I must live on an alternative planet. Whitney is saying that extending unemployment benefits is a BAD thing (the same position that Rush takes) because it is healthy for the breadwinner, family, etc. for the person to work.
She is clearly taking the White House to task for their approach.
The comment about angry white men is metaphorical, not literal.
In her previous appearances she pretty much puts the blame on spending, and as far I can remember, doesn’t say the problem is a lack of taxes.
I think everyone is mis-interpreting her comments. I love Santelli but he missed what she really was saying.
The comment about municipal defaults was better suited to an elementary school recess. We just had a high profile Muni default in Rhode Island last week.
I see it quite differently.
I think Santelli got what she said.
Meredith Whitney is the one who didn't get what she said.
She stereotyped almost the entire Tea Party movement as nothing more than white men. Angry white men - not concerned, rational white men.
Then she reduces the motivation and goals of the Tea Party as nothing more than the reaction of those unemployed ANGRY white men. (Bitter Clingers?)
In one breath she dismisses the Tea Party as simply a way for white guys to let off steam and dismisses white guys as whiners who are upset that the economy (and perhaps society and technology?) has passed them by.
Beating up on the Tea Party is the sport of the moment and white men seem to be the only demographic that can safely be discriminated against, denigrated, ridiculed and dismissed - after all, they are reactionary dinosaurs and they just aren't too smart. Where would we be without "Clueless White Guy" commercials? All the really smart, competent women and minorities need a slow witted straight man - right?
So Whitney took a safe, cheap shot and can't imagine why Santelli called her on it.
Sure it was HIGH PROFILE, because such defaults are almost never. The towns tend to be run by mostly old white guys with some women mixed in. Voters elect them because they know them to be responsible, and the local taxes well measure that responsibility. Voters vote close to their own wallets, unlike the HIGH PROFILE financial advisors who advise funds where the money is already at quite a remove from the owners.
In this HIGH PROFILE case the town of Central Falls has 18 thousand residents and $21 million in debt with a pension shortfall of $4.8 million predicted in fiscal 2012. It’s a city that is among the poorest in RI and has an almost 15% unemployment rate. In other words, it’s small potatoes.