MSNBC’s Schultz Loses Debate on Religious Freedom So Bad He Cuts Guest’s Mic Off

01 Apr, 2015 by Warner Todd Huston

Print this article Font size -16+

Ed Schultz, one of MSNBC’s biggest blowhards, was trounced so badly on his own show by a conservative on the subject of Indiana’s religious freedom law that the TV blowhard cut off his guest’s mic in mid speech.

On Tuesday, the Heritage Foundation’s Ryan Anderson appeared on Schultz’ show to talk about the whole religious freedom situation. But after repeatedly slandering Indiana Go. Mike Pence as a “homophobe,” Anderson wasn’t having it any more.

Townhall’s Guy Benson has the story…

Schultz advances one false or misleading narrative after another, then loses his composure when Anderson (or “Mr. Ryan,” as Schultz calls him at one point) replies with rapid-fire factual corrections. Schultz interrupts Anderson’s first answer almost immediately to contest the statement that Indiana’s law is effectively the same as other RFRAs, including the federal law, which have been on the books for many years. They are, in fact, virtually identical, with two relatively minor exceptions: First, the Hoosier State’s law specifies that businesses are free to use RFRA claims to defend themselves from administrative sanctions and lawsuits, and second, it allows RFRA defenses to be mounted within private legal disputes that do not directly involve the government.

Anderson calmly explains that Indiana’s legislative text reflects both the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby precedent, as well as the obvious reality that organizations like the New York Times and MSNBC can exercise First Amendment rights despite being corporations. On the second small distinction, which Schultz didn’t raise, four US circuit courts and the Obama DOJ have affirmed that RFRA protections can apply in cases involving private entities. Defeated on the first point, Schultz moves on: “If a gay couple walks into a restaurant, and I own it,” he bellows, “you’re telling me in Indiana, if I own that restaurant, that I can tell them to get the hell out of here? And you don’t think that’s discrimination? That’s the position of the right wing, correct?”

Incorrect. Anderson challenges Schultz to point out any Indiana business that is denying services as a matter of course to gays and lesbians. Schultz doesn’t respond, perhaps because it isn’t happening. This form of discrimination wouldn’t suddenly be “allowed” to happen under the new law anyway; it simply affords targets of government penalties or lawsuits the recourse of citing RFRA in their own self-defense…with no guarantee of success in court, mind you.

Schultz continues to lose the debate and then just cuts Anderson’s mic off.

That’s how liberals are. When they hear they truth they stick their fingers in their ears and yell, La, La, La, La.