Schultz Slams ‘Wicked Witch’ Schlafly; Winstead: Heidi Harris ‘Teabagging Carol Brady,’ Schlafly ‘Empties Bowels Thru Mouth'

July 31st, 2010 2:33 PM

On Friday’s The Ed Show on MSNBC, host Ed Schultz trashed conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, repeatedly mispronouncing her name as "Schafly," for linking being a single woman and having a greater likelihood of depending on government programs, as she noted at a recent GOP fundraiser that 70 percent of single women voted for Barack Obama. At the top of the show, Schultz teased: "I`ve got some choice words for the ‘Wicked Witch of the Midwest’ tonight – and that`s what she is." He later plugged before a commercial break: "Speaking of ‘Psycho Talkers,’ ‘Wicked Witch of the Midwest’ Phyllis Schafly [sic] got off her broomstick long enough to take a shot at unmarried women of America."

Later in the show, after conservative talk radio host Heidi Harris had appeared in a segment to defend Schlafly, Daily Show co-creator and regular guest Lizz Winstead appeared for the "Club Ed" segment and bashed Harris as "that teabagging Carol Brady," advising Schultz that "you have got to slam her down when she is absolutely wrong." After the Daily Show co-creator went on to charge that Schlafly "can empty her bowels through her mouth and just exhaust horrifying crap onto the universe," an impressed Schultz laughed and cheered her on as he seemed to refer to Winstead’s rant declaring, "That’s great stuff":

LIZZ WINSTEAD: Seriously, if you are going to book on that tea bagging Carol Brady, then you have got to slam her down when she is absolutely wrong. To defend Phyllis Schlafly, seriously, does Heidi Harris not realize that if Phyllis Schlafly had her way, Heidi Harris wouldn`t have her job because she would be chained to her stove and just lay there when her husband had sex with her and that would be her role in life? [Schlafly] ... has made a career of her one party trick. Which is basically, she can empty her bowels through her mouth and just exhaust horrifying crap onto the universe. That is what Phyllis Schlafly has added to the American conversation. It is appalling that Heidi Harris would sit there and defend her. It`s appalling. And I wish that Heidi Harris was here so that I could just say, "Heidi, what are you thinking? What are you thinking? What are you thinking? Enough."

ED SCHULTZ: Now, well, not enough. I want to hear some more. That`s great stuff.

Earlier in the show, before cheering Winstead’s hate-filed rant, Schultz had notably accused Schlafly of spewing "old-fashioned anti-feminist hate."

Winstead also dismissed the conservative argument that single women are more likely to en dup on welfare: "You know what they get when they let their husbands go? A vibrator. That`s what they get. They don`t go on welfare. They go to ‘Babes in Toyland.’"

During the segment with Heidi Harris, the Sam Stein of the Huffington Post also appeared and was baffled that anyone would link single women, illegitimacy births, and welfare dependence, as he went to suggest undertones of racism and called the argument a "sick viewpoint." Stein:

I`m at a loss for words at this theory. I don`t quite get how illegitimacy and singledom for women is any way related. Obviously, it`s an antiquated viewpoint. There are obviously single women who aren`t dependent on the government who actually hold jobs and make income that way. I don`t understand why they`re all of a sudden being dismissed. And, you know, this whole notion goes back to the idea of welfare queens. There`s racial elements to this. It`s just a sick viewpoint. I don`t understand why we`re actually debating it as if it`s a serious thought regardless of how Heidi feels about Phyllis, sorry.

Below is a transcript of relevant portions of the Friday, July 30, The Ed Show on MSNBC:

ED SCHULTZ, INTRODUCING THE SHOW: In one fell swoop, conservative "Psycho Talker" Phyllis Schafly [sic] has attacked welfare recipients and unmarried women with children. It doesn`t get any better than this when it comes to "Psycho Talk." I`ve got some choice words for the wicked witch of the Midwest tonight – and that`s what she is.

...

