The Radio Equalizer: Brian Maloney: Sharpton Doubles Down, Shuster Backs Him Up, Blames Rush

VIOLENT 'FREE PASS'?

Hey Al, Jesse: Do What You Like In Sanford!

Did you know that counting Rush Limbaugh among your enemies justifies almost any protest action, including violence in the streets?

That's the bizarre "logic" used to give Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson a "free pass" in Florida to do what they like.

Given heightened tensions over the Trayvon Martin case, that kind of rhetoric is more than irresponsible, it's downright incendiary. And yet former MSNBC talker David Shuster, now of CurrentTV, didn't hesitate to pour gasoline on a fire during today's Bill Press Show.

Take a look:

DAVID SHUSTER (11:00): I think the other problem that Rush Limbaugh has is I think there is an intellectually solid argument for the idea that maybe Al Sharpton maybe Jesse Jackson might be going a little bit too far right now that we should, yes we should bring attention to the fact that the police did a lousy job, they should have arrested the guy.

You can bring attention to that. I think the calls for civil disobedience right now until we have some more facts maybe a little bit premature. But the fact that there’s Rush Limbaugh pounding on Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton I think gives Sharpton and Jesse Jackson a free pass. And essentially Sharpton and Jesse Jackson can do whatever they want now because their opponent is Rush Limbaugh.

So we can take this to mean Sharpton, Jackson et al aren't responsible for the resulting body count?

Meanwhile, the reverend himself isn't backing down one bit, despite taking some flak from a local NAACP chapter. From yesterday's syndicated Keeping It Real program:

BERNICE IN DETROIT: Florida is very segregated down there so therefore they wouldn't have no need for our [referring to African-Americans] help whatsoever because they don't want to commit themselves to doing wrong. But I do suggest this, in the interim why can’t they boycott because you know money talks. Can’t the blacks down there boycott their businesses down there?

AL SHARPTON: Well, I said over the weekend that we need to escalate and start talking I was talking about corporations that are supporting this [Stand Your Ground] law and all of that. And when people thought I was talking about the local they went crazy. I wasn’t even talking about that.

But I don’t think we should take anything off the table because I think you got to do what is going to be effective. I think we ought to come to collective agreement. But I think to say we’re going to take things off the table and not sit down and agree where we’re going withdraw from. I think is not to be serious. I think we’ve got to keep it moving forward and they’ve got to understand that we are serious.