if you're poor in america, ask darrell issa. you're the envy of the world. [View all]

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Nation’s richest congressman: U.S. poor are ‘envy of the world’

When members of Congress are ranked by wealth, one lawmaker usually stands out, even among the rich. Rep. Darrell Issa, the California Republican, has a net worth of at least $350 million – which gives him a comfortable lead over his next closest rivals in the race for the top spot.

This isn’t criticism, of course, and there’s nothing wrong with someone having great financial success. But given Issa’s riches, he should probably avoid the kind of rhetoric he used with CNN yesterday.
Asked by CNNMoney whether he feels personally responsible to address income inequality in the United States, the Republican Congressman from California said “absolutely.” But he noted that America is the richest country on earth and implied that those in poverty here are better off than the poor in other nations.

“If you go to India or you go to any number of other Third World countries, you have two problems: You have greater inequality of income and wealth. You also have less opportunity for people to rise from the have not to the have,” said Issa.

The California Republican added that the United States has made “our poor somewhat the envy of the world.”

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/nations-richest-congressman-us-poor-are-envy-the-world