TV firebrand Bill Maher is not always a dependable liberal voice.
He beautifully exposed the hypocrisy around “racism” claims against Republican Congressman Paul Ryan when Ryan made the following comments on Bill Bennett's radio show.
“We’ve got this tailspin of culture in our inner cities in particular of men not working and just a generation of men not even thinking about working or learning the value and the culture of work,” Ryan said on the radio show.
Ryan was slammed as racist from pillar to post by the Democratic establishment, including two panel members on Maher’s show on Friday night.
Separately, New York Times columnist Charles Blow stated that Ryan’s comments were racist and said that the ”borders between factual and the fudged are intentionally blurred and cover is given for corrosive ideas.” The Democratic blogger column Firedoglake called the comments a “racist dog whistle."
Everyone it seems was in agreement.
Then Maher pulled a fast one on his panel. He read another quote and stated, “Here’s something else Paul Ryan said, "when it comes to getting an education too many of our young people just can’t be bothered, they’re sitting on couches for hours, playing video games, watching TV, instead of dreaming about being a teacher or a lawyer or a business leader, they’re fantasizing about being a baller or a rapper.’”
Cue the outrage until Maher said, “Oh wait, that wasn’t him that was Michelle Obama.”
“I just read this and you thought it was from Paul Ryan. Is something less true if a white person says that about black people?” he asked. “It does sound like Michelle Obama is agreeing with Paul Ryan, this sounds even more like ‘black people, don’t be lazy.' ”
His startled panel – and no doubt Democrats everywhere – were suddenly revealed.
Ryan tried to talk honestly about inner city poverty and the need for the dignity of work and ambition. He was castigated for doing it.
When Michelle Obama made the exact same case it was considered utterly acceptable.
Seems like hypocrisy at work on the Democratic side here.
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