Sen. Graham Sees Blacks Among South Carolina Problems

By Tolbert Yarkpawolo

When Lindsey Graham replaced retired Senator Strom Thurmond as Senator of South Carolina in 2002, it appears that Graham inherited more than Thurmond's political slot. Senator Thurmond was considered by some as a racist bigot and one of the most detestable politicians that the United States has ever produced.

Instead of attempting to seriously discuss the problem of medicaid, poverty and unemployment that the nation inherited and is facing, Graham is instead attempting to indirectly suggesting that the 31% Blacks or African Americans population in his state are contributing to the problem.

On three different recent occasions, while making the point that the Senate health care bill's extension of Medicaid will place a burden on states; Sen. Graham made the following comments:

Throughout the nation there are going to be thousands more people enrolled in Medicaid and every state except one is going to have to come up with matching money," Graham remarks. "I have 12 percent unemployment in South Carolina. My state's on its knees. I have 31 percent African-American population in South Carolina.

He went on to say

We've got it tough," he adds. "We're on our knees. 12 percent of our people are unemployed and 31 percent of our people are black.

And in a separate appearance off the Senate floor

My state, with 30 percent African-American citizens, a lot of low income people in South Carolina is going to cost my state a billion dollars, that's the same old stuff that I object to. That's not change we can believe in. That's sleazy.