ians who call themselves republicans, they think that way. as for the “on our knees” comment, i knew exactly what graham was thinking there too, it was just another freudian slip for sen. “get on your knees” graham.
By Horry county resident December 22, 2009 at 1:08 pm
You all better be real careful with those attacks on Thad Viers. He will be calling your momma’s house and threatening to skull FU#& her any minute now. You know thats how Thad rolls!
By BIN News December 22, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Our Funding Editor is confused. Is this a typical sic(k) willie racist post or a typical sic(k) willie homophobic post. sic(c) willie, please explain what you mean by “Miss Lindsey.” Please, sic(k) willie.
All three of your loyal readers what to know how big a homophobe you are.
Are you just a little homophobic or are you a great big homophobe?
Or are you just a plain old pervert?
By Wow December 22, 2009 at 6:27 pm
http://www.statehealthfacts.org/mfs.jsp?rgn=42&rgn=1
Here, “Thad Viers”, since your are too lazy to do the research on medicaid yourself, follow the link for the demographic info. Google is a magical thing – you should try it.
By WorkingTommyC December 23, 2009 at 12:29 pm
“Lil’ Bitch” Lindsey Graham has a spine problem more than anything.
In this case, his habitual spineless pandering has resulted in his accidentally revealing his arrogance and bigotry in a statement in which he had only meant to convey his “concern” for all those “poor” black people. However, I do agree that his bigotry is not necessarily racial–I think he equally hates EVERYONE with the narcissistic exception of himself wherein he errs proportionately in the opposite direction.
If he had ever spent time in the state with regular, working-class folks as I have–black, white, red, green, blue, etc., he would have never made such a generalization because he would have been overwhelmed by the intelligence and initiative of South Carolinians of all backgrounds who don’t buy his kind of patronizing crap.
Lil’ Bitch lives in a make-believe world of his own making–as a lot of the elitist fascists in D.C. do. In their world, we’re just children to be told what to do and to be read bed time stories at night about their heroic exploits on our behalves.
If he hasn’t already, expect a statement from Lil’ Bitch claiming that he was really talking about that neo-Nazi group of black people that protested him at the Statehouse a couple of years ago. He’s going to tell those bigoted black neo-Nazis to “shut up!” SJR of the Pink Flaming Liberal website will back me up on that one, I’m sure.
By David December 29, 2009 at 11:28 am
This may put the riotous libs in the streets of Washington when Lindsey accepts as Sec of Defense next month.
Things are really about to get interesting in SC
By Observer December 30, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Demographics matter. Groups differ due to evolutionary separation over the past 50,000 years. Read ‘The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution’ or ‘Before the Dawn’ by NY Times Science writer Nicholas Wade.