January 4, 2012 7:21 PM

NAACP blasts Santorum for targeting blacks in entitlement reform

By
Stephanie Condon
Topics
Campaign 2012

The NAACP on Wednesday blasted Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum for recently singling out blacks for receiving federal benefits, calling his remarks "inaccurate and outrageous."

At a campaign stop in Sioux City, Iowa on Sunday, Santorum was talking about entitlement reform when he said, "I don't want to make black people's lives better by giving them somebody else's money; I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money."

NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous said in a statement Wednesday that "Santorum's targeting of African Americans is inaccurate and outrageous, and lifts up old race-based stereotypes about public assistance."

Jealous pointed out that federal benefits are determined by income level, not race. In Iowa, for instance, 9 percent of food stamp recipients are black and 84 percent are white. Overall, 91 percent of Iowa residents are white, and nearly 3 percent are black.

When CBS Evening News anchor and managing editor Scott Pelley asked Santorum about his remarks, he said he could not recall the context of the comments and stressed that he wants to make life better for Americans regardless of race.

"Let me just say that no matter what, I want to make every lives [sic] better - I don't want anybody - and if you look at what I've been saying, I've been pretty clear about my concern for dependency in this country and concern for people not being more dependent on our government, whatever their race or ethnicity is," he said.

On CNN Wednesday, Santorum said he reviewed the context in which he made his remarks and said, "I'm pretty confident that I didn't say 'black.'" The GOP contender said he "was starting to say one word, and I sort of came up with another word and moved on and it sounded like black."

(Watch Santorum make the remarks in the video above)

Santorum's campaign gained new momentum Tuesday night after he virtually tied with Mitt Romney in the Iowa caucuses.


Add a Comment See all 259 Comments
by jmassey2012 January 10, 2012 5:06 PM EST
The NAACP needs to quit playing games. I know plenty of black people that are hard working americans that EARN EVERY DIME they have the same as whites or any other ethnic group. Rick is right by his statement, everyone needs to work and earn their way through this life and not depend on someone else to do it for them. The NAACP keeps this racial barrier in place, not black people or anyone else. The NAACP is ruining this country, "Shame on you."
Reply to this comment
by jgg00010 January 7, 2012 2:07 PM EST
I've listened to this clip 3X and cannot definitively say santorum said "black" people.
Reply to this comment
by hypnotoad72 January 7, 2012 9:40 AM EST
And hypocritical, based on his own voting record of helping corporations get every handout:

http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Rick_Santorum.htm#Corporations

And, yeah, on the campaign trail and telling people about opportunities to earn - despite his own anti-worker voting record is simply obscene:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57350990-503544/santorum-targets-blacks-in-entitlement-reform/?tag=stack

Santorum's own words betray him. And there's ZERO spin to any of it.
Reply to this comment
by Kiskade January 6, 2012 11:04 PM EST
God help those who help themselves. These are CRITICAL times and CHANGES are essential for the well being of ALL CITIZENS. Back when President Roosevelt: graciously approved this generous charitable clause. Meant as a temporary means for those in times of desperation!!! Welfare in all it's various stages: was NEVER meant to be ABUSED by ANY able-bodied healthy person(s) on a permanent basis. Please.
Reply to this comment
by hypnotoad72 January 7, 2012 9:42 AM EST
Or corporation.

Santorum's record on giving handouts to wealthy companies, particularly those offshoring jobs, speaks volumes.

See my comment above for more. Complete with references/links.
by mhexaminer12 January 6, 2012 5:02 PM EST
I don't understand. I reported what I thought was an inappropriate comment in another story and you took MY post down as well and are now censoring me?
Reply to this comment
by karlejohn January 6, 2012 4:27 PM EST
Mr Santorum, when I first heard you say that, I thought you would come out the next day with an apology. I would have accepted that. But to come out and tell a LIE about it, now that upset me more that what you said. That was your 3 a. m. call and you totally messed up! Mr Santorum keep talking you will do it again, I promise!
Reply to this comment
by TaxJoke January 6, 2012 3:49 PM EST
I hate when politicians tell the truth! It is so annoying
Reply to this comment
by hypnotoad72 January 7, 2012 9:41 AM EST
See my post above, if you are seriously referring to Santorum.
by americanmarbles January 6, 2012 2:19 PM EST
OK, idiots. If he said it or not, is irrelevant. He's correct. Blacks make up around what 12% of the population and still make up 33% of welfare recipients... Whites make up 61% of welfare recipients and are almost 64% of the population...
2010 Census Numbers
White 196,817,552 - 63.7% Pop
Black 37,685,848 - 12.2% of the population

There are 5.25 times as many whites in the US while less than 2x the relative number on welfare than black people. Conversely, blacks make up less than 1/5 of the population as whites yet almost triple the relative number of recipients on welfare.

He should be talking about helping people up and not giving hand outs.
Reply to this comment
by theirinite January 7, 2012 1:28 AM EST
Percentages make everything look better to those that didn't pass or take finance math, sir or ma'am, but lets do a little exercise:

We have a population of 100,000 (100k) people and 10% of this population is on welfare (10k).

Let's keep it real:
Of this welfare population, 3k are black (30%), 6k are white (60%) and everyone else (1k) is 10%.

Of the population:
64% are white (64k)
12% are black (12k)
24% are everyone else (24k)

This means 1/4 of the black population is on welfare (25% of the black population (see where the percentages start to get confusing to some people and then they look really advanced and the comment sounds smarter?)

Subsequently: 10% of whites are on welfare, and 5% of everyone else is on welfare.

[Percentages found by dividing welfare pop by specific total pop: ex: (3000/12000)*100 = .25*100 = 25%]

What was the point of this exercise?:
You can see the only population representative of a normal distribution (google it) is the white pop. Comparisions made between both pops on paper is pointless because there is no difference between the total pop and the white pop. 10% = 10%.

This is probably the reason I hate percentages: they sound nice and simple until you get closer. I am an engineer - when someone tells me this beam has a 5% chance of necking and you actually do the math and find the number, you snatch that beam out and throw it against a near by wall.

Also, I grew up poor. Welfare isn't a handout. It is a nightmare. In order to get welfare, you have to have literally no money. Not in a home, not in a company - you need to have nothing.
Yes I agree he should be helping people up - but clearly he said the word "blacks" meaning to him there is a difference between the two people and he has no interest in social change.
by Rodeo_Joe January 6, 2012 2:19 PM EST
In Iowa, 9 percent of food stamp recipients are black and 84 percent are WHITE.
Reply to this comment
by LaureenHolt January 6, 2012 7:20 PM EST
But blacks make up only 3% of te population.
That's the point.
by cntrygirl3 January 6, 2012 11:26 AM EST
It sure sounded like he said black, and if he says he didn't say black, what did he say
Reply to this comment
See all 259 Comments
.

Follow Political Hotsheet

Scroll Left
Scroll Right More »
CBS News on Facebook
  • Building You a Better Morning

  • CBS This Morning

    "CBS This Morning," anchored by Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Erica Hill, airs weekdays from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and at the same time in other time zones.
    Learn more...