Rep. Michele Bachmann, a white woman from Minnesota, called out President Barack Obama for "failing" the Black and Hispanic communities by not boosting abysmally high unemployment rates among these groups.
Bachmann cited double-digit unemployment rates among them as proof that Obama's "status quo is not working for Americans."
"This president has failed the Hispanic community. He has failed the African-American community," Bachmann said while delivering a speech at The Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans last week. "He has failed us all when it comes to jobs."
Bachmann, who hopes to snag the Republican presidential nomination for 2012, said, "The status quo certainly isn't working for the African-American community, with 16 percent unemployment, or the Hispanic community, with nearly 12 percent unemployment."
"It's even worse for the youth: For Hispanic youth right now, 26 percent unemployment; for African-American youth, 40 percent unemployment," she continued.
Indeed, Bachmann's assessment of the unemployment mess in the black and Hispanic communities is dire, as cited in a Huffington Post article in April that suggested Black unemployment is at Depression level highs in some cities.
It is the second time in less than a week that talk of race and President Obama has taken center stage at The Republican Leadership Conference. Reggie Brown, a comedian and Obama impersonator made off-color jokes hinting at the president's mixed race.
"Black Leadership Month," Brown said, "Michelle, she celebrates the full month and you know, I celebrate half."
At another point Brown showed a photo from the show 'Sanford and Son' and made comparisons to the Redd Foxx character to show what Obama might look like when he's older.
Brown was later hauled off stage after he turned the jokes on Republican stars Tim Pawlenty and Bachmann.
Organizers pulled Brown because at that point "the performance had gone too far and was getting inappropriate," according to CNN.
By Trymaine Lee
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