Deutsch-Steele Spat As Donny Defends Reid Slavery Statement

December 9th, 2009 8:49 AM

Surely no one would be foolish enough to defend Harry Reid's statement analogizing ObamaCare opponents to those who resisted the abolition of slavery, right? Um, may I introduce you to Donny Deutsch?

On Morning Joe today, the ad man suggested to RNC Chairman Michael Steele that there was nothing wrong with Reid's analogy.  When Steele didn't deign to dignify Deutsch's absurdity with a response, a nasty little stand-off ensued . . .

DONNY DEUTSCH: I'm still trying to understand why the analogies he's made are wrong. Obviously, the issue here is that any great change throughout history has the naysayers saying "it's not time, it's not time." So why was that an irrelevant analogy?

MICHAEL STEELE: I won't even dignify that with a response.  This --

DEUTSCH: What do you mean, dignify?  It's a question, it's a genuine question.

STEELE: Next question.

DEUTSCH: It's a genuine question.

STEELE: Next question. Come on. I'm sorry, sir.  I'm not going to sit here and say it's an appropriate comparison to slavery.

DEUTSCH: He's not. He's comparing it to dramatic change, and the naysayers to change.

STEELE: Next question.

DEUTSCH: That's a great response. Very, very intelligent, brave response.

STEELE: It is.  As was your question.

Mika Brzezinski was eager to move on from the unpleasantness: "O-kay.   Mike Barnicle?"