Lawrence O'Donnell Loses His Ever-Loving Mind on McLaughlin

A sane, if highly flawed, discussion of Mitt Romney's "Faith In America" speech on the McLaughlin Group was cold-cocked into the realm of crazy-faced anger by guest panelist Lawrence O'Donnell this morning, who started off by criticizing Romney, but soon veered headlong into a radical assault on Mormonism.

The discussion was following along it's typical bland and predictable way, with Pat Buchanan praising Romney for defending his beliefs and Eleanor Clift dryly noting that Romney wasn't as robotic as usual. That's when the ball finally came to O'Donnell, who began by remarking, "This was the worst political speech of my lifetime." But O'Donnell didn't have much to say about the speech, as it turned out.

This was the worst political speech of my lifetime. Because this man stood there and said to you "this is the faith of my fathers." And you, and none of these commentators who liked this speech realized that the faith of his fathers is a racist faith. As of 1978 it was an officially racist faith, and for political convenience in 1978 it switched. And it said "OK, black people can be in this church." He believes, if he believes the faith of his fathers, that black people are black because in heaven they turned away from God, in this demented, Scientology-like notion of what was going on in heaven before the creation of the earth.

Pat Buchanan, believe it or not, deserves credit for asking a question that was both germane to the discussion and entirely fair: "Do you believe his faith disqualifies him to be President." Well...it's clear that O'Donnell does. Forcefully, fiercely. Frankly, frighteningly! (A saner examination of the very problems O'Donnell cites can be had here.)

The conversation just went right off the rails from there. Mormonism was founded by a "fraudulent criminal," O'Donnell maintained, insisting that the speech was an "opportunity to distance himself from the evils of his religion" even as Clift cautioned that "every religion has had its scandals." That got McLaughlin defending the Catholic Church, further shouting, Buchanan blaming Christians for bringing slavery to the United States, and Clift saying that "every religion has some crazy beliefs."

Hilarious. And O'Donnell would just not let up. His kick to commercial, "Romney comes from a religion that was founded by a criminal who was anti-American, pro-slavery, and A RAPIST!" It makes you wonder how well O'Donnell gets along with the writers on Big Love...or how he's going to feel after he realizes how reasonable his made Pat Buchanan looked!

Comments

[connorin]

a liberal losing their mind?

YAWN...tel­l me something new

[supernovia]

What amazes me is how many people actually believed what O'Donnel had to say. Check your facts, people. Even the article you linked to is full of misinformation.

People always complain about the obscurity of Romneys religion. The fact is, everything Mitt believes can be found on the Church's official websites. EVERYTHING. If you think I'm exaggerating, go look for yourself. There's enough material to keep a person reading for months on end.

What obscures the LDS faith are all the lies lies lies, and more lies being told by people who are afraid of it. If you know any mormons and have heard the arguments against them, you probably wonder how the facts can add up. The simple truth is that most of the garbage you hear about the LDS church is flat out false, and the rest is skewed to make it sound bad. Ditch the lies and watch everything become crystal clear.

[Sean68]

"bfd. I guess that's how things work now - a journalist has the guts to tell the truth about something and he's derided - here, of all places."

LOL. You must not be up on O'Donnell's courage with regard to islam. He admits he attacks mormonism because "they are the nicest people on earth" but that he won't express any of his negative thoughts on islam or muslims because he's afraid for his physical safety. What a hero!

[Kurmakarma]

I saw this O'Donnell rant..and was shocked to see such uncontrolled vitriol coming from him. In the past I have generally appreciated his comments, which I found generally well informed, good-natured, well reasoned, pretty liberal, often bemused and/or humorous. But this angry, intolerant and hateful reaction was shocking to me. I have to wonder what kind of suppressed demons he is dealing with as regards Mormons in particular to make him react in a manner so out of character.

[JimReed]

ISSUE TWO, Mike Huckabee.

Will his Arkansas hate Clinton roots influence his national agenda?

[spunkster]

bfd. I guess that's how things work now - a journalist has the guts to tell the truth about something and he's derided - here, of all places. There is nothing in what Lawrence said that is unsupported so what is it exactly that you're writing about? - That he should have minded his own business? That religion is untouchable in political debate? These guys campaign on their faith, so they made themselves vulnerable.

[ViperVera]

The McLaughlin Group is my favorite of the Sunday morning talk shows. I TIVO it and watch it at least twice through. I am not kidding.

I adore Eleanor Clift, have come to respect Pat Buchanan more then I'd believe possible, and think Tony Blankely is the world's bigggest blowhard, Mort Zuckerman should pay more attention to America than to Israel's politics and that Melanie Morgan is just another right wing blonde nasty bitch.

That being said, I LOVED Lawrence O'Donnell- it's about time someone showed some fire-in-the-belly about the sad state of affairs of politics in America. BRAVO O'Donnell. And BRAVO John McLaughlin for bringing us this slugfest each week-- BYE BYE! Mike G in NYC

[ltyr2002]

I love the McLaughlan Group! We can't get it at a good time anymore which is too bad. It is firey and very gristy.
These people say what they think.

[racetoinfinity]

So what?

[mpgarr]

Well--I am not one to quote the bible much--but I think it says someplace something like this: "may he who is without sin cast the first stone."
Eleanor Clift was correct in saying that there is no religious faith that is not without its problems, misdeeds and shortcomings.
Personally-I would much prefer that one's religious faith would not come up at all when discussing the merits of a candidate--
May we pray for the day when this whole issue is no longer pertinent--to me it is a rather sad state of affairs that it does play such a large part in the process.

[SDymond]

In fact, when I read Joseph Smith's fantasies, it occurs to me that if he were alive today he'd be happier and richer and getting more pussy as a video game developer. He was the JRR Tolkein of his day. Get a grip, people! Romney's religion is completely irrelevant. What's relevant is whether or not he BELIEVES that bullshit..­.which I doubt...as I doubt all the Bible-thumping hypocrits passing by in the march of folly that is our national primary spectacle.

[SDymond]

It's all a function of the craziness you're familiar with. Why is any of the Mormon stuff more crazy than the virgin birth, transubstantiation, the resurrection, the personal Jesus, the god who instructs you to invade a country? It's all pretty goofy fairy dust and superstition. Mitt Romney is no crazier than George Bush, Mike Huckabee, or the Pope, ferchristssake.

[GoodwithWood]

Ok. I’m sick of this shit. It sucks that you all put me in a position that makes me sound like I’m defending Mormons. Which I’m not. But the level of hatred and intolerance and IGNORANCE displayed but 95% of the posters here is embarrassing. I grew up in Utah in a mormon family and unlike most christians I actually did read the bible and the book of morons. I know more about mormon history than most mormons and I can tear them a new asshole with my knowledge.
Ya see I’m one of those “facts” guys, I’m a sceptic who questions everything. The posts that I’m reading here are full of ignorance and hate, which is what I’d expect from right wing christian zealots. The cesspool that is coming out of the American south makes mormons look like infidels.
I have lived through out the West and I’m settling here at home where the land and natural beauty is phenomenal. Where there is plenty of religious bigotry and plenty of good people to balance it all out. I mean fuck I’ll take this place over the southern states or Colorado Springs any day.

Leave the mormon bashing to the pros.

GWW

[LizDexic]

He was totally great.

The BEST was his referring to this "RIDICULOUS RELIGION".

That was hilarious. (it IS a ridiculous religion!)

[RickyJ]

Suppose Joe Lieberman was running this year. Would it be fair to question him on whether the genocide, committed by Moses and Joshua, against the natives of Canaan was really the ancient Hebrews serving God's will?