MSNBC host Joe Scarborough blew up at Republican presidential candidates Tuesday morning for not speaking up against extreme elements of the party, shouting that the voters want someone who has "balls."
The main topic of the morning was the decision of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to exit the presidential race Monday night, the culmination of a stunning downfall from frontrunner to an also-ran in the crowded GOP field. The field has been dominated all summer by people outside of politics, led by businessman Donald Trump and Dr. Ben Carson.
Scarborough was angered by Carson's interview over the weekend where he expressed doubts about a Muslim being president, suggesting he could only support one if the candidate rejected Sharia law. Trump has also stayed steadily atop the polls while making controversial comments about various minority groups and women.
"It's a problem until somebody strong in the Republican Party stands up and speaks out about it," Scarborough said. "I said this about Mitt Romney repeatedly when Glenn Beck was running around calling the president a racist who hated all white people. You have to stand up. This is another Sister Souljah moment! Stop being milquetoasts, Republicans, to your base! They like toughness! They like people who have balls! They like people who fight back! Stop withering in the corner or you're going to end up like Scott Walker!"
A Sister Souljah moment refers to a politician renouncing an extreme element of his or her own party. The term came to light during the 1992 presidential campaign, when Sister Souljah, a hip-hop MC and outspoken political activist, made offensive remarks referring to killing white people. Democratic candidate Bill Clinton sharply rebuked her comments, saying the rhetoric was comparable to that of David Duke.