CNN Host Calls Out Darrell Issa For Defending Hateful and Demeaning Anti-Obama Comments

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CNN State Of The Union host Gloria Borger called out Rep. Darrell Issa for defending the hateful and demeaning remarks that Rudy Giuliani made about President Obama.

Video:

Transcript via CNN:

REP. DARRELL ISSA (R), CALIFORNIA: Well, I don’t think Rudy’s ever going to get the dust from Ground Zero out of his lungs.

He was there during the fall of those towers. So, for him to take personally a president whose policies have left Israel hanging, have left our Arab allies not trusting us, have left — let ISIL, as the governor said, go from being called a J.V. team as they took on more territory expansively from Algeria to Iraq than, in fact, the size of Texas, so the reality is that Rudy has taken our debate — and I think we should thank him for this part of it — back to national security, to the key element that the president should be focusing on.

He needs to call it Islamic terrorism. He can’t be looking at everything through the vision that, somehow, if you treat people better, if we’re more democratic, you’re not going to have terrorism, and then have his own secretary telling people they have to be vigilant if they go to a mall in Minnesota. The reality is that we are losing the war against — against

Islamic fundamentalists around the world. And they — it is not about religion, he says, but it is about religion. These people hate us for who we are and who we’re not. And if we don’t get on board with allies we can find and root out these terrorist organizations, then America will not be safe.

They’re saying it on this Sunday, and yet, at the same time, we have a haphazard no-boots-on-the-grounds effort around the globe. And that’s just not right. And Rudy cares passionately about America’s national security.

And one thing to remember about Rudy. He governed a city that was majority, vast majority Democratic. He’s not a partisan politician in any real way. But he cares a great deal.

BORGER: Oh, these were — these were pretty partisan comments, though. These were.

ISSA: Well, you know what? When President Obama — but when President Obama implied that — actually, he said that Bush was unpatriotic for his spending in 2008, that was wrong, too.

There’s plenty of that kind of behavior that goes on. But the policies that Rudy is talking about on the trail are important. And the policies have to be about national security.

…..

BORGER: Right. But there’s one thing to have frustration with the president, and there’s another thing to demean the president.

(CROSSTALK)

ISSA: Yes, but, Gloria — but, Gloria, we — we — if we wanted to get — get on top of the vice president every time he says something flip and foolish or vulgar, we could have this discussion every Sunday.

BORGER: Well, but — let me just say something about — let me just say something about that, Congressman Issa.

ISSA: The fact is, the story — the story — the…

BORGER: The vice president may very well be clumsy, but these remarks were hateful.

Borger not only called out Issa for pushing the Giuliani/Biden false equivalency, she also busted Republicans for using hateful language towards the president. The idea that President Obama doesn’t love his country has been tolerated and enabled for far too long by the mainstream media.

Disagreeing with Obama does not give Republicans the right to demean and traffic in hate speech against this president. The willingness of Republicans like Giuliani, Issa, and John McCain to disrespect the president speaks volumes about the lack respect for the office of the presidency that has been running rampant through the GOP since President Obama took office.

An improving economy and rising poll numbers are forcing the media to change their tune a bit when it comes to Obama. Republicans are so deeply lost in their own Obama hate that they don’t realize that the president isn’t running in 2016.

The political climate is changing, and for once, CNN didn’t let Darrell Issa’s hateful and demeaning comments slide.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association