After Texas Senator Ted Cruz gave a rousing speech at the American Israel Public Relations Committee Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., on Monday, MSNBC contributor Howard Fineman tried to slam the GOP presidential candidate by claiming that he and many other evangelicals “love conspiracy theories because they believe in the devil,” whom he asserted is viewed as “the ultimate conspiracist.”
Fineman also criticized Cruz by stating he views things “from a religious perspective” that is “perfectly in tune with evangelical Christians, which is why -- even though Donald Trump is going to get some of them on this issue and others -- Cruz is closer to the evangelical heart and will stay there.”
The liberal commentator also discussed other GOP candidates in this year's presidential election who spoke at the pro-Israel event. He claimed that “Ted Kasich” -- whose first name is actually John -- is “programmatically cautious” while Donald Trump is “pandering” to Jewish Republicans.
However, Fineman saved his sharpest barbs for Cruz, whom he charged “really does” view things “from a religious perspective.”
“We talk about Ted Cruz as a college debate champ,” the liberal panelist asserted. “Well, he's also the son of a preacher, and here he got to put the two together, and that's the way his mind works.”
Fineman's comments drew fire from soopermexican at the Right Scoop website, who responded sarcastically:
Huffington Post moron and MSNBC crap-analyst Howard Fineman made a brilliant assessment of Ted Cruz’s popularity, saying that evangelicals love conspiracy theories because they believe in the devil.
“Wow,” the Right Scoop poster stated after watching a video of Fineman's remarks. “Great bigoted analysis there.”
Soopermexican continued:
I guess there aren’t any atheist conspiracy theorists? How about all those Islamist morons who keep blaming an American and Jewish conspiracy on all bad things in the world?
This idiot would never make such broad generalizations of any other religious group, but he’s more than happy to smear Christians on that cesspool of liberal idiocy, MSNBC.
As NewsBusters previously reported, this isn't the first time Fineman has attacked Republicans and Christians.
In November of 2014, he wildly spun a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll that showed just 38 percent of people in this country supported President Barack Obama's planned executive amnesty while 48 percent opposed it. He claimed that it's possible "some" of those opposed are against it from Obama's left, thinking it doesn't go far enough.
One month later, Fineman had to admit it was a shame that Obama did not attend a unity rally in Paris, but he instead pointed to a speech made during the recent Golden Globes award show by actor-director George Clooney.
Like many others attending the event, Clooney expressed his sympathy for the people at the French satirical Charlie Hebdo magazine, which was attacked by terrorists for displaying cartoon versions of the prophet Muhammad.
“I think it's sad that in a way, George -- we didn't have the president or the secretary of state over there, but at least we had George Clooney, and that's not to be dismissed,” Fineman asserted.
In July, Fineman smeared conservatives primary voters, saying that Donald Trump's comments on immigration indicate "xenophobia" "sells in New Hampshire and Iowa."
The former editor of Newsweek who is now with the Huffington Post was asked: “What does it say about the Republican Party that this guy seems to have momentum?”
He replied: “Well, it says that the Republican Party's an even bigger mess than the Democratic Party at this point.”
During the October 21 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, Fineman predicted: “Vice President Joe Biden will wait quite some time until he formally endorses Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, possibly even waiting until the last minute at the Democratic convention itself.”
“And I think it's going to be a big dramatic moment,” the liberal contributor said, “and Joe Biden is going to draw it out as long as possible."
In yet another appearance on Hardball, Fineman tried on January 20 to use the local government mismanagement crisis in Flint, Michigan, as an albatross around the necks of GOP Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Republican primary front-runner Donald Trump.
"Trump wants to abolish the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) altogether,” the liberal contributor asserted, while “Cruz claims not to want to abolish the EPA but wants to get rid of virtually every program” in it.
As with many liberal pundits, Fineman obviously doesn't believe in the devil -- so he can never wriggle out of a controversial comment by using the excuse “The devil made me do it.”
