Appearing on the Wednesday edition of Hardball, House Assistant Minority Leader Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) essentially blamed the conservative-leaning American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) for the apparently unjustified shooting of South Carolina man Walter Scott by North Charleston police officer Michael Slager.
For his part, host Chris Matthews failed to object to out-of-far-left-field charge and, what's more, praised his guest, saying in closing, "I have a lot of respect for you sir" as he thanked him for coming on the program.
Here's the relevant transcript and video (emphases mine):
MSNBC
Hardball
April 8, 2015
Rep. JAMES CLYBURN (D-S.C.) But the problem we've got is that a climate has been created in the country that's causing these things to occur all over. And Chris, I know I get a lot of criticism from this from some of my friends, but this so-called American Legislative -- whatever they call that group um, ALEX (sic) --
CHRIS MATTHEWS, host: ALEX (sic: it's really ALEC).
CLYBURN: Legislative Exchange Council. They have drawn up these legislations, pieces of legislation like stand your ground, that legislation gives a license for people to be vigilantes. They are the ones that are drawing up all of these, uh, so-called voter ID laws. They are the ones that have been drawing up these unfair redistricting plans.
These people are a cancer eating at the inners (sic) of our society. And it's time for our elected officials to start speaking out about this because the climate that's being created is not a good climate. And that's why you have these rogue police officers feeling they have license to do what they want to do and there will be no consequences paid for it. And I think that that's the mindset of this police officer.
MATTHEWS: Thank you very much, U.S. Congressman Jim Clyburn. I have a lot of respect for you, sir, and thank you for coming on tonight.
Oddly enough, and perhaps Clyburn is blissfully unaware of this, there IS a liberal answer to ALEX called SIX, the State Innovative Exchange. SIX is the successor organization formed from a merger of three other like-minded groups, including what was called ALICE, the American Legislative Issues and Campaign Exchange.
Liberal state legislators are perfectly free to brainstorm with SIX for liberal legislative ideas as conservative ones are to work with ALEC for instituting conservative legislative priorities at the statehouse level.
