Charles Barkley Slams Republicans On CNN: "I Call Them Fake Christians", The Word 'Conservative' "Makes Me Sick"

Basketball legend Charles Barkley appeared on CNN's Late Edition, with Wolf Blitzer, this morning, and made some controversial remarks about Republicans. Barkley, who continues his career in basketball off the court as a TV commentator for the NBA, is supporting Barack Obama for president, and was defending Obama against criticism that he is inexperienced in foreign policy and other areas, when he veered off-course, and began a classic Barkley non-sequitur. Barkley started by saying, as a resident of Arizona, how much he respects John McCain, but then quickly began slamming Republicans and conservatives in general. Barkley said, "Every time I hear the word conservative it makes me sick to my stomach because they're really just fake Christians, as I call them." Blitzer asks Barkley to elaborate a bit on the phrase he used, "fake Christians." Barkley does so, essentially accusing conservatives of being hypocritical. Blitzer warns Barkley that he's probably going to a lot of "feedback" about his harsh criticism of the GOP, but Barkley is unfazed, offering this priceless response: "They can't do anything to me. I don't work for them."

Watch the video from CNN below, and tell HuffPost whether or not you agree with Barkley's explosive comments:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1417325938http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=1178199204

Comments

[TALLEST]

Well done Chuck!

[brobike42]

Charles Barkley!!!!!!!Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

Wolf Blitzer!!!!!!!Fuck you, asshole.

[muffie]

Gotta love Charles. He always speaks his mind. He was right too, by the way.

I can't wait to hear the conservatives' feedback on this one. When those idiots run off at the mouth and call it "facts", they'll swear up and down it's free speech. When anyone else other than conservatives do it, it's "hate speech".

[anonposter]

Yeah! Hate speech...let's send Bush a lot of hate speech tomorrow on PRESIDENT'S DAY AND EVERY DAY! Let Bush know All Americans think he's the worst President we ever had...let him know his legacy stinks! Give him credit for all his "accomplishments"!

[Izadora]

Dear Charles. You are the GREATEST.

Properly said.

Hope we had more people like you.

Bless you.

[ClaudeZachary]

NONE OF THEM ARE CHRISTIANS, THEY ARE OCCULTISTS, THEY WORSHIP A GIANT OWL "Mollech" the Babylonian god of child sacrifice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCDs9Vs2iYM

1981 News report about Bohemian grove

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_PAqT2JZOw&feature=related

[ClaudeZachary]

AND the only thing they're all gay on top of it! They homophobia is a result of self-hatred. They hate gay people who are out of the closet and free of guilt.

[Kundera]

(see Bernie Ward)

[FeloniouslyAnnoying]

Well someones giving alex jones a bit more credit,er, intellectually than he deserves.

[DMM1029]

I lived in the Philly burbs for many years, and was exposed to much of Sir Charles. I liked him then, and I love him now. Somebody should see what Eskin has to say about this.

Dave McGlaughlin
Harrisburg, Pa.

[Abycat]

Chuck is right on the mark! Just like his gaudy shooting % in the NBA. They are AMWAY Christians .... more oncerned with their Bush idiot tax cuts than anything else.

[brooklyncitizen]

Ehrmmm...why is he referred to as Sir Charles?

[lisakaz]

I think it goes back to his playing days. He had a reputation as a hard nosed player and the nickname was ironic, since civility would be the opposite. He kinda played on this in an SNL bit where he boxed out Barney in a basketball 1 on 1 thing.

[SILVANUS]

'They are phony Christians because they ignore the most difficult and demanding part of being a Christian.'

Falwell sends his regards from Hell, by the way.

Amen.

[contented]

charles for v.p.

[WilburM]

what's really cool thing about speaking your mind and saying 'the hell with political correctness' or 'being careful what you say' is that, the longer you do it, the easier it becomes to be heard without the PC police rushing in to tear you down.

here's the list of free-speakers in america, folks... sadly, there aren't that many left:

barkley, warren buffet, ?uestlove, mike gravel, dennis kucinich, ron paul, noam chomsky... we lost one recently with vonnegut. sad.

[LAShores]

Hell Ya Barkley! You've always been one of my favorite b-ball players and I've grown to respect you even more since you've retired.
I love it when someone puts those fuggin conservatives in their place.

Conservatives are so backwards ideologically and socially that it's not even debateable!

[TurgidCaterwauling]

Hypocrisy is not limited to a single group. It's just more offensive when it comes from folks who purport to speak for Jesus.

[dragbunt]

Charles has changed his political tune over the last 10 years, but so has Time and Newsweek and at least half of the the talking heads in the media (See, Arianna).

One of the few who hasn't changed a dot is Wolf. He is and always will be scared stupid. I think Wolf thought he had an Al Campanis/Nightline moment on his hands and thought Charles was committing career suicide by speaking his mind. It just goes to show that honesty completely bewilders folks like Wolf.

Charles is Charles - Over the years he has said some utterly stupid things and some brilliantly smart things. He does this with regularity on his TNT basketball show. His foot is never all that far from his mouth, but he is a national treasure because he speaks his mind.

Charles is lucky that Basketball has given him a soapbox to speak from, but we are lucky to occasionally have someone who says what he thinks with both courage and humor. Because he is a basketball commentator who would rather play golf I honstly don't care all that much what he thinks but I am always awed by his courage and directness.

[Citizen54]

Amen! It was funny how Blitzer kept trying to get him to recant. Apparently he'd never interviewed Barkley before.

Charles says he's going to run for governor of Alabama in a few years (2014, I think). That should be very interesting.

[richardwb]

Mr. Barkley ~
Bless your heart, man.
Newfound respect for you and yours.
Best Wishes.

[Temperancegirl]

Charles Barkley has common sense and speaks his mind. In this case,he nails the fundamentalist Christians who seek to judge others perfectly.

One thing I love about CB is his outspokenness on the importance of education and his support for scholarships for scholars (as opposed to athletes). His heart is always in the right place.

[ExRepublican]

I don't think he said fundamentalist Christians?

I think (and hope) he said all "Christians" ? Because there is VERY little difference tween the two.

Maybe I should hear it a 2nd time before commenting...

[ExRepublican]

Temperancegirl,

Nope, he didn't mention fundies.

I've noticed most (all?) 'liberal' or moderate Christians (nutjobs supreme) try to place the blame on the fundies of life. Nope. It's YOU who are f'd up..... The so called 'moderate' Christians.

Dangerous beyond belief. Please, join the unFab 40

[Rockwell]

I'm a recovering Southern Baptist and currently active member of the United Church of Christ. I have to say to Mr. Barkley - BINGO! People who call themselves Christians yet judge, condemn and seek to punish and isolate others are running completely against the core teaching of Christ. I don't care how much they attend church, pray, tithe, sing, visit the sick or love their children. They are phoney Christians because they ignore the most difficult and demanding part of being a Christian.

[kcchiefsfan611]

I approve of this post. Especially: "I'm a recovering Southern Baptist." I wish you luck.