Ed Schultz: Tea Partiers Are 'Ignorant' 'Hateful' 'Wingnuts'

January 6th, 2010 9:12 AM

Since the Tea Parties began early last year, MSNBC has been a strong and often caustic voice against their very existence.

On Tuesday, Ed Schultz continued the network's vitriolic attacks on average Americans protesting the direction of their country by calling Party goers "the wingnuts of America."

He also excoriated Rep. Michele Bachman (R-Minn.) for saying the GOP should embrace the Tea Party movement by claiming, "You would be redefining the Republican party as ignorant and hateful" (video embedded below the fold with partial transcript, h/t Story Balloon): 

ED SCHULTZ, HOST: In psycho talk tonight, Minnesota Congresswoman a Tea Party Queen Michele Bachmann. She seems to be on a quest to put the wingnuts of America in charge of the Republican party. Here`s what she said in a recent radio interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What should the Republican party be doing to capture this political energy and turn it into votes next year?

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R), MINNESOTA: Well, embrace the Tea Party movement with full arms.

There`s no question that the heartbeat of the Tea Party movement would be more in line with the mission state of the Republican party, certainly than that of the Democrat party. So if the Republican party is -- is wise, they will allow themselves to be redefined by the Tea Party movement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Right. Because the candidate the Tea Partiers picked to run for Congress in New York`s district 23 really did a great job. You`ll remember, he managed to lose in a Republican-leaning district. If the Republican party is wise, they would run away from the Tea Partiers as fast as they possibly can. Of course, no one is saying Republicans are wise. Are they?

And Michele, let me just remind you of some of the folks you want to embrace. You would be redefining the Republican party as ignorant and hateful. Saying that embracing the Tea Partiers would be a wise idea for the Republican party, folks, you got it, it`s psycho talk.

Readers are reminded that MSNBC's Chris Matthews on Tuesday chided Tea Partiers for being white. 

Exit question: has there ever been a protest movement in America so universally despised by the press as the Tea Parties?