Earth to Guvs,... come in Guvs...

These two statements go into the file of "What planet are you on?"  First we have Governor Haley Barbour (R) Mississippi, saying that he didn't remember the Civil Rights era "being all that bad."  While his hometown of Yazoo City, Mississippi banned the Klan, they did have segregationist Citizen Councils. 

He has "clarified" his statement as of Tuesday, but come on man!  Of course things were pretty good for you and your family, friends, and relatives.  Ask Chris Rock would say, "What white folks gotta worry about?   You're white!  Everything's good."  White folks of this era controlled everything.  All lunch counters, bathrooms, water fountains were open to all white citizens.  Even the poor white folks.  Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post has an excellent op-ed that frames Haley Barbour's fuzzy recollection of segregation in the South.  Click here for the article. 

As the Governor of a state, and one that is widely rumored to be contemplating a run for President in 2012, this level of insensitivity regarding race, in Mississippi of all places, is disappointing but not a total surprise.  What else are we to expect from a white southern Republican? 

You can apologize and clarify all you want, but the damage is already done.  Its as if he is following the lead of Governor Bob McDonnell (R) Virginia, when he went out of his way with his proclamation of Confederacy Day that conveniently omitted the whisper of slavery. 

The second statement comes from, you guessed it, Governor Bob McDonnell (R) of Virginia.  This one about the supposed lack of access to health care, according to his excellency the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Bob McDonnell thinks that just because people have access to emergency rooms and must be treated, regardless of their ability to pay, that there's no access problem to health care in Virginia.

Tell that to the masses of people that come out to RAM (Remote Area Medical) clinics in far southwest Virginia.   In 2006, more than 188,000 southwest Virginia residence used RAM.  Tell that to the more than 1,300 people that RAM saw at the Virgina/Kentucky Fairgrounds in Wise County over the course of two days in July of this year.  The disconnect to the realities of life are staggering and disappointing, but not too much of a surprise.  Again, what else are we to expect from a white southern Republican? 

If you would like to learn more about Remote Area Medical, click here. 

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