Democrats love protecting children and invoking a higher power, but only when it benefits them politically. On All In with Chris Hayes Thursday, former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer cited religion, sin, and children to blast the Trump administration’s immigration policy.
Boxer started by saying that regardless of who you are, “There are certain things that we have to cherish. The first thing are children.” It is difficult to disagree, but the left-wing lawmaker has not always expressed such deep concern for small children. In fact, she has been a staunch defender of abortion.
As George Will reported, when asked by Sen. Rick Santorum in 1999 about the rights of a child “accidentally” born during abortion, she said: “I think when you bring your baby home, when your baby is born…the baby belongs to your family and has all the rights.” When pressed by Sen. Santorum, she simply said, “I don’t want to engage in this.” Boxer might say she cares for children, but she could not bring herself to admit that killing a child after it is born is wrong.
She continued next by citing God and lambasted the administration because “what is happening here is a sin against God. I believe that.” Later, she reiterated that “what they are doing now is inhumane. And it is a sin”.
Finally, donning the hat of a theological scholar, she pontificated that “I've studied the basic tenets of the greatest religions in the world just to get an idea, and where they all come together regardless of what they are is, you treat others the way you want to be treated yourself. And they each say it in beautiful ways.” Chris Hayes did not bat an eye at all this talk of religion, and he did not touch on those comments once during the interview.
The media treatment for a Republican who mixes religion and immigration policy is quite different. In response to Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Jeff Sessions both invoking the Bible to justify the administration’s immigration policy, the hosts of Morning Joe criticized them. Guest John Meacham, editor at Random House, urged the administration to “stay as far away from the Bible as possible.” Host Joe Scarborough agreed, saying, “Don’t throw Jesus under the bus on your immigration policy.”
The lesson is clear: Republicans mention religion at their own peril whereas Democrats can host world religion classes on air without rebuke. And we always have to protect the children, but only after they are born and at home.
The full transcript is below:
MSNBC's All In with Chris Hayes
June 15, 2018
8:36 p.m. Eastern
CHRIS HAYES: With me now, Democratic-- Democrat Barbara Boxer, former US Senator from California. What is -- watching this, as someone who worked on immigration policy in your years in the senate, worked on asylum policy, has dealt with, you know, shepherding legislation on this, what's your response to this?
BARBARA BOXER: I can barely express it. And so I'm going to be very direct. I want to thank Mr. Davidson for becoming a whistle-blower and letting us know what's happening, but you know, I don't care if you're a Democrat or Republican, or decline to state, whether you vote, you don't vote. There are certain things that we have to cherish. The first thing are children. And what is happening here is a sin against God. I believe that. And that's why we are seeing now finally you know some fundamentalist groups come out who have been loyal Donald Trump supporters-- they don't care, you know, about his private life. But, this is brought about by Trump administration, this is new, you do not, do not tear minor children away from their parents. What you should do is have a surge of immigration lawyers and judges come down there and listen to these asylum cases and if they have a leg to stand on, grant them asylum and if they don't, keep them together, send them back. But what they are doing now is inhumane. And it is a sin. In my view....So, let's be clear here. You know, I've studied the basic tenets of the greatest religions in the world just to get an idea, and where they all come together regardless of what they are is, you treat others the way you want to be treated yourself. And they each say it in beautiful ways.
