Democratic Congressman Steve Israel, Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, charged on Sunday that some of his GOP colleagues, as well as a "significant extent" of the GOP base, are racist, yet none of the broadcast networks picked it up on Monday evening.
On Sunday's State of the Union, CNN host Candy Crowley played a clip of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi accusing GOP obstruction of the immigration bill as partly based on race. She asked Israel if he thought Republicans on Capitol Hill were racist. "Not all of them, no, of course not," he replied, before attacking the GOP base. [Video below the break.]
"But to a significant extent, the Republican base does have elements that are animated by racism and that's unfortunate," he continued.
None of the broadcast network evening newscasts played Israel's remark, although it was featured on both Fox News and MSNBC on Monday evening. "The head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee says a significant part of the Republican Party is racist," reported Special Report host Brett Baier.
Not surprisingly, MSNBC's Chris Matthews praised Israel's "candor" on Monday's Hardball.
Radio host Lars Larson, appearing on Monday's Lou Dobbs Tonight on the Fox Business Network, said the media would have jumped all over the remarks had a GOP Congressmen said the same of his Democratic colleagues:
"The same kind of slur by a Republican against Democrats, there would be a full-scale launch from the mainstream media to demand its retraction. But instead what we did is, oh, well, we all know that all the Republicans are racists. It is ugly, and he ought to retract it."
Below is a transcript of Israel's remarks on CNN on Sunday morning:
CNN
STATE OF THE UNION
4/13/14
CANDY CROWLEY: Let me ask you about a couple specific issues. The first is, that as you may know, Attorney General Holder went off-script at an event this week where he said that he believes that the treatment he has received in the House, particularly during a hearing this week would not have happened if he were African-American. That he believes it's racism. That he believes the opposition to the President has been based on racism. And I wanted to play you something that Nancy Pelosi said when she was asked about this.
(Video Clip)
Rep. NANCY PELOSI, House Minority Leader: I think race has something to do with the fact that they're not bringing up an immigration bill. I've heard them say to the Irish, if this were just you, this would be easy.
(End Video Clip)
CROWLEY: Do you agree with that?
Rep. STEVE ISRAEL (D-N.Y.): The American people want solutions in Congress. They want people to oppose –
CROWLEY: Do you think your Republican colleagues are racist?
ISRAEL: Not all of them, no, of course not. But to a significant extent, the Republican base does have elements that are animated by racism and that's unfortunate.
