Someone at NBC News really has to take a serious look at the things coming out of Martin Bashir's mouth.
On Monday's MSNBC program bearing his name, the host actually asked a Democratic Congressman if a family member of a Republican Senator is going to have to be killed in order to prevent a filibuster on gun control legislation (video follows with transcript and commentary):
MARTIN BASHIR, HOST: Congressman, nobody is suggesting that the law should only be defined and developed by the victims of crime, but this is now something that 90 percent of Americans strongly support. So are these Senators simply too frightened of the NRA to do the people's bidding?
CONGRESSMAN ELIJAH CUMMINGS (D-MARYLAND): I tell you, Martin, it's incredible to me that you can see a father like that in so much pain and even have the knowledge of 20 beautiful children being killed in their own classroom and then try to stop the debate. I mean, that, Martin, I’m wondering where, what is that about? Even Senator McCain said that there's something wrong with this picture that his fellow Republican Senators are trying to block debate. I mean, don't even want to talk about it.
BASHIR: Yes.
CUMMINGS: And so, you know, I think that the parents from Sandy Hook coming to Washington hopefully will have some effect. But that father's absolutely right. Martin, I never thought it would happen to me, but on a Friday at 12:00, it was two years ago, I got a call that my nephew had been killed and shot to death at 5:00 in the morning, and he's dead at 21 years old. So we've got to deal with this. The other thing, Martin…
BASHIR: But Congressman, is that what needs to happen to move these Senators to stop threatening a filibuster? Is that really what needs to happen? That you need to have a member of your family killed in order for you to do what the American people want you to do?
CUMMINGS: I hope not. I don't wish this pain on anybody.
BASHIR: None of us does.
Actually, Mr. Bashir, you just did.
The question is whether any of his superiors care about their on air personalities using such inflammatory rhetoric concerning America's elected officials.
They certainly wouldn't tolerate it - nor should they! - if anyone asked if a member of President Obama's family would have to be killed in order for him to do what the American people wanted him to do.
Alas, they don't seem to understand the double standard.
Maybe they never will.
