Jesse Jackson declares federal budget fight equivalent to American Civil War

An estimated 700,000 Americans died in the Civil War, one of the bloodiest times in our nation’s history. It’s hard to imagine anything quite measuring up in this day and age — but Jesse Jackson can.

On Thursday’s “Martin Bashir” on MSNBC, Jackson, the founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, said the budget battle on the Republican side represents an effort to make the federal government “dysfunctional.”

“[T]his really is a Civil War fight,” Jackson said. “This is making the federal government dysfunctional on the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. These guys will support three wars. They’ll support tax dodgers. They’ll support the wealthiest Americans getting tax breaks. They want to cut into education and health care. This is an ideological battle.”

Jackson said those trying to shut down the federal government are doing so to make an “ideological-religious point.”

“This is a Civil War fight,” he said. “I think Time magazine has it right. This is the 150th anniversary of the 1861 Civil War. Now those are determined to shut the federal government down to make their point — their ideological-religious point.” (read more)