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

[burl]

Are you guys kidding? O'Donnell doesn't even scratch the surface here- those wackos think Jesus lived in Missouri!

Hell, all religions are racist, these loonie wear special underwear that remind them of god!

By the way, screw Huckabee too- that clown thinks the earth is only 2000 years old!

How much more screwed up does this country have to get before people keep religion out of the political process!

[krissymax]

O'Donnell was right if you know anything about the Mormons. This is the reason that Mitt only mentioned the word Morman one time.

[elkabong]

God Warrior makes sense:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZXnYJH5_0CQ

[coach777b]

O'Donnell was absolutely correct. Romney made the speech, brought the issue to the fore. But Linkins says that O'Donnell has lost his mind for responding to the speech. Did O'Donnell lie? If what he said was the truth, then he was correct in his statements. If he lied, let Romney sue him. If Linkins wants to talk about public figures "losing their minds", let's dissect the statements of Bush, Cheyney, Rove, et al.

[funpaddler]

O'Donnell was great period!!! Why not attack a whole religion when they make it up as they go. Not only the Mormon religion. When you look up all Christian religions. Every one of them has made it up along the way and still changed “The Words of GOD” meaning when they want. Just look how many fractions there are. I am a deist. So where many of our founding fathers and they had it right when they decided to keep religion, all of them out of The most important document ever written for “The People”. That alone has made sure we are free.

[quiddler]

Every religion has crazy beliefs, but the crazy beliefs of other religions have the cachet of antiquity. I think we are allowed to question how Romney can believe that crazy s**t.

[retreadite]

So I'm sure Mr. O'Donnell will be giving up his role on HBO's Big Love because they portray Mormons in such a positive light, right? This is the same guy that proclaimed the Va. Tech shooter used automatic weapons.

[Trentmannina]

O'Donnell was absolutely correct. Romney is a high priest in his religion and I believe that disqualifies him from being president, because he has to put his religion first. This is one of the many differences between Romney and JFK.

Also, Jason Linkins's headline is completely misleading. When you think Pat Buchanan is the voice of reason, it's time to see a proctologist to get your head pulled out of your ass

[coffeelover]

Thank you for speaking up, Lawrence O'Donnell. The point about Romney swallowing the religion whole before 1978, when it was so clearly racist, is a great point. Hope Romney has to answer to that in some forum.

[kanne]

So Lawrence O'Donnell is insane for pointing out the truth of Romney's ridiculous religion who's roots are steeped in racism?!! Good for you Lawrence! Keep up the good work. If you silly people want mormons stomping to your doorsteps handing out lies vote for Mitt. If he is elected the mormons will think it justifies their silly religion and they will inundate the world with it. Just like you deserve war by re-electing Bush you will then deserve the hords of mormons knocking on your doors.

[dlswriter]

There are a number of comments about why Romney's mormonism is an issue, or that everyone is free to believe what they want. The point is that Romney made a speech talking specifically about his mormonism. Romney thinks it's an issue enough to give a speech about it, so it's an issue. Romney opened the door for critique of his speech and to the issues of the speech.

Right-wing Christians made Romney's mormonism an issue, and the reason Romney chose to give the speech. In his speech, Romney attacked the constitutional principle of the separation of church and state. So, not only does Romney open mormonism for critique, he also opens the debate about religion and state.

Now, the right-wing Christians will want to portray pro-church/state-separationists as intolerant of mormonism, religion, faith, and all that other hocus-pocus mambo jumbo.

They are a shrewed bunch.

[SmootyBooty]

Romney's problem isn't that he's mormon. It's that he's a MORON...

[Tantivy]

What was absurd about the whole exchange on this program was that not a single one of these idiotic talking heads thought to ask why they were even debating the fitness for the office of president on the basis of a candidate's religion.
We're not electing a spiritual leader, we're electing a head of state; someone who governs, not someone who presides over prayer services. America was meant to be a democracy not a theocracy.

This "issue" is a fabrication of the media. If you think politicians were religious in any meaningful way, they'd have satisfied their lust for power by starting up a ministry. Like Jim Jones.
And comparisons to Kennedy's speech are as well informed as Dana Perino is on... anything. Kennedy was the nominee for the presidency, Romney is a primary candidate in a crowd of well-fed, pasty-faced clones. This guy may never get any closer to the White House than taking a guided tour.

All of blather is cravenly calculated so that Americans never ask or receive answers to any important questions. A Candidate's religion has all the significance of Miss. America's wish for world peace.

[genseric]

O'Donnell is just trying to get attention. sounds like another liberal who hates his own race, a self loather. The guy is an idiot. I'm not a mormon but the ones I have met are generally very good, family oriented people. I don't know what these bigots want out of Mormons.

[Grannysue]

Look numbnuts coltakashi, being a "former" Mormon, which wasn't my choice to begin with, and living here in SE Idaho, the other SLC, these people are raciest, nuts, disingenious, and the religion only goes to those countries to "brainwash" the illiteriate so they can increase their numbers! Besides, anyone who belongs must tith 10% of their annual income, and provide proof to the Bishop of the numbers.
Yup, the men believe they are going to rule their clans again, so make em large! they also didn't drink Coke or Pepsi until the 70's when the LDS church bought the Coke factory outside SLC and had a REVALATION, now COKE is o.k. Pepsi too. I've never in almost sixty years of being around this and many other religions seen one more hypocritical as the Mormons. I wouldn't vote for Mitt if he were the only guy running.
Sorry, but I've had a very long experience with them, yes, some are very nice, as with all religions, unfortunately the GOP like their mindless robots raving, mouth frothing religious zealots that's why they love Mitt and Huck.