Surprise Takedown Of The Week: Al D’Amato

By Arturo R. García

Even by Fox News standards, the amount of FAIL on this segment from Money Rocks is staggering. But oh, does it on on a funny note.

In discussing why the U.S. Postal Service should be privatized – a foolish idea, but just roll with it here – GOP “strategist” Jack Burkman lets fly with this beauty:

“Most of these guys working in the Post Office should be driving cabs, and I think we should stop importing labor from Nigeria and Ethiopia. That’s about their skill level. They’re only in there because of massive union protection.”

Now, the host, Eric Bolling, lets him off the hook. And columnist S.E. Copp, not to be outdone, brags, “I can deposit a check by taking a photograph of the check with my phone and e-mailing it to my bank!” (Where does she bank, Narnia?). But attorney Tamara Holder – who seconds earlier defends privatizing national security(?!) is the first to call Burkman out on his remarks. And when Burkman tries to defend his assertion that postal workers are “unskilled labor,” former Sen. Al D’Amato (R-NY) lets loose around the 5:19 mark. Language is NSFW, but well worth it.

D’Amato’s certainly had his own share of dumb moments in the past: 15 years ago, in the midst of the O.J. Simpson trial he used a mock-Japanese accent to make fun of Judge Lance Ito. But at least he shows some decency here. Disconcertingly, though, Bolling allows Burkman to close the segment with some more frightening remarks:

“… The reality is that many in the American ‘Middle,’ like postal workers, are really unskilled labor who should have been pushed down for market reasons, but because of union and government pressures, we import labor at the bottom and keep these people here. That’s a very true statement.”

Of course, in cases like this it’s always good to remember The Daily Show’s lesson on how this guy became one of those That Guys: