Behar and Goldberg See Racism When Gingrich Talks of Helping Poor

Appearing as a guest on Tuesday's Joy Behar Show on HLN, after complaining about Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich's proposal to provide school children with work experience and the chance to earn money in their schools, Whoopi Goldberg joined host Behar in asserting that it was "racist" for Gingrich to speak of preventing children from becoming "pimps and prostitutes and drug dealers."

Goldberg began by ranting about the absence of people who "want to see the country do better." Goldberg:

It's a shame that we've gone so far away from people who actually want to see the country do better, want to see people aspire and make themselves into Americans, you know. You know, this idea you're with us or not with us, and then you're not American, you're not this, that is all new. I don't recall any of that. ... I don't want to say slow because they're not slow and they're not really dumb-

After Behar jumped in to ask if she was talking about the Tea Party, Goldberg continued:

No, just the whole vibe, man, the people who get up and say the President's not American. The people that say kids should not be protected, and therefore we should get rid of the Child Welfare Act, we should put little kids to work.

After Behar made a correction by chiming in, "child labor laws," Goldberg added: "Child labor laws, to clean their own bathrooms in the schools. What the hell, man?"

After asserting that children should not have to work, she and Behar went on to accuse Gingrich of racism:

WHOOPI GOLDBERG: And the idea that he would add into this conversation that this will help them not become pimps and prostitutes and drug dealers-

JOY BEHAR: Well, that's a little, I don't know what the word to use-

GOLDBERG: It's called racist.

BEHAR: Thank you.

GOLDBERG: You know, it's called racist. Who is he talking about?

After Behar noted that some poor children are white, Goldberg added to her charge of racism:

Yes, but somehow I don't think he's including them. He hasn't said it out loud because, you know, folks never do when they're talking like this, they never say what they mean. You know, it's like when they used to say, oh, yeah, we got to catch up with all the illegal immigrants. Well, what are you, who are you talking about?

Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Tuesday, December 13, Joy Behar Show on HLN:

WHOOPI GOLDBERG: It's a shame that we've gone so far away from people who actually want to see the country do better, want to see people aspire and make themselves into Americans, you know. You know, this idea you're with us or not with us, and then you're not American, you're not this, that is all new. I don't recall any of that. I thought they stopped doing that after we shut down the black list. You know, we said we're never going to do that as a country again, say to people, you don't get to have your opinion because you think differently. And now we're in the midst of it,and, I mean, look, I've known, I don't want to say slow because they're not slow and they're not really dumb-

BEHAR: Who are you talking about? The Tea Party?

GOLDBERG: No, just the whole vibe, man, the people who get up and say the President's not American.

BEHAR: Oh, yeah.

GOLDBERG: The people that say kids should not be protected, and therefore we should get rid of the Child Welfare Act, we should put little kids to work.

BEHAR: Oh, the child labor laws.

GOLDBERG: Child labor laws, to clean their own bathrooms in the schools. What the hell, man?

BEHAR: Well, the thing with that is that what he's not acknowledging is that if the kids are cleaning up the school, number one, they're not studying as much. And number two, their fathers and their uncles and whoever else has the janitorial positions are losing their health care, they're losing their jobs. What is he talking about?

GOLDBERG: I'm not sure he understands, I don't think he realizes the ramifications of what he said, and what I find interesting with this party is they tend to all say the same thing so they get on board. But, basically, children are not supposed to work. Children are supposed to go to school and get better and learn stuff and go forward.

BEHAR: Right.

GOLDBERG: Now, if you have crappy schools, you know, if Newt wants to fix something, fix the schools. You want to fix the schools, you want to fix the teachers, that's your job. You're the adult. It's not the kids' job. And the idea that he would add into this conversation that this will help them not become pimps and prostitutes and drug dealers-

BEHAR: Well, that's a little, I don't know what the word to use-

GOLDBERG: It's called racist.

BEHAR: Thank you.

GOLDBERG: You know, it's called racist. Who is he talking about?

BEHAR: Well, he's talking about kids in the inner city, you know.

GOLDBERG: Poor kids.

BEHAR: Yeah, well, there are plenty of poor white children, too.

GOLDBERG: Yes, but somehow I don't think he's including them. He hasn't said it out loud because, you know, folks never do when they're talking like this, they never say what they mean. You know, it's like when they used to say, oh, yeah, we got to catch up with all the illegal immigrants. Well, what are you, who are you talking about?

BEHAR: Mexicans. They're not talking about Canadians.

GOLDBERG: They're not talking about Canadians-

BEHAR: No.

GOLDBERG: -or French people-

BEHAR: Or the Irish coming over here or the Italians-

GOLDBERG: No, no, they're talking, be specific so I know what you mean.

BEHAR: Yeah, they're talking about Mexicans.

GOLDBERG: Yeah, you know, so be specific when you're talking about...