Why live in Mississippi?

Read this quote from a prominent US Congressman and think about it.

Trent Lott: "California gets more than it's share of tax dollars, and who the hell would want to live in California anyway?"

Wow. Pretty stupid. Obviously he should apologize for something so insensitive and offensive. But what if this were his apology: "I didn't mean anything by it. I just love Mississippi so much I couldn't imagine anyone wanting to live anywhere but here."

Sounds like a lot of crap to me, and I expect the press to pound him on it.

Now for the twist. Trent Lott did not say this or anything like. I switched it up to prove another point about the double standard in today's media. Had Trent Lott said this, everyone would know about it and you wouldn't have to read this blog to learn of it. But what if it were Charles Rangel? He's the one who actually made this idiotic remark:

Rangel, D-N.Y., was quoted in an article today in The New York Times, saying: “Mississippi gets more than their fair share back in federal money, but who the hell wants to live in Mississippi?”

And, yes, his apology was the pathetic line that I used above. I doubt anyone out there has heard of this, probably because it was Rangel and not Lott and he was talking about Mississippi and not California and New York. Does the mainstream media in this country have any credibility with anyone these days?

This is the new chairman of the House and Ways Committee, already pulling a Kerry-esque insult of a great many people. I lived in Mississippi for many years, and it's a great place. The people are second to none and they've learned to live together - different races, social classes, religions - over the past few decades. Unlike New York or Chicago, where they have their fair share of racial problems, Mississippians have found harmony with each other. They endured the brunt of the nation's worst ever natural disaster, yet you didn't really hear them complain a whole lot did you? No, there was work to do and they did it.

It's a beautiful state consisting of large pine forests on one end, and flat delta land on the other, where the dark, black soil produces a big chunk of America's cotton and soybean crop. Mississippi has given us William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Willie Morris, Oprah Winfrey, Elvis Presley, Walter Payton, Jerry Rice and John Grisham to name a few. It's a beautiful state with beautiful people, and it's also one of the poorest states in the union. But Rangel, this champion for the impoverished, seems to have a problem giving so many federal dollars to Mississippi. He thinks New York, one of the richest states, needs that money instead. This is the "new direction" our Congress promised? It's only been a few days, and the Dems are back to there usual hypocritical pull-the-shade BS. Why give money to Mississippi? It's a red state and we have control of Congress now.

I wonder if Charles Rangel has ever even been to Mississippi?

Well, I invite him to go see for himself before he insults over 2 million Mississippians whom he doesn't even know.