There are times you have to question Michael Steele's grasp on elementary political-party history as an MSNBC analyst from the right-leaning side. (Liberals would say it makes you question how a former Republican Party chairman can't remember his own party's recent history.) But on Friday night's Politics Nation, in a battle of the bumblers, Steele told Sharpton the Republicans lost the House majority in 1996 and didn't regain it until 2002. This would come as a shock to Newt Gingrich, since how did they impeach Bill Clinton in 1998 from the minority? (Republicans controlled the House from 1995 to 2007.)
Unsurprisingly, Sharpton took a whack at the memory loss of Rick Perry, without in any way grasping Steele's fundamental error of fact. The discussion began over Gingrich's lucrative financial relationship with the government-sponsored housing entity Freddie Mac:
STEELE: I listen to Barney Frank, and he seems to have forgotten that in 1996 Republicans lost the House and the Democrats were in control until about 2002 or so. And so I understand the lapse of memory when it comes to trying to make a point, but you can`t sandwich away or put to the side that both parties have had their fingers all over this health care issue and Freddie/Fannie issue, and now everyone is trying to sort it out.I think a number of folks will find themselves getting caught. That`s not to excuse it, but I`m saying that`s part of the political reality.
SHARPTON: And both parties will make their points, but I don`t know if it`s a good week for Republicans to start talking about memory loss with Rick Perry around, but I`ll give you a pass on that tonight.
Earlier in the program, Sharpton had Barney Frank on to blame Gingrich and the Republicans for the bailout of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, which he and Chris Dodd came to fix.
SHARPTON: We keep learning more and more about Newt, but you know him well. What do you have to say about this latest revelation?
BARNEY FRANK: Well, he apparently is on a crusade to make Mitt Romney look principled. That`s a hard thing to do.
