On the Wednesday, April 30, PoliticsNation, Al Sharpton charged that the Republican Party "demonizes the working class" and that GOPers "attack the working poor" as the MSNBC host trashed Republicans for opposing a minimum wage increase. [See video below.]
After a clip of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell charging that Democrats are "just not serious about helping the middle class," Sharpton shot back:
Did he just say that with a straight face? Not serious about helping the middle class? This comes from a politician who's in the Republican Party that demonizes the working class and fights for the one percent.
Then, after playing a clip of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid accusing Republicans of "fighting for billionaires," Sharpton added:
So they attack the working poor and fight for the billionaire Koch brothers.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Wednesday, April 30, PoliticsNation on MSNBC:
AL SHARPTON (AFTER NOTING THAT TWO STATES RECENTLY RAISED THE STATE MINIMUM WAGE): But at the federal level, Republicans offered up the same old tired excuses for saying no.
(SENATOR JOHN CORNYN (R-TX))
(SENATOR MIKE ENZI (R-WY))
MITCH MCCONNELL, SENATE MINORITY LEADER: Washington Democrats are just not serious about helping the middle class.
SHARPTON: Did he just say that with a straight face? Not serious about helping the middle class? This comes from a politician who's in the Republican Party that demonizes the working class and fights for the one percent. Senator Harry Reid hit that point after the vote today.
HARRY REID, SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: They're fighting for billionaires. We're fighting for people struggling to make a living.
SHARPTON: So they attack the working poor and fight for the billionaire Koch brothers. Americans for Prosperity, the conservative group backed by the Kochs, urged the Senators to vote no on the minimum wage hike. And Republicans were more than happy to do their bidding.
