MSNBC's Ed Schultz on Tuesday compared thanking postal employees for working in the cold to praising military veterans for serving their country in war. The Ed Show anchor was talking to postal union President Frederic Rolando and railing against Republican Congressman Darrell Issa's criticisms of the money-losing agency. This led Schultz to compare, "Oftentimes, we see citizens in this country go up to veterans and say, you know, 'I want to thank you for what you do.' I've seen people on airplanes give up their seats in first class to that guy or woman that has the uniform."
He added, "It might be good right now if you were to say to your postal worker, very good chance that that is a veteran, 'Thanks for everything you do. I know it's kind of chilly out.'" [See video below. MP3 audio here.] Schultz has a history of making extreme comparisons in relation to the American military. Back in October, the host took a call on his radio show from a veteran who insisted that he would lose coverage because of ObamaCare. Schultz snarled, "I'm a veteran. I'm a veteran taxpayer of over 40 years, okay?"
On Tuesday, the host introduced, "While mail carriers brave the elements, Darrell Issa gives them the cold shoulder. Republicans like Congressman Darryl Issa have been trying to take down the postal service for a long time."
He continued, "Mail carriers are out in this extreme weather while private companies like Jet Blue and the aviation companies are cancelling services."
A partial transcript of the January 7 segment is below:
5:22
CONGRESSMAN DARREL ISSA: I'm concerned about the Post Office. It's going to lose $10 billion.
SCHULTZ: Mail carriers are out in this extreme weather while private companies like Jet Blue and the aviation companies are cancelling services. What does that say about the postal workers, the job they have done in recent days, yet they are constantly under attack about privatization.
...
5:26
SCHULTZ: You know, oftentimes, we see citizens in this country go up to veterans in uniforms and say, 'I want to thank you for what you do.' I've seen people on airplanes give up their seats in first class to that guy or woman that has the uniform on, doing what they do, for the country. You know, it might be good right now if you were to say to your postal worker, very good chance that that is a veteran, "thanks for everything you do. I know it's kind of chilly out."
