To me, the biggest problem with this suggestion. But is this true, or a media distortion of his position?
Keyes suggested descendants of slaves should be exempt from paying federal income taxes. But in a March 27, 2002, transcript of his show "Making Sense," Keyes -- who wants to abolish the federal income tax for everyone -- suggested that reparations were an insult.
"You want to tell me that what they suffered can actually be repaired with money?" Keyes asked at the time.
That sure looks like a contradiction.
Keyes, through a spokesman, said late Monday he does not support reparations if other people's money is used. "If you couldn't get the income tax abolished totally, that [exemption for slave descendants] is incremental progress," spokesman Bill Pascoe said.
Now we're getting the context.
You got it Dan.
It sounds more like Keyes let his mouth get away from him and his spokesman had to come out and do one of those "what Ambassador Keyes meant to say was" clean-up jobs.