RNC communications director Sean Spicer flayed the media for its double standard over Republican and Democratic controversies, on CNN on Friday morning. CNN's Carol Costello had asked him if Cliven Bundy's racist statements "affect the Republican Party as a whole" given that certain notable Republican figures had supported his stand against the federal government.
"[W]hat I find fascinating as the chief spokesman for Republican Party is that when a guy who has a problem with cattle grazing and has a discussion about the size of government and the overreach of the federal government makes a comment, every reporter calls the Republican National Committee asking for comment," Spicer ranted. [Video coming soon. Audio here.]
Spicer pointed out that the media had largely ignored Democratic Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, whose campaign recently tweeted – and then deleted – a link to an article likening black Republican voters to Jews working with Nazis.
"But the rest of the national media, a sitting Democratic governor does anti-Semitic comments that were offensive to Republicans and blacks and there was no coverage," he told Costello.
(H/T Mediaite)
Below is a transcript of the segment:
CNN
NEWSROOM
4/25/14
CAROL COSTELLO: There are some who say that Mr. Bundy's racial comments affect the Republican Party as a whole. In your mind, does it?
SPICER: No. First of all, I think your intro was spot-on. I think the comments that Mr. Bundy made with respect to race and other things were inappropriate, wrong, 100 percent out of line, not part of the discourse that we need to have.
But that being said, what I find fascinating as the chief spokesman for Republican Party is that when a guy who has a problem with cattle grazing and has a discussion about the size of government and the overreach of the federal government makes a comment, every reporter calls the Republican National Committee asking for comment. But yet when similar incidents happen time and time again on the left, there is zero coverage. Absolutely zero.
Just this week Governor Pat Quinn, the Democratic governor of Illinois, the President's home state, made Jewish -- anti-Semitic Jewish and black comments and there was zero discussion until last night when CNN actually picked it up.
But the rest of the national media, a sitting Democratic governor does anti-Semitic comments that were offensive to Republicans and blacks and there was no coverage. So while I am willing to call out time and time again anyone who uses inappropriate language, and the RNC has frankly gotten – time and time again we're asking from student council elections to county officials to federal officials. But when similar incidents happen on the left, there is zero, zero coverage Carol.
