Former CNBC anchor Donny Deutsch went ballistic Thursday on "Morning Joe" over the situation in Wisconsin. Deutsch called the Republican majority in the state capital "a fascist regime" after they rushed a vote Wednesday night to curb most collective bargaining for public sector workers.
"This is a governor that would not sit down at the table with these people, the Democrats, they walked away," Deutsch ranted. "Now he's doing whatever sleazy, end-run – this is not what this country is built on. This is a fascist regime."
Both Deutsch and MSNBC political analyst Harold Ford were audibly dismayed at the procedural move by the Republicans that caught the opposition in complete surprise, but it was an unashamed Deutsch who doubled down on his criticism by arguing that Gov. Walker and the Republicans were totalitarian.
Harold Ford dismissed the validity of the move as "illegal," but also warned that it will serve no practical good. He even went as far as to say that cutting down on collective bargaining will kill jobs in the state.
"At the end of the day, nothing has changed with the budget in Wisconsin," the former Democratic congressman insisted. "The reality is Scott Walker has done nothing to increase the budget coffers in Wisconsin. As a matter of fact, he may have hurt it. Because he may have put more people out of work."
A partial transcript of the segment, which aired on March 10 at 6:06 a.m. EST, is as follows:
DONNY DEUTSCH: I gotta tell you, this is a democracy. This is not what the people, the good people of Wisconsin voted for when they voted for this governor. This is a governor that would not sit down at the table with these people, the Democrats, they walked away. Now he's doing whatever sleazy, end-run – this is not what this country is built on. This is a fascist regime. There's something wrong here. Very, very wrong.
(...)
HAROLD FORD: But at the end of the day, nothing has changed with the budget in Wisconsin. I understand that Karl Rove and others may be working on ads, but the reality is Scott Walker has done nothing to increase the budget coffers in Wisconsin. As a matter of fact, he may have hurt it. Because he may have put more people out of work.
(...)
DEUTSCH: I think people in this country have what are called "tummy meter," something that feels right and doesn't feel right. And I think the tactics, the approach, the totalitarianism of this does not feel right. This is not the way we govern in this country. And I don't care, Democrat or Republican, and I really believe everybody around this table somehow in their tummy says this doesn't feel right.
(...)
DEUTSCH: Are there any mobs in New Jersey? Because this is nothing about the budget, this is about ideology. That's the difference to Harold's point.
(...)
DEUTSCH: Nobody's debating a budget issue. This is not a budget issue. (...) It's just wrong! It's wrong!
