MSNBC's Ed Schultz on Wednesday found a way to connect conservatives to NBA owner Donald Sterling's racist rant. Talking about Republicans in Congress, he sneered, "Not raising the wage, the minimum wage, is every bit as racist as comments made by Cliven Bundy and Donald Sterling. It's just displayed in a different way." [MP3 audio here [1].]
Ascribing bigotry to any political differences with liberals, Schultz foamed, "I think not raising the minimum wage is a racist policy. Standing up, making the case that people of color in this country do not deserve a living wage is a racist policy." Summarizing the whole concept, he lectured, "There's a lot of different ways to prove racism in America."
Schultz introduced his comparison by insisting, "Cliven Bundy and Donald sterling have proven that racism is alive and well in America."
On his radio show [2], Monday, Schultz blamed conservative talk radio for the racist rant of the Los Angeles Clippers owner:
ED SCHULTZ: I pin this attitude that we have in society being inflamed by right-wing talkers who hate this president, that embolden people such as this guy to go on and act disrespectful against society.
On Monday's [3] Ed Show, the host trashed Paul Ryan and other Republicans for "fueling racism" and "attacking minorities" with "economic apartheid."
A partial transcript of the April 30th segment is below:
5:08 PM EDT
ED SCHULTZ: Now, over the past week, we have seen these guys, they have brought the issue of race front and center in America with the way they think and the way they talk. Cliven Bundy and Donald sterling have proven that racism is alive and well in America.
...
SCHULTZ: You're either for working families who are struggling or you're not. Let's call it what it is. Minimum wage is a racial issue, look at the numbers. I think not raising the minimum wage is a racist policy. Standing up, making the case that people of color in this country do not deserve a living wage is a racist policy. There's a lot of different ways to prove racism in America. Not providing a livable wage for Americans hurts African-Americans.
The numbers are very clear. 17.7 percent of minimum wage workers are African-American, a minimum wage increase to 10.10 an hour, which would happen only in a three-year period from now, would lift three and a half million people of color out of poverty in this country. A study from the Center for American Progress shows minimum wage increase would, combined with wages of people of color, it will total $16.1 billion, combined increase in wages for people of color. Race is an element when it comes to income and opportunity in this country.
You cannot deny that. And not raising the wage, the minimum wage, is every bit as racist as comments made by Cliven Bundy and Donald Sterling. It's just displayed in a different way. It's not just the minimum wage, republican policies, look at what they do. They hurt all people of color with their policies, from food stamp cuts to repealing Obamacare over 50 times, to the effort to privatize social security and even get rid of it.
— Scott Whitlock is Senior News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Scott Whitlock on Twitter. [4]