Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) repeatedly dodged questions from MSNBC's Joe Scarborough Thursday about Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's recent incendiary remarks about the Koch Brothers.
Reid has attacked the Kochs as "un-American" and made other blistering remarks with bizarre regularity on the Senate floor, and the Morning Joe host took exception, repeatedly asking Schumer if he agreed with his colleague's assessment.
"Let me just say this," Schumer said. "When David Koch does ads that say cut government and you cut NIH, far more about cancer research is hurt than the good he does, which he should get credit for giving to charity. Private charity cannot deal with the major problems we face as good and noble as a thing as it is."
"But Senator, can't we have a disagreement how charity is funded without calling somebody un-American?" Scarborough asked. "Because I don't believe money should be funneled through inefficient bureaucracies? Can't we have an agreement ho to fund private charities without calling somebody un-American?"
Schumer protested that Koch's commercials should not be allowed and were not "part of the American mainstream," adding that no two people should have such huge influence over politics. Scarborough retorted whether liberal billionaires like Tom Steyer or well-funded operations like MoveOn.org should be considered "un-American" as well.
"I think the commercials he is running are against the American grain and un-American, yes," Schumer said. "I think what Harry Reid was saying the actions are un-American and they are and they should change ... In running those ads, absolutely. In giving to charity, no."
[H/T America Rising]