GOP Senate Candidate: ‘Welfare Dependence’ Kept Katrina Victims In New Orleans

U.S. Senate candidate Chris McDaniel (R-Ms), speaks to a gathering at FreePAC Kentucky, Saturday, April 5, 2014, at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
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A blog post by tea party Senate candidate and state Sen. Chris McDaniel (R-MS) during his days as a radio host argued that the “welfare dependent citizens of New Orleans” were at fault for staying in the city during Hurricane Katrina.

The blog post was resurfaced by Buzzfeed on Tuesday, along with several other race-bating excerpts published from archives of a website associated with the show to which McDaniel contributed. The report comes on the heels of an ongoing string of resurfaced comments McDaniel made in his previous life as a right-wing pundit that have recently gotten new attention in light of his insurgent primary challenge against Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS).

McDaniel said that the “welfare dependent citizens of New Orleans (of all races, including black and white)” decided to stay in the city rather than leave. Here’s what he said in the post:

Had the hurricane been approaching Orange County, California or South Beach, Miami, the great majority of residents in either of those towns would have probably heeded the countless evacuation warnings and left for higher ground (especially if their city was located below sea level). But not the welfare dependent citizens of New Orleans (of all races, including black and white). Playing their part in the drama that was suggestive of liberalisms greatest failure, many in New Orleans simply ignored common sense and waited for the great federal father to save them. Others seized on Katrina’s “opportunity” to assault, loot and steal. NOTE TO THE LEFT: Unless you live in Detroit, the basic necessities of life do not include big screen plasma TV’s, Randy Moss jerseys, Air Jordan sneakers or any type of “bling-bling.”

Comments on Hurricane Katrina and relief aid has gotten McDaniel in trouble before. In an interview with Politico a few months earlier McDaniel refused to say whether he would have supported legislation that sent $10 billion worth of relief aid to states hit by Katrina.

Those comments offered an opening for a pro-Cochran super PAC to attack McDaniel. McDaniel also eventually said that he would have supported relief aide.

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