During an appearance on CNN today, Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) likened members of the Republican Party to ‘confederates’ for their stance on the ongoing fiscal battles in the nation’s capital.
Anchor Ashleigh Banfield asked Rangel about his thoughts on a House GOP proposal that emerged Tuesday to end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling, and the New York Democrat answered by praising Senate leadership instead, casting aside concerns about rancor between the two chambers or parties and taking a direct shot at a ‘handful’ of Republicans.
“This isn’t a question of the House and Senate differing. This not even a question of Republicans and Democrats differing,” Rangel said. “This is all about a handful of people who got elected as Republicans that want to bring down our government. You can see it in the streets. You can see where they’re coming from. And the same way they fought as confederates, they want to bring down the government and reform it.”
Stunned, Banfield stopped Rangel and asked him to clarify if he was using that label for Tea Party members of Congress.
“I can tell you this — if you take a look at the states that they control, take a look at the Dixiecrats, see how they went over to the Republican Party …”
Banfield interrupted the New York representative again.
“Michelle Bachmann is not from Dixie! What are you talking about?” Banfield exclaimed, referring to the Minnesota Republican.
The Democratic Party was squarely behind the Confederate States of America, and whatever irrelevant point that Rangel was making about the South turning red during the latter portion of the 20th century, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and his band of ‘defunders’ are not the ilk of Jefferson Davis, nor are they using his union-splitting tactics to get their way. They and their policies have nothing to do with the Confederacy, in belief or approach.
(h/t The DC)