SCHULTZ, BEFORE COMMERCIAL BREAK AT 6:28 P.M.: Coming up, speaking of "Psycho Talkers," "Wicked Witch of the Midwest," Phyllis Schafly [sic] got off her broomstick long enough to take a shot at unmarried women of America. We`ll get "Rapid Fire Response" on that.

...

SCHULTZ, INTRODUCING "RAPID FIRE" SEGMENT AT 6:36 P.M.: Now, let`s get some "Rapid Fire Response" from our panel on these stories tonight. Conservative icon, is she an icon? Phyllis Schafly [sic] takes us back into time. It`s almost like the time machine on the Ed Show with some old-fashioned anti-feminist hate. She says single women voted for President Obama because they need big government to take the place of a husband.

...

SCHULTZ: Let`s talk about Phyllis Schafly [sic] first. Heidi, where do, this is like a tornado coming through the conservative camp, isn`t it?

HEIDI HARRIS, TALK RADIO HOST: I love Phyllis Schlafly. Are you kidding? She`s exactly right. When women don`t have men in the homes, then of course they`re going to become dependent on government in most cases. And some of the, one of the biggest results of all these government programs that have been put into effect for generations now is to get the man out of the home. You get certain benefits if you don`t have a man in the house. So women have said, "Hey, I don`t need men," and then they’re going to need somebody else to pick up the slack. And you know what, Ed, nobody can argue with the fact that the number one cause of poverty is not a lack of education, it`s illegitimacy. That is a fact. It’s undisputable. So she`s right about that. That`s an issue. Someone`s got to take care of you if you have a kid when you can`t support it. So I love Phyllis Schlafly. I`m proud of her.

SCHULTZ: All right. You love her. Sam Stein, it looks liking this hard righty is saying that the President of the United States almost enjoys this because he had 70 percent of them vote for him in the last election. And he`s catering to them right now. That`s basically where she`s at. What do you think?

SAM STEIN, HUFFINGTON POST: I mean, I`m at a loss for words at this theory. I don`t quite get how illegitimacy and singledom for women is any way related. Obviously, it`s an antiquated viewpoint. There are obviously single women who aren`t dependent on the government who actually hold jobs and make income that way. I don`t understand why they`re all of a sudden being dismissed. And, you know, this whole notion goes back to the idea of welfare queens. There`s racial elements to this. It`s just a sick viewpoint. I don`t understand why we`re actually debating it as if it`s a serious thought regardless of how Heidi feels about Phyllis, sorry.

SCHULTZ: Well, there are 75 Republicans who are running for office that have taken money from her organization-

STEIN: Fine.

SCHULTZ: -and have been endorsed by her. It really is amazing. And, of course, the Democrats want them to disavow themselves or separate themselves from Phyllis Schafly [sic].

STEIN: I don`t understand that. The Democrats should say, should let them keep the endorsement and use it against them. I think that would be much more potent than having a disavowal. I mean, these viewpoints are a little bit extreme, don`t you think?

HARRIS: No.

SCHULTZ: Heidi, don`t you view this as an attack, as somewhat of an attack on unmarried women in this country like they`re not living the lifestyle that Phyllis Schafly [sic] thinks they ought to be?

STEIN: Can’t they be single and independent?

SCHULTZ: I mean, this is pretty rigid, isn’t it?

HARRIS: I think that people who think that women shouldn`t be mothers before they`re married, it`s not a question of morals as much as it is a question of economics. The reality is it`s very difficult. Many of the times, these women have to make it on their own. And it makes their life much, much more difficult. I would like to see every woman-

STEIN: What about single men?

HARRIS: Well, what about single, I know some guys who are great single parents. Certainly, that`s very tough on them, too. I would like to see women wait to have children-

STEIN: So are they dependent on Obama for government handouts? I don’t understand.

