Joe Scarborough (image via screengrab).
MS NOW's Joe Scarborough was left shouting on Thursday after watching a lengthy clip of a key Republican effectively demanding a religious test for public office to exclude Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, a practicing Muslim.
"While campaigning in Ohio yesterday, Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno suggested El-Sayed is unfit to serve because of his religious beliefs," said Mika Brzezinski. "Here is some of what he said."
"On Monday, I went up and campaigned with Mike Rogers because he’s in a race with somebody that just is an affront to me as an American," said Moreno. "By the way, an affront to me as a naturalized citizen of this country. This character, Abdul El-Sayed, can be nowhere near Washington, D.C. Do you think he understands that concept that our rights come from God Almighty, that Jesus came here for our salvation? He should be nowhere near Washington, D.C., and Mike Rogers is going to kick his [word omitted] on Tuesday."
Scarborough, a former Republican member of Congress himself, was beside himself with anger.
"I don’t even know where to begin," he said, working himself into a shout. "It literally would not have been hard for him to open a little booklet with the Constitution and just read the First Amendment. Not the 22nd Amendment, not the 17th or the 18th. Just the first phrase of the First Amendment, Bernie: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”
Scarborough added that he is a practicing Baptist, who "understands Jesus" as his "personal savior." That said, "I am glad we do not have a state religion. I am glad we are not like Iran, or other countries that force people running for office to be a certain religion or faith. But Bernie says he should not be in the United States Senate because he doesn’t understand the concept of Jesus ... our founders set it up so you can be a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim, an agnostic, an atheist, a Hindu. That makes us Americans."
"And by the way, the pure, un-American hatred of the United States Constitution," Scarborough said. "Why would he admit that he hates the First Amendment? Why would he admit that publicly? It makes no sense to me." The GOP, he added, wants to win by "shredding the constitution. The most basic concept, the first phrase of the First Amendment."
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