HuffPo's Ryan Grim: RNC Fundraising 'Obnoxious;' Relies on 'Extreme Partisan Rhetoric'

In the 2PM ET hour on MSNBC on Tuesday, left-wing Huffington Post writer Ryan Grim commented on the Republican National Committee spending scandal: "You know, what Republican donors do, generally, is pretty obnoxious to the American people. What did they have to cancel? They had to cancel a polo match, some yachting, you know, trips to bondage clubs."

Grim went on to claim: "if you want to get money from rich Republicans, you're going to have to engage in some of these obnoxious activities, so they like that to happen without the entire nation watching. Now that everybody's watching, it makes it a lot harder for them to raise money from these rich Republicans."

While Grim pretended to be a journalist reporting facts, he told Hall: "I actually haven't spoken to any – any big Republican donors the last few days." He simply noted how he was "hearing" things "in general" about RNC donors. Hall even remarked at the end of the segment: "Well Ryan, for a guy who hasn't spoken to any big money donors in 24-48 hours, not bad intel there." Apparently MSNBC now sees liberal ranting against the GOP as "intel."   

Grim earlier argued that in the wake of the spending scandal, "Republicans are sort of setting up an alternative infrastructure...in order to go after Democrats....with extreme partisan rhetoric. So you thought the RNC was partisan now? Just wait until you see what they come up with over the next few months."

Here is a full transcript of the segment:

2:08PM

TAMRON HALL: And more upheaval at the Republican National Committee. Today the RNC's chief of staff Ken McKay has resigned after that scandal involving a risque nightclub trip and accusations of lavish spending. McKay's departure makes him the highest ranking official to leave the RNC since the scandal first broke. Ryan Grim is with the Huffington Post and he joins us now. Ryan, thanks for joining us.

RYAN GRIM: Thanks for having me.

HALL: So again, someone stepping down, this time a big name. And the natural question to follow is what does this mean for Michael Steele?

GRIM: Well, Michael Steele is probably going to be fine. It takes – it takes two-thirds of a vote of the RNC to kick him off. And he was put up there with such fanfare a year and a half, or whatever it was, ago that it would be a real – it would look terr – it would be a PR nightmare for them to be ousting Michael Steele at this point. You know, they're only a few months away from the mid-term elections. Maybe if that doesn't go very well, at that point they could revisit it. But he's going to be fine for the short term, at least.

HALL: I want to play what Newt Gingrich had to say today on the Today show. Kind of similar, actually, to what you're saying. And we don't have it. But anyway, he said, 'I think it's foolish for Republicans to focus on Michael Steele as a person. I think what we ought to do is focus on defeating the Democrats.' So maybe once in your life you agree here with Newt Gingrich on a topic. He's saying, listen, back off of him. But is Michael Steele a damaged brand?

GRIM: Hey, if Newt says so, you know. No. He is a damaged brand, but what you're seeing is that the Republicans are sort of setting up an alternative infrastructure in order to go – in order to go after Democrats. That's what we see with Steele circling the wagons here. He's going to be kind of an isolated figure. That's going to have an actual real world impact, though, in that the RNC, the only way they're going to have to raise money now is they're going to e-mail out to their supporters and they're going to send mail-outs to supporters. And you don't raise money over an e-mail list or mail list by asking nicely. You do it by – with extreme partisan rhetoric. So you thought the RNC was partisan now? Just wait until you see what they come up with over the next few months.

HALL: And Ryan, what are you hearing from some of these big donors, especially since McKay is now out?

GRIM: Surprisingly, I actually haven't spoken to any – any big Republican donors the last few days. But what I'm hearing, in general, about the Republican donors is that, you know, they're disgusted at the way that this is being dragged through the media. You know, what Republican donors do, generally, is pretty obnoxious to the American people. What did they have to cancel? They had to cancel a polo match, some yachting, you know, trips to bondage clubs. Those are things that they don't really want in the news. But if you want to get money from rich Republicans, you're going to have to engage in some of these obnoxious activities, so they like that to happen without the entire nation watching. Now that everybody's watching, it makes it a lot harder for them to raise money from these rich Republicans.

HALL: Well Ryan, for a guy who hasn't spoken to any big money donors in 24-48 hours, not bad intel there. Thanks, Ryan.

GRIM: Thank you, Tamron.

HALL: Greatly appreciate it.