February 2, 2019

Remember that old saying "When you point a finger at someone, you've got four fingers pointing at you?" I think I lost count of the number of fingers pointing back at the Republican Party as they gleefully try to make hay of the pathetic Ralph Northam blackface story.

Initially on Twitter, conservatives like RNC spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany tried to go the hypocrisy route, but were thwarted by Democrats pretty instantaneously demanding that Northam resign. But that then opened up the Republicans for their own hypocrisy charges since we all have known just how they protect the open racists in their party (like Steve King, Louie Gohmert, Cindy Hyde-Smith, and the ultimate racist, Donald Trump).

So McEnany had some work to do to deflect on Saturday's Alex Witt show. She decided to go the tried-and-true conservative Islamophobia route by invoking new Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who is clearly anti-Semitic because of a supporter/fundraiser's admittedly anti-Semitic posts. If that is too nuanced a distinction for you (as it evidently is for McEnany), Northam and the above-mentioned Republicans are under fire for things they themselves have said, not what supporters have said.

But that's where things went spiraling. McEnany's goal was just to filibuster any possible conversation that pointed out that Democrats quickly rid move to rid themselves of unacceptable politicians. So then when journalist Jonathan Alter wouldn't take her bait, she accused him of being fine with the anti-Semitism of Rep. Tlaib.

“Nice try, Kayleigh,” Alter scoffed.

“Anti-semitism is okay?” she persisted, trying desperately to use up all the airtime. “Anti-semitism is okay?”

“Kayleigh, I’m Jewish,” Alter deadpanned. "I'm not down with her statement."

Alter tried to bring up the larger excusing of racism by the putative head of their party, McEnany filibustered throughout, to Alter's exasperated, "I'm not going to let you buffalo me the way you and people in your party try to do. Excuse me. Let me finish my sentence."

It never got any better.

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