On a day when violent union protesters in Mighigan attacked those who would dare disagree with them, MSNBC stuck to liberal talking points. Anchor Martin Bashir on Tuesday ignored the assaults and instead assailed the state's Republican governor for his "crap burger" comments. [MP3 audio here. [1]]
Although Bashir showed footage of some of the protests, he did not discuss the violence directed against political commentator Steven Crowder [2] and others. Bashir only gently noted, "Angry protests have accompanied the decision by the states legislature to send two bills, which would weaken unions to the desk of the state's governor."
After the liberal anchor played a clip of Governor Rick Snyder insisting the right-to-work legislation is "pro-worker," Bashir dismissed, "That's what we describe as a crap burger."
While Snyder is, apparently totally untrustworthy, Bashir pivoted and found someone viewers should believe completely: "In fact, the President stated on Monday what actually will happen."
The host then played a clip of Barack Obama announcing that right-to-work laws are simply about "politics."
Continuing to tout this line, Bashir talked to Grio.com contributor James Peterson and wondered, "Isn't the giveaway here that the governor wanted to push this through during a lame duck session to seek some kind of revenge...?"
A partial transcript of the December 11 segment, which aired at 4:11pm EST, follows:
MARTIN BASHIR: The fight over unions and so-called right-to-work legislation in Michigan is ultimately about one thing: Republicans wanting to turn a blue state red. Angry protests have accompanied the decision by the states legislature to send two bills, which would weaken unions to the desk of the state's governor. That man, Rick Snyder, has promised to sign them perhaps by tomorrow. Ironically in a building named after Mitt's father, George Romney, who according to Buzz Feed opposed right-to-work laws, unlike his son. But Governor Snyder tells my colleague Andrea Mitchell, just moments ago that this is about helping workers.
RICK SNYDER: I think it's a good thing. It's about being pro-worker. It's about giving freedom of choice to workers and then, secondly, as was mentioned in the earlier report, it's about economic development.
MARTIN BASHIR: That's what we describe as a crap burger. In fact, the President stated on Monday what actually will happen.
BARACK OBAMA: These so-called right-to-work laws. They don't have anything to do with economics. They have everything to do with politics. What they're really talking about is giving you the right to work for less money.
...
BASHIR: Dr. Peterson, Isn't the giveaway here that the governor wanted to push this through during a lame duck session to seek some kind of revenge as Julian just hinted at the president who won re-election?
JAMES PETERSON (Grio.com contributor): Well, that is one giveaway. Julian is right here. You know, Julian is actually right here. The right to work is actually a movement that ultimately will diminish workers' rights. And when you look at the right to work laws and the states they're in, they're in some of the most economically challenged states in the United States. I think what's really sad here though, Martin, when you think about the history of Michigan and Dream Hampton and Michael Moore and others have said this already, that the sort of post-industrial movement, the sort of sapping of the middle class started in Michigan in places like Flint, Michigan, and places like Detroit, Michigan. It's really tragic that if this is some kind of political gamesmanship to try to institute this right to work piece here in Michigan, that it's sad.
-- Scott Whitlock is the senior news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here [3] to follow him on Twitter.