Cleaver: Debt deal is a 'Satan Sandwich'

Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City is getting all kinds of deserved national attention for calling the new debt deal a “Satan Sandwich.”

Why?

Because the deal hurts the poor and - Cleaver implies - leaves the rich alone.

Essentially, he’s making the excellent point that the proposed pact cuts spending on discretionary spending for the poor and middle-income people, while leaving all the corporate tax loopholes in place.

Cleaver told MSNBC: “If you lift the bun, what you see is antithetical to everything the great religions of the world teach. Which is take care of the poor, take of the aged. I am concerned about this because we don’t know the details. And until we see the details, we’re going to be extremely non-committed, but on the surface it looks like a Satan sandwich.”

Cleaver didn’t back off Monday, repeating the phrase in a tweet for those who might have missed it:

“This deal is a sugar-coated satan sandwich. If you lift the bun, you will not like what you see.”

To read the complete article, visit www.kansascity.com.

This story was originally published August 1, 2011 at 2:07 PM with the headline "Cleaver: Debt deal is a 'Satan Sandwich'."