The NAACP has issued a response to Newt Gingrich’s desire to “go to the NAACP convention, and explain to the African-American community why they should demand paychecks instead of food stamps.” Here’s the statement:
“It is a shame that the former Speaker feels that these types of inaccurate, divisive statements are in any way helpful to our country,” said Jealous. “The majority of people using food stamps are not African-American, and most people using food stamps have a job.”
According to Talking Points Memo and other sources, Gingrich was quoted as saying, “I will go to the NAACP convention, and explain to the African-American community why they should demand paychecks instead of food stamps.”
“We invited Speaker Gingrich to attend our annual convention several times when he was Speaker of the House, but he declined to join us,” Jealous continued. “If he is invited again, I hope that he would come, with the intention to unite rather than divide.”
“Gingrich’s statement is problematic on several fronts, most importantly because he gets his facts wrong.”
