Rev. E.W. Jackson Silent About the Virginia GOP’s “Entitlement” Mentality

by Paul Goldman

While Reverend E.W. Jackson, aka the Virginia GOP candidate for Lt. Governor, loves to attack African-Americans and white liberals for having an “entitlement mentality” – the Romney 47% on the government dole kind of thing – the truth is now clear. In fact, the good Reverend is A-OK with the entitlement mentality being displayed daily by Republican Governor McDonnell and his wife.

I have not heard Mr. Jackson say one word about the fact the Republican Governor of Virginia intends to keep the $15k given to the First Family to pay for an extravagant Mansion wedding during a time when Republicans say the country was in a recession; the $15K shopping spree for the First Lady (heck, even Sarah Palin realized it was wrong and gave the clothes bought for her back); the $22k trip to the Final Four (like the First Family is a big fan of VCU basketball); the $6,500 Rolex watch (this is a retro status symbol at best!); and who knows what else is going to come out this month.

If a Democratic Governor had displayed this kind of “entitlement mentality,” Reverend E.W. Jackson would be doing another of his now infamous video rants calling the Democrat everything but a child of god. By my count, the entitlements listed above add up to $58.5k, which is way above the average annual income of the African-American poor blasted as slaves to the Democratic party by Reverend Jackson.

During the days of the famous Tammany Hall “Tweed Ring” in New York, where the politicians lived off their “entitlement mentality” by looting the city, legendary bagman George Washington Plunkett proudly told investigators, “I saw my opportunities and took’em.” I remember reading the indictment of some of the buys. They paid one of their buddies around $60k for the brooms at City Hall! At least Governor McDonnell and his wife figured they would take their $60k in something other than brooms. And yes, in terms of the time value of money, the $60k back then is worth a lot more than the $60k or so today.

BUT: The story of the McDonnell “entitlement mentality” is still to be written. The revelations of entitlement after entitlement have been going on for nearly 3 months in news story after news story. The Governor has not denied getting any of the entitlements. Indeed, he has refused to give any back, saying they were all legal to him and his family.

Reverend Jackson, in this period, has managed to attack every poor person in Virginia for having an entitlement mentality. I guess the Reverend missed that part where Jesus wisely advised: He who is without sin can go ahead and throw the first stone. Message to Rev. Jackson: the poor pay taxes on their hard-earned money. Indeed, the Republican Governor just raised taxes on the poor. But the Governor has not paid any tax on his nearly $60K in entitlements. Under the law, he could if he wanted. But he hasn’t.

After all, he is the Governor, his wife is First Lady, and they are heads of GOP entitlement society. More taxes on the poor: more free gifts for Republicans. That about sums up the GOP philosophy in 2013.