PBS’s Tavis Smiley: Obamacare Repeal is Like a ‘Drive-By’ Shooting

PBS’s Tavis Smiley likened the repeal of Obamacare to a notorious form of street violence on his Thursday program.

The TV host was in the middle of a segment with liberal activist Sister Simone Campbell, where the two criticized House Speaker Paul Ryan. “They may not be the targets, but there are often innocent victims who … get hit in a drive-by,” said Smiley.  He continued that they “weren’t the target, but you got killed as an innocent bystander.”

“So if [Speaker Ryan] doesn’t see them as the targets, does he see them as potentially innocent persons who are going to get killed in this drive-by?” the PBS host added.

Moments earlier, Smiley disclosed, “I hate to use this analogy, but it’s the best one I can come up with on the spur of the moment.”

Smiley and Campbell also revisited a liberal talking point used against Rep. Ryan when he was the Republican vice-presidential nominee in 2012: That the Wisconsin politician was a bad Catholic due to his budget proposals. “How do you process the fact that a fellow Catholic is leading the charge to pass a health care plan which does not include any of those commandments that you laid out?” wondered Smiley.

(h/t: NewsBusters)

[image via screengrab]

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!