One week after mocking comedian and Tea Party activist Jim Labriola as "no brain trust," HLN host Joy Behar brought him onto the Joy Behar Show Monday to discuss his involvement in the movement. Behar was surprised by his contention that he had seen no racism or anger at the events he has attended, except from anti-Tea Party protesters, with the HLN host responding: "No, that doesn`t make sense because we`ve seen the footage of them showing things, woman walking with a monkey, another one having Obama in white face."
After Behar, who admitted last week "I'm scared to go" to Tea Party events, asked if Labriola had seen any African-Americans at events he attended, he asserted that half the people he appeared with on stage were minorities, and criticized the media for ignoring black and Hispanic Tea Party members: "I noticed the news never showed any of the black speakers or the Mexican kid and all that."
The comedian and alum of the TV series Home Improvement had earlier commented on the absence of racism or anger by Tea Party participants at events:
JIM LABRIOLA: I believe they`re for smaller government, and the thing I will say, in my travels with them, this is the God`s honest truth, I did not see any racist, anybody that was racist.
JOY BEHAR: For real?
LABRIOLA: I didn`t see angry people. The only racist and angry people, personally, that I saw were some of the protesters that showed up. And that`s a fact. They even had-
BEHAR: Protesters against the Tea Party?
LABRIOLA: Against the Tea Party.
BEHAR: No, that doesn`t make sense because we`ve seen the footage of them showing things, woman walking with a monkey, another one having Obama in white face. In the strange-
LABRIOLA: I didn`t see any of that.
Also of note, after asking if Labriola had met Sarah Palin, Behar thought it amusing to ask if the comedian had "hit on" Palin's daughter Bristol:
BEHAR: So did you meet Sarah Palin?
LABRIOLA: Yes, I did in Boston.
BEHAR: And what did you think of her?
LABRIOLA: Pretty hot looking.
BEHAR: She`s very hot. We all know she`s a beautiful woman.
LABRIOLA: She was very gracious, very friendly, very nice-
BEHAR: Did you hit on Bristol?
LABRIOLA: No.
BEHAR: Okay, just asking.
Below is a complete transcript of the relevant segment from the Monday, April 26, Joy Behar Show on HLN, with critical portions in bold:
JOY BEHAR: Joining me again is Jim Labriola, a comic who went from working in the clubs with me in the day to appearing as a regular on TV`s Home Improvement. These days, however, he can be found entertaining at tea parties. Okay, Jim-
JIM LABRIOLA: How you doing?
BEHAR: How did you get involved with these Tea Parties? I know you`re a member now. I heard it from a real Tea Party person. That`s how come you`re here today. Because I was shocked. I know you for years, and I never knew you had a political interest.
LABRIOLA: This just came about with Victoria Jackson from Saturday Night Live. I have a home also in Tennessee and made a few-
BEHAR: You have a home in Tennessee?
LABRIOLA: Yes, I do.
BEHAR: Where do you live normally? In Brooklyn?
LABRIOLA: No, I live in Florida and have a home in Tennessee.
BEHAR: That`s quite a commute.
LABRIOLA: Yes.
BEHAR: Was this a career move?
LABRIOLA: I did it as a favor. Somebody asked - they were doing it in Nashville, Tennessee. Victoria Jackson from Saturday Night Live asked, would you mind doing time, comedy for them? I drove down a few hours from where I lived and did a little show for them, and the people loved it because, you know, multi-talent. A crowd of 2,000. The rest is history. And they said, "Would you like to do the remaining tour with us?"
BEHAR: I see.
LABRIOLA: And I do believe I would have never done it, but I do believe in a lot of what the people are talking about.
BEHAR: So did you meet Sarah Palin?
LABRIOLA: Yes, I did in Boston.
BEHAR: And what did you think of her?
LABRIOLA: Pretty hot looking.
BEHAR: She`s very hot. We all know she`s a beautiful woman.
LABRIOLA: She was very gracious, very friendly, very nice - see I-
BEHAR: Did you hit on Bristol?
LABRIOLA: No.
BEHAR: Okay, just asking.
LABRIOLA: No, my wife`s got three brothers, please. What happened to Labriola? Looked like a heart attack. Yes, he hung himself.
BEHAR: So Sarah opened for you?
LABRIOLA: Sarah opened for me. She went on first then I closed the show. Right after I went on, everybody left.
BEHAR: So you don`t really know what the Tea Partyers are about? You`re, like, just a thing going along with it?
LABRIOLA: I believe they`re for smaller government, and the thing I will say, in my travels with them, this is the God`s honest truth, I did not see any racist, anybody that was racist.
BEHAR: For real?
LABRIOLA: I didn`t see angry people. The only racist and angry people, personally, that I saw were some of the protesters that showed up. And that`s a fact. They even had-
BEHAR: Protesters against the Tea Party?
LABRIOLA: Against the Tea Party.
BEHAR: No, that doesn`t make sense because we`ve seen the footage of them showing things, woman walking with a monkey, another one having Obama in white face. In the strange-
LABRIOLA: I didn`t see any of that. Now, remember, there`s different Tea Parties that go all over the country. The Tea Party I was on-
BEHAR: Was Alice in Wonderland`s.
LABRIOLA: Yes. Don`t be funny with me. All right?
BEHAR: Look, see, you can see it. Look at this woman.
LABRIOLA: Where?
BEHAR: Okay, "Send Obama back to Kenya."
LABRIOLA: She`s a plant, a plant. Some of these people-
BEHAR: Oh please, a plant?
LABRIOLA: I`m telling you, a plant.
BEHAR: Did you see in your travels, did you see any African-Americans who were Tea Partiers?
LABRIOLA: Yes, I did. As a matter of fact, half the speakers were African-American. They had a Mexican kid called Politics that was a rapper. On the bus I was traveling the only white guy was the bus driver on the bus.
BEHAR: Uh huh, really?
LABRIOLA: I`m serious. I noticed the news never showed any of the black speakers or the Mexican kid and all that. I say this sincerely, the crowds that came out, I didn`t see any, you have a couple of loony bins here and there.
BEHAR: Plenty of loony bins.
LABRIOLA: I didn`t see it.
BEHAR: You want to say something before we go?
LABRIOLA: I wanted to say we just lost a good friend in comedy, Ray Garvey, who booked the-
BEHAR: The Borgada.
LABRIOLA: Atlantic city. Was a doorman there. That`s why I have this shirt. Out of respect-
BEHAR: Sorry to hear that was.
LABRIOLA: It was a great loss. He was a great guy.
BEHAR: Thanks for stopping by.
LABRIOLA: Thank you.
