MSNBC anchor Ed Schultz, who has previously frothed over "bastard," "slut," "dirt hole" conservatives, on Thursday attacked Jake Tapper for offering a mild critique of liberal New York Mayor Bill de Blasio's inauguration. During the ceremony, speaker after speaker slammed the outgoing Michael Bloomberg, comparing the city under his tenure to a "plantation."
On his CNN program, Tapper pointed out that political leaders often use inaugurations to "reach out to critics, to reach out to those who maybe didn't vote for him. This was not that." This innocuous statement caused Schultz to mock, "If Jake Tapper thinks a man who was elected with 70 percent of the vote for making income inequality the centerpiece of his campaign was wrong for talking about it, he can keep on pretending." [See video below. MP3 audio here.]
Here are Tapper's supposedly outrageous comments:
JAKE TAPPER: And this is somebody who was elected with more than 70 percent of the vote. To his base, to the voters, the progressives in New York City. He gave a very muscular argument in favor of what he wanted to do. But I have to say there is another reaction. A lot of times inaugurals are times when people, when presidents, or mayors, or governors can reach out to critics, to reach out to those who maybe didn't vote for him. This was not that.
Put aside the fact that Tapper's comments were rather even-handed, that he acknowledged de Blasio's big win at the polls. Schultz apparently has no concept of the separation between a journalist and a person, like himself, who trashed Laura Ingraham as a "talk slut."
Additionally, his former MSNBC colleague Martin Bashir suggested, on air, that someone should defecate in Sarah Palin's mouth. Schultz is hardly in a position to be overly sensitive.
As for the anchor's new favorite mayor, even the New York Times labeled the de Blasio inaugural speakers "graceless and smug" in their treatment of Bloomberg.
A transcript of the January 2 segment, which aired at 5:43pm ET, follows:
5:43
ED SCHULTZ: Next up. The new progressive mayor of New York City takes a beating for his message on income inequality. And this time the attack is not from the usual suspects. Pretenders is next.
...
5:47
DE BLASIO: It was New Yorkers who challenged the status quo, who blazed the trial of progressive reform and political action, who took on the elite who stood up to say that social and economic justice will start here and will start now.
SCHULTZ: Well, de Blasio's commitment to economic justice didn't resonate with everyone.
JAKE TAPPER: And this is somebody who was elected with more than 70 percent of the vote. To his base, to the voters, the progressives in New York City. He gave a very muscular argument in favor of what he wanted to do. But I have to say there is another reaction. A lot of times inaugurals are times when people, when presidents, or mayors, or governors can reach out to critics, to reach out to those who maybe didn't vote for him. This was not that.
SCHULTZ: Mayor de Blasio's message, was it just for the people who voted for him. His message was for the nation. Starting with its largest city. Income inequality will not be tolerated. If Jake Tapper thinks a man who was elected with 70 percent of the vote for making income inequality the centerpiece of his campaign was wrong for talking about it, he can keep on pretending.
