Ed Rendell, who usually does a great job of making Republicans' case for them, had nothing but bitterness for them Wednesday.
“Those SOBs, and that’s all I can call them, these SOBs didn’t even have the decency to table the vote,” Rendell told host Chris Hayes, who quickly responded by playing devil’s advocate.
“The policy is good, or it’s bad, OK?” Hayes asked. “So if I’m a Republican and I say, ‘Look, we’ve got these budget caps, I don’t think Amtrak should be getting this money, this horrible thing that happened doesn’t change the way I’m gonna vote.'”
Rendell, a Democrat, responded by calling the argument of budget caps “a baloney excuse,” saying lawmakers often break budget limits when it comes to defense spending.
“Their policy is terrible,” Rendell said of the GOP. “This country used to have the world’s best infrastructure.”
He didn't stop there, either.
“Their understanding of rail traffic is unbelievable,” Rendell told Hayes, citing an exchange with Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Shelby during his time as governor.
“Senator Shelby said, ‘You’re asking us to subsidize Amtrak,'” Rendell recalled. “I said, ‘Senator, there isn’t a rail system in the world that isn’t subsidized. What are these guys smoking?”
They're smoking Koch, mixed with a little Paul Singer, Governor Rendell.
