Correcting Lawrence O'Donnell's Presumption On Food Stamps

Via Newsbusters, Lawrence O’Donnell decided to rewrite history on the story of progressives, Newt Gingrich, and foodstamps:

There’s a tremendous amount of cynicism in Gingrich’s use of food stamps because of what he actually know that his Republican debate audiences do not know. His Republican audiences do not know that most people on food stamps are white.

Actually, it’s been progressives that didn’t know:

May 16, 2011 — Salon’s Joan Walsh Hears “Food Stamps,” Immediately Assumes Recipients “Black”:

One in six Americans now receive government help. USA Today says more Americans are receiving federal aid than ever. Investors’ Insight says more Americans than ever before are on the government dole.

Lastly, according to our own government statistics, more white Americans receive federal aid than blackAmericans, shattering the stereotype that led Walsh to immediately think “black people” when she heard the words “food stamps.”

December 20, 2011 — The Nation Blows The Dog Whistle On Food Stamps:

Here we go with dog whistle again.

The Nation’s Lizzy Ratner surmises that it’s racist to acknowledge that a record number of Americans are on the government dole …

… Did Ratner bother to actually research welfare statistics before assuming that the critics were “racist” because she stereotypically believes that the majority of welfare recipients are black? Because the majority of welfare recipients are white.

So which is actually racist?

a) Criticizing dependance upon government for personal sustainability or;

b) assuming that all those who are dependent upon government are black?

This is a trend with progressives, this prejudiced association of welfare and black Americans.

I never once heard O’Donnell correct the individuals in the two examples above.

It’s good to see a progressive finally stop believing that food stamps are patented to black Americans. If only Walsh and The Nation thought the same. Perhaps Lawrence O’Donnell has been reading Big Journalism. It’s OK, Lawrence, we won’t tell!