African American political advocacy group Color Of Change has called for MSNBC to fire longtime analyst (and even longer-time lightning rod) Pat Buchanan for what it called his "white supremacist ideology."
The advocacy group sent petition letters to its members on Tuesday. The letter said that MSNBC gives Buchanan a platform to pass off his often loaded remarks as "legitimate mainstream political commentary."
While Color of Change cited comments made by Buchanan from as early as March 2008, the advocacy group highlighted Buchanan's new book "Suicide Of A Superpower" and a Saturday appearance on the controversial radio show "The Political Cesspool" (whose host has described his ideology as "pro-white") as current reasons the network should fire Buchanan.
"Buchanan has just published a book which says that increasing racial diversity is a threat to this country and will mean the 'End of White America.' This weekend, to promote his book, he went on a white supremacist radio show..." read the "Fire Pat Buchanan" petition letter.
Buchanan also appeared on NPR's "The Diane Rehm Show" on Tuesday and further discussed his new book and radio show appearance on "Political Cesspool."
He defended his decision to visit the radio show and asked "Am I supposed to go and vet all the people on these shows and get the list from [Anti-Defamation League chief] Abe Foxman on what shows I can go on to?"
He added, "The individual was very interested in the race issue...but I wouldn't be on the program if somebody started calling racial or ethnic names. Or rather, I'd be on it, but I'd say that's the last time we're going on that one."
Buchanan also told Rehm that "the argument that diversity is a strength is a canard. It is nonsense."
Buchanan's new book takes on the racial makeup of the U.S. and has a chapter entitled "The End of White America." Pat Buchanan appeared on Sean Hannity's Fox News show and responded to then-speculative controversy surrounding this particular chapter. Buchanan said he was "not against minorities."
Buchanan has made headlines for other remarks in the past few months. He recently said that African Americans were living on a liberal plantation. He also referred to President Obama as "your boy" during an interview with Al Sharpton (though he strongly disputed that there were any racial overtones to those comments).
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