Current TV’s Bill Press is visibly distraught over the loss of Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch to former Governor Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) in the South Carolina First Congressional District special election. The liberal commentator was clearly a sore loser on May 8, and took to the radio to openly mock Sanford and the voters of South Carolina.
Press’ main attack against Sanford was his continued reference to God for his political comeback. "Mark Sanford suddenly he found religion… You know what, alright, so he won but stop the God talk," a bitter Press, himself a former Catholic seminarian, groused.
Press's producer Peter Ogburn continued to mock Sanford’s Christian faith, using a fake voice to imitate Jimmy Swaggart, a Pentecostal pastor, saying, “I have sinned against you, oh Lord.” Press then interjected that, "No, this is not necessarily God's will. This is not God speaking. This is just he is a skillful politician."
Unfortunately, Press could not stop there, instead choosing to drag the Tea Party into his vicious attack on Sanford:
It just shows there are parts of the country where this idea that the federal government is still spending too much money and we just got to cut spending, cut spending, the Tea Party mentality is still pretty strong in some of those congressional districts, like the first congressional district in South Carolina.
Wait, shouldn't Tea Party conservatives be congratulated for caring more about the issues than about a man's bedroom behavior? After all, that was Press's line of defense for Bill Clinton back during the impeachment saga in 1998.
The hilarity didn’t stop there, as Press brought on none other than ex-New York Governor Eliot Spitzer for some perspective on Sanford’s win. Spitzer, as you probably remember, resigned from office after he was discovered to be a high-paying client to a escort service, in which over several years paid up to $80,000 for hookers.
To his credit, Spitzer openly admitted that it was ridiculous for him to be commenting on Sanford’s extramarital affair, noting that, "I’m in a bizarre position talking about things like that, obviously." Spitzer then argued that, “I suppose that is a good strand in our society as well. Who knows what it stands for?”
Press concluded the discussion on Sanford by once again slamming the Tea Party:
It also shows, I think, that argument you know, government spending, the Tea Party argument, there are parts of the argument where that is the dominant issue no matter what else is out there, you know. He turned it into a -- he wasn't running against her. He was running against Nancy Pelosi, you know, which is ridiculous but it worked.
Actually, it's not all that ridiculous. Pelosi is the leader of the Democratic caucus and is on record hoping to win back the House for Democrats. Colbert-Busch would have had to prove a loyal party soldier to maximize her standing in the Congress and it bears noting that Colbert-Busch refused to sign a pledge saying that she would work to repeal ObamaCare, a salient issue in the First Congressional District, a conservative bastion in a deep-red state.
Colbert-Busch may be a decent, honorable woman, especially opposite an unrepentant home wrecking, adulterous man in Sanford. But when it came to the issues, South Carolina voters rejected Colbert-Busch's philosophy for a tried and true, albeit morally-flawed, conservative.
It's really just that simple, Bill Press.
See relevant transcript below.
Current TV
Full Court Press: The Bill Press Show
May 8, 2013
6:08 a.m. Eastern
BILL PRESS: Down in South Carolina, you know yesterday, when we talked to Chris Moody from Yahoo News from South Carolina and he said that Mark Sanford. We knew the race was tied. Right? Elizabeth Colbert Busch had been ahead by 10 points a week ago. And then the latest poll showed it a dead heat, absolutely a dead heat. So momentum was going in Sanford’s direction. And Chris Moody reported to us yesterday that Mark Sanford had 10 events scheduled and Elizabeth Colbert Busch one. She was going to vote and go home. And I thought to myself, uh-oh. Man when it's that close, when it's that close, you don't kick back. Right. No? No cockiness. No over confidence. And look what happened Mark Sanford beating her handily by 54 to 45. He is on his way back to Congress. And Mark Sanford suddenly he found religion.
MARK SANFORD: I just want to acknowledge a God not just of second chances but third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth chances because that is the reality of our shared humanity.
PRESS: Yeah, right. Do you think he will move back into the c house down the street here from us? I mean he very well could. Right? The holy house on C Street where all of the adulterers live. And he said, you know, look. I am not perfect, but I have some strong beliefs.
SANFORD: I am one imperfect man saved by God's grace but one who has a conviction on the importance of doing something about spending in Washington, D.C.
PRESS: You know what, alright, so he won but stop the God talk.
PETER OGBURN: I have sinned against you, oh Lord.
PRESS: Right. Uh-huh. No, this is not necessarily God's will. This is not God speaking. This is just he is a skillful politician.
OGBURN: He is that.
PRESS: Retail politician and it just shows there are parts of the country where this idea that the federal government is still spending too much money and we just got to cut spending, cut spending, the Tea Party mentality is still pretty strong in some of those congressional districts, like the first congressional district in South Carolina although I must say I don't know Elizabeth Colbert Busch but, you know, I have run a lot of campaigns, if you can't beat Mark Sanford, you don't deserve to be in politics.
OGBURN: Yeah.
PRESS: And remember, he did it without the help of the Republican Party because the Congressional Republican Campaign Committee pulled out of that race and refused to give him any more money and he still won.
OGBURN: It is amazing to see what he did with that campaign in the last two weeks because he ran a terrible campaign. He ran a really terrible campaign and then in the last week and a half, two weeks, he lit on fire, and he did everything right.
PRESS: Yeah. No. He did. I'm sorry he won. I'm sorry she lost. He won that campaign by out campaigning Elizabeth Colbert Busch despite her help from her brother
6:48 a.m. EST
BILL PRESS: So Mark Sanford proves there is a God of second chances, I guess right? Can you believe it?
ELIOT SPITZER: Well I suppose so. Look, this is South Carolina so who knows what to make of it. Right? I couldn't say that. That's not fair. I think the good news in that race is that it was a lot closer than we thought. His opponent will forever be known as Stephen Colbert's sister. Unfortunately for her. Put on a good race. And that looks good. Redemption I suppose is good. I’m in a bizarre position talking about things like that, obviously. But I suppose that is a good strand in our society as well. Who knows what it stands for?
PRESS: Yeah. But it also shows, I think, that argument you know, government spending, the Tea Party argument, there are parts of the argument where that is the dominant issue no matter what else is out there, you know. He turned it into a -- he wasn't running against her. He was running against Nancy Pelosi, you know, which is ridiculous but it worked.