HARRIS: No, I want to see women be able to make it on their own, get as much education as possible and be incredibly successful in America, regardless of background. But if you have a kid when you`re 16, 17 years old, your life is going to be much tougher. Your ability to get an education and work – which is what I did, which is what you guys did – is much more difficult when you`re trying to raise a kid alone. That`s just reality. It`s not judgmental, it`s not bashing single mothers. I would just like to see them make other choices. It`s easier in your life if you don`t do what some of these women do.

STEIN: Of course, but it doesn`t mean you`re depending on the government.

SCHULTZ: Heidi, you don’t think Phyllis Schafly [sic] was judgmental, Heidi, you don`t think Phyllis Schafly [sic] is judgmental in her comments?

HARRIS: No, I don`t think so at all because she`s talking about the fact that the majority of women who voted for him were single women. I don`t know about the single mothers. I know that a huge majority were single women, young single women. And there are people who think that the government is supposed to take care of them. Remember that woman in Florida last year, in ‘08, who said, "Oh, I won`t have to pay my mortgage anymore, I won`t have to make my car payment anymore if Obama becomes President." This is the mentality that some people have.

STEIN: Yes, one woman`s quote is generalized for the entire-

HARRIS: No, Sam, I said some people have that attitude – not everybody – but that`s how some people feel.

STEIN: Sure, but, you know, Bristol Palin is a single mother. I don`t think she feels that way, you know.

...

SCHULTZ: Welcome back. If it`s Friday, it`s time for "Club Ed" with Lizz Winstead, co-creator of the Daily Show. Lizz is fantastic. I got to tell you, she knocked it out of the park in Las Vegas. Our team was absolutely in stitches at the Netroots Nation Convention. I got to tell everybody how great you are, and you got a performance coming up at Comics in New York City on August 5, 6 and 7, and I think people got to go see that. Lizz, great to have you with us tonight.

LIZZ WINSTEAD, CO-CREATOR OF THE DAILY SHOW: Thanks, Ed. Ed?

SCHULTZ: I’ll just say – yes?

WINSTEAD: What just happened with Heidi Harris? Seriously, if you are going to book on that tea bagging Carol Brady, then have you got to slam her down when she is absolutely wrong. To defend Phyllis Schlafly, seriously, does Heidi Harris not realize that if Phyllis Schlafly had her way, Heidi Harris wouldn`t have her job because she would be chained to her stove and just lay there when her husband had sex with her and that would be her role in life? I don`t think Heidi understands that. I mean, if Phyllis Schlafly is like 93 years old at this point, and she has made a career of her one party trick. Which is basically, she can empty her bowels through her mouth and just exhaust horrifying crap onto the universe. That is what Phyllis Schlafly has added to the American conversation. It is appalling that Heidi Harris would sit there and defend her. It`s appalling. And I wish that Heidi Harris was here so that I could just say, "Heidi, what are you thinking? What are you thinking? What are you thinking? Enough."

SCHULTZ: Now, well, not enough. I want to hear some more. That`s great stuff. The Democrats ought to be jumping all over this. I mean, this is a big part of their party, the hard conservative right in this country. That is a voting bloc that does show up for them. What do you think?

WINSTEAD: Well, and she is iconic to conservative women. And this is the kind of stuff she spewed all the time. I remember in college, she fought tirelessly to make sure the Equal Rights Amendment didn`t get passed and that she just believes in those weird covenant marriages and that women have their place and their place is standing behind their man, and, no matter what their man does, she is trapped in the home with him because he knows better. I mean, really? This is where we`re taking the party? They should be so proud.

SCHULTZ: I do remember back during that debate in the 1970s, the Equal Rights Amendment. It was Phyllis who said that women would be mandated to unisex bathrooms.

WINSTEAD: Yes. The mandate of unisex bathrooms and torture and that single women are somehow welfare queens? And that`s what they’d get when they let their husbands go. You know what they get when they let their husbands go? A vibrator. That`s what they get. They don`t go on welfare. They go to "Babes in Toyland."