Kanjo flap

Some of my friends on the right have jumped all over Congressman Paul Kanjorski's latest episode of fumblemouth.


"We're giving relief to people that I deal with in my office every day now unfortunately," Kanjorski said. "But because of the longevity of this recession, these are people -- and they're not minorities and they're not defective and they're not all the things you'd like to insinuate that these programs are about -- these are average, good American people."

But if you watch the whole clip it doesn't sound that bad. I can't emded it right now but if you want to see it just copy this into your browser:

http://www.criticalmention.com/vg/congressmankanjorski/2010-06-24_cspan2
_0110.wmv

Lou Barletta wasted no time demanding an apology

Hazleton, PA – Hazleton Mayor and 11th Congressional District candidate Lou Barletta demanded that Paul Kanjorski apologize for comments he made during a U.S. House of Representatives hearing Wednesday in which he called some people “defective” and said minorities are not “good American people.”

Kanjorski said: "We're giving relief to people that I deal with in my office every day now, unfortunately. But because of the longevity of this recession, these are people – and they're not minorities and they're not defective and they're not all the things you'd like to insinuate that these programs are about – these are average, good American people.” [Emphasis added; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zU0pGyLo9A]

“Kanjorski must apologize for saying some people are ‘defective.’ He said Wednesday that ‘defective people’ are not ‘average, good American people,’ so who are ‘they?’” Mayor Barletta asked. “Also, Kanjorski, in his own words, said Wednesday that minorities are not ‘average, good American people.’ This is outrageous and shows how out of touch Kanjorski is with the real world.”

Congressman Kanjorski's office responded with this statement.

Congressman Kanjorski is tired of people, and too often Republicans,
criticizing solid and needed government programs that are meant to help
Americans who face tough economic times, often beyond their control, as
too many people are experiencing right now. In his impassioned plea for
conferees to adopt Pennsylvania's model program to help homeowners
facing foreclosure to stay in their homes, the Congressman was stating
that many people insinuate that those who benefit from government
programs are those not looking for jobs, but that those suggestions are
wildly inaccurate.

As Congressman Kanjorski stated, these programs are meant to help people
and families throughout the country who are unable to afford basic
necessities, including those in the Congressman's district in
Northeastern Pennsylvania who he hears from every day. Anyone trying to
politicize this issue clearly doesn't get it. Congressman Kanjorski is
fighting for all Americans who are struggling. Any statement saying
otherwise is grossly misinformed. The full video clip, rather than an
edited version, speaks for itself and doesn't take the Congressman's
remarks out of context.