On Monday's The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell not only mocked disgraced former Democratic officeholders Anthony Weiner and Eliot Spitzer for their efforts to return to political office, but he even suggested that former President George W. Bush is setting a better example by working to fight cancer in Africa.
After playing clips of Weiner and Spitzer talking about returning to office, O'Donnell responded:
Really? Really, guys? You two couldn't find any other thing to do in the world, any other way to maybe help people? Nothing other than running for office?
He then brought up former President Bush as the MSNBC host continued:
This is how former President George W. Bush spent his last week, working to rehabilitate a clinic in Africa that screens women for cervical cancer. The clinic was opened with help from Bush's pink ribbon red ribbon cancer project. He knows what to do when he can't run for office anymore.
After recounting that his The Last Word show regularly promotes the KIND charity that benefits African schools, he challenged former Governor Spitzer to go into a charitable enterprise:
In fact, if you would like to help lift more kids off the floor, get them desks into their schools, you can go to our Web site, thelastword.msnbc.com. That means you, Eliot Spitzer, you can go. In fact, you can go to Africa and start your own program. You're rich enough to donate $5 million to anything anywhere in the world right now tonight.
He turned his attention to former Rep. Weiner as he concluded:
And, Anthony Weiner, you did okay in the private sector after being a congressman. You've got a few bucks. There's nothing you can think of doing, neither one of you guys, other than running for office? That's it? Nothing else comes to mind?
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Monday, July 8, The Last Word with Lawerence O'Donnell on MSNBC:
FORMER REP. ANTHONY WEINER (D-NY): I'm running for mayor because I've been fighting for the middle class-
FORMER GOVERNOR ELIOT SPITZER (D-NY): Maybe with the public's permission I could come back.
O'DONNELL: Really? Really, guys? You two couldn't find any other thing to do in the world, any other way to maybe help people? Nothing other than running for office?
This is how former President George W. Bush spent his last week, working to rehabilitate a clinic in Africa that screens women for cervical cancer. The clinic was opened with help from Bush's pink ribbon red ribbon cancer project. He knows what to do when he can't run for office anymore.
Viewers of this program have donated more than $5 million and have helped thousands of children in Malawi through the KIND fund, Kids in Need of Desks. The partnership that it program has with UNICEF that helps put desks in schools in Africa where kids would otherwise never, ever see desks and sit on the floor and go through rough days in schools.
In fact, if you would like to help lift more kids off the floor, get them desks into their schools, you can go to our Web site, thelastword.msnbc.com. That means you, Eliot Spitzer, you can go. In fact, you can go to Africa and start your own program. You're rich enough to donate $5 million to anything anywhere in the world right now tonight.
And, Anthony Weiner, you did okay in the private sector after being a congressman. You've got a few bucks. There's nothing you can think of doing, neither one of you guys, other than running for office? That's it? Nothing else comes to mind?
