The truth hurts

Former GOP Colorado congressman and racist wingnut jackass Tom Tancredo appeared alongside the Daily Kos' Markos Moulitas on MSNBC Friday night, and what he thought was a cheap shot from Moulitas, walked off the set. The two were appearing to debate the current health care reform legislation before Congress, with Tancredo pulling out the stops with the melodramatics.

As guest host David Shuster, filling in for Ed Shultz, focussed on the hateful signs of the Teabagging protestors who arrived on Capitol Hill on Thursday, Tancredo refused to apologize for Republican leaders who participated in the event, arguing that at anti-Bush rallies there were many hateful signs as well (but not any openly racist ones), and that their time would be best suited to debate policy and not signs. So, Moulitas addressed the fact that the US military receives public health insurance in his defence of the proposed reform before Congress. Tancredo countered that not only is the popular Medicare program is essentially a threat to American freedom, and that veterans are complaining about their health care and would prefer private insurance or vouchers. Moulitas then called him out on his inane argument and nonsense, bringing up the fact that Tancredo supported the Vietnam War but did not actually serve:

Tom, I'm a veteran. Okay? I did not get a deferment because I was too depressed to fight a war I supported in Vietnam. I'm a veteran. They want a more effective V.A.

Tancredo responded:

You're not going to do that. You're not going to try to insult me that way and then pretend like we're just going on and talk about that. You either apologize...

Moulitas did not apologize, so Tancredo removed his earpiece and walked off the set. He then explained that Republicans have built up an ideology on bashing government and government programs, and that they really fear popular government programs like Medicare, and now the proposed health care reform, because people will be more inclined to vote Democratic because of the party's support for programs that work. Making light of the awkward moment, Shuster joked:

I think he left a little early. The congressman is always welcome on this show. We always appreciate hearing his point of view. It's a feisty one. That's what we like around here.