Lawrence O'Donnell to Rep. Steve King: How Do We Know You Aren't a Muslim?

I’ve always thought better of politicians who make themselves available in the lions’ dens that are networks like MSNBC. Lawrence O’Donnell spent and inordinate amount of attention of the President’s religion. He makes an insane leap of logic from King’s remarks:

You were in a constituents meeting, and one of your constituents said, you know, he doesn’t have American experience. You said, he, this is what you said about the President of the United States. “He doesn’t have an American experience. He does not have an American experience,” and the constituent then said to you, “He didn’t grow up in America.

… to this:

O’DONNELL: Should I take you at your word or should I maybe suspect you’re a Muslim? Do you have a Christian ID you can show me and prove to me you’re a Christian?

Because King accurately pointed out that President Obama had a vastly different upbringing from the majority of his constituents by way of growing up in Indonesia and being raised a Muslim? Unless O’Donnell views it as a negative, I fail to see the harm in mentioning how remarkable and full of opportunity our country is – you don’t see other countries whose liberty affords such a professional trajectory for their citizens.

And of course, this experience may account for the President’s inability to overcome his hostility to small businesses: he was raised by people, surrounded by people, who don’t support the free market freedom that sets the stage for his success to be replicated.

Instead, O’Donnell was hunting for bear, or rather some sort of sound bite from King that would validate O’Donnell’s previously-formed prejudice against anything conservative.

And MSNBC calls this content.