Refreshing candor on the supercommittee
One of the Democrats on the congressional budget supercommittee has let the cat out of the bag as to his real goal, in all its ugliness. Rep. James Clyburn, appointed by Nancy Pelosi, sees it as a vehicle for exacting racial spoils, further entrenching the federal government as a vehicle for looting the affluent to give to others who didn't earn it. Investor's Business Daily exposes the game:
The Congressional Black Caucus is trying to hijack the agenda of the super-committee appointed to tackle the deficit. The move confirms our fear that the panel will become an overly politicized joke.
A senior black caucus member, Democrat Rep. Jim Clyburn, announced he's going to use his position on the 12-member supercommittee to close the growing "wealth gap" between blacks and whites. By that, he means working with the five other Democrats on the panel to raise taxes on the rich and redistribute money to poor minorities.
"The gap continues to grow wider between those who enjoy great wealth and those who struggle to get by with little thought of ever getting ahead," Clyburn said. (snip)
For years, the South Carolina Democrat has been pushing legislation - dubbed the 10-20-30 plan - to direct at least 10% of federal rural development spending to communities where at least 20% of the population has lived below the poverty line for at least the last 30 years.
The son of a minister, Clyburn calls his plan "tithing." We call it taxing and spending. Critics say appointing Clyburn to a deficit-cutting committee is like appointing Ben and Jerry to a committee on nutrition.
"Clyburn's appointment tells the American people everything they need to know about the supercommittee," said Bill Wilson, head of Americans for Limited Government. "Its mission will not be to cut trillions of spending; it will be to protect Congress' pay-to-play schemes. What a farce."
Unfortunately, the farce carries the force of law, despite the fact that it is likely unconstitutional.
Hat tip: Ed Lasky, who adds, "If Obama can decry putting party above country how about putting race above country?"