During his segment on the Wednesday edition of MSNBC’s All In attacking Speaker of the House candidate Kevin McCarthy for his comments about Hillary Clinton and the Benghazi Committee, host Chris Hayes made quite the choice of liberal pundits in none other than failed Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis, who compared McCarthy and the panel to the “witch-hunt” against Planned Parenthood.
Hayes prefaced Davis’s appearance (along with the proceeding guest in Democratic Congressman Adam Smith) by dubbing McCarthy’s statements “[t]he worst kept secret in Washington” that’s “finally out.” Concerning the committee, Hayes griped that Republicans “have taken umbrage at the notion that the committee had anything do with politics.”
After a softball from Hayes, Davis admitted that she was not surprised by what McCarthy told Fox News Channel (FNC) host Sean Hannity but was shocked that the Republican House Majority Leader and the GOP “were blatantly admitting that that’s what their purpose was.”
As only a shameless abortion activist could, Davis whined that how “the most disgusting part about it is that taxpayer dollars have been spent in a way that is completely disrespectful to the families of the four brave Americans who lost their lives there, in a political witch-hunt.”
Davis continued with the Benghazi and Planned Parenthood comparison by invoking the House hearing held on Tuesday featuring Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards:
It is much like what we saw in Congress yesterday with the hearings that Cecile Richards was a part of – a witch-hunt and I think Americans are coming to a greater understanding that the Republican Party is on the wrong path. It’s not talking about the issues that matter to families and the issues that we ought to be talking about as part of the selection.
With part of the time remaining, Hayes inquired about whether or not Davis believes the media “generally has treated her fairly so far” to which the Clinton supporter responded by promoting how “Hillary has laid out so many detailed platforms” that have not apparently been given “a great deal of attention” in the media that’s instead gone to Republicans.
Davis then parroted some Clinton camp talking points before concluding: “I hope that the media will give more attention to the fact that she's been talking about these things for quite some time, and in great detail.”
The relevant portions of the transcript from MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes on September 30 can be found below.
MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes
September 30, 2015
8:01 p.m. EasternCHRIS HAYES: The worst kept secret in Washington is finally out. Ever since John Boehner and the GOP-led House, in a largely party line vote, formed the Select Committee on Benghazi all the way back in May of 2014, Republicans have insisted that Benghazi Committee was a non-partisan effort to get to the truth behind the attacks that left four Americans dead and they have taken umbrage at the notion that the committee had anything do with politics.
(....)
8:10 p.m. Eastern
HAYES: Joining me now is former Democratic Texas State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis, who today in Austin, Texas, if I’m not mistaken, endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. Ms. Davis, your response to Kevin McCarthy's comments about what he sees as the salutary effects of the impaneling of the longest congressional investigation in history.
WENDY DAVIS: Well, much like the congressman said, just a moment ago, I don't think any of us are truly surprised that that was the purpose of these hearings, this investigation. What we're surprised about was that they were blatantly admitting that that's what their purpose was and, of course, the saddest part about it, the most disgusting part about it is that taxpayer dollars have been spent in a way that is completely disrespectful to the families of the four brave Americans who lost their lives there, in a political witch-hunt. It is much like what we saw in Congress yesterday with the hearings that Cecile Richards was a part of – a witch-hunt and I think Americans are coming to a greater understanding that the Republican Party is on the wrong path. It’s not talking about the issues that matter to families and the issues that we ought to be talking about as part of the selection.
HAYES: Do you think that Hillary Clinton has as of yet received fair treatment from the media more broadly. Obviously, the Republicans are going after her, she's been the presumptive nominee, front-runner for a long time, although she's got a very contested primary right now, but do you think the media generally has treated her fairly so far?
DAVIS: You know, Hillary has laid out so many detailed platforms, so much detail about her plans if she is elected as the president of this country and there hasn't been a great deal of attention provided to that. We’ve heard, of course, many of the issues that Republicans want us to be talking about, not only in the Republican primary debate, but also the messaging that they're hoping to get out about Hillary Clinton when what she is talking about are the very things that Americans want to hear. What are we going to do to address the incredible income inequality in this country? What are we going to do to address equality of pay and making sure that we have workplace policies that work for working families, what are we going to do to make sure that our education system is strengthened and that we do something about the crushing burden of student loan debt in our colleges across this country today? These are the issues that Americans care about. These are the ones that they want to see leaders in this country addressing them. I hope that the media will give more attention to the fact that she's been talking about these things for quite some time, and in great detail.
