MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan Gives 'Kudos' to Arizona Basketball Team for Protesting Immigration Law, 'a Slam Dunk'

MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan on Wednesday gave "kudos" to the Phoenix Suns basketball team for protesting Arizona's tough new policy on illegal immigration. The host touted, "The team is set to wear Los Suns jerseys tonight on Cinco de Mayo in response to Arizona's controversial [law]."

Ratigan enthused that congratulations were in order and added, "Around here we call that a slam dunk." The cable anchor quoted the team's owner playing up the move as one to honor Hispanics.

Clearly, however, there is a political angle. The same Robert Sarver also derided the legislation as "a flawed state law." Suns point guard Steve Nash attacked the bill as "very misguided, and unfortunately, to the detriment of our society and our civil liberties."

MSNBC in recent days has repeatedly fretted about potential racists in America. On Tuesday, Ratigan highlighted the failed Times Square bombing and worried about violence: "How do you deal with these types of crimes without resulting in racism, effectively, towards people of Pakistani or Middle Eastern descent?...is there not a natural backlash to this?"

Also on Tuesday, fellow MSNBC anchor Contessa Brewer appeared on the liberal Stephanie Miller Show and lamented, "There was part of me that was hoping this was not going to be anybody with ties to any kind of Islamic country."

A transcript of the brief segment, which aired at 4:55pm EDT on May 5, follows:

DYLAN RATIGAN: Finally, some kudos in order for the Phoenix Suns out of the National Basketball Association. The team is set to wear Los Suns jerseys tonight on Cinco de Mayo in response to Arizona's controversial new immigration law. Los Suns take on the San Antonio Spurs tonight in game two of the Western Conference semifinals. Team owner Robert Sarver says the Spanish jersey is meant to, quote, "honor our Latino community and the diversity of our league, the state of Arizona and our nation." Around here we call that a slam dunk.