Rose Tennent on Obama ad: "[D]on't put that jive out there in front of me, devil, and tell me that these people are hurting when they are not hurting"

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On the October 30 broadcast of The War Room, co-host Rose Tennent said of the families featured in Sen. Barack Obama's 30-minute ad: “Well, OK. They were sad stories, but I'm looking at the background. I'm not looking at the person talking in their home, I'm looking at what they have in their home. They have color television sets; they have everything that I have in my house. I'll bet you they have an iPod, I bet you they have, you know -- I'll bet they have a lot of luxuries in that home. They are not poor.” Tennent later said: “So don't put -- don't put that jive out there in front of me, devil, and tell me that these people are hurting when they are not hurting. All they need to do is make some cuts and figure out a way to do this.”

As Media Matters for America has documented, on the October 18, 2006, edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, Bill O'Reilly claimed that “here at home, people have a very high standard of living” because "[e]ven the poor have color television sets and pretty much everything they need."

Earlier in the broadcast, Tennent said of Obama, “Last night in his infomercials -- finally I had to say to David [Tennent's son], 'Turn the TV off. It's like I'm inviting the devil into my house.' ” She added: “Yes, that's what I said: I'm inviting the devil into my house.” Co-host Jim Quinn replied, “Well, I'm sorry, but if you're a Marxist, you are engaged in an economic and social philosophy that has killed 200 million people, and does it every time. It is evil, it is -- and it kills the human spirit.”

Tennent has previously asserted that, “I don't think you can be a Christian and vote for Barack Obama.”

From the October 30 broadcast of The War Room with Quinn & Rose:

TENNENT: Last night in his infomercials -- finally I had to say to David, “Turn the TV off. It's like I'm inviting the devil into my house.” Yes, that's what I said: I'm inviting the devil into my house.

QUINN: Well, I'm sorry, but if you're a Marxist, you are engaged in an economic and social philosophy --

TENNENT: Evil. Evil philosophy.

QUINN: -- that has killed 200 million people, and does it every time. It is evil, it is -- and it kills the human spirit.

TENNENT: I'll say it one more time --

QUINN: Marxism is evil.

TENNENT: That's right. I didn't want the devil invited into my house. Just in case anyone missed that -- Media Matters, anybody -- the devil invited into my house.

QUINN: That'll be on Media Matters within minutes.

TENNENT: I don't even care -- who pays attention into them? Anyway --

QUINN: I know -- you know, every time you say something that shows up in Media Matters, we have two or three emails pour in.

TENNENT: Wow. Geez, I know, it's just overwhelming to me.

QUINN: Yeah. By the way, did you hear about all the angry people who called our affiliate in Rochester --

TENNENT: Yeah, because we weren't on. Those are the numbers that count --

QUINN: That's right. You got it.

TENNENT: -- those are the people that matter. Anyway, back to this infomercial last night where the devil was coming into my house. They were having -- they were featuring these families who were in need. Well, OK. They were sad stories, but I'm looking at the background. I'm not looking at the person talking in their home, I'm looking at what they have in their home. They have color television sets; they have everything that I have in my house. I'll bet you they have an iPod, I bet you they have, you know -- I'll bet they have a lot of luxuries in that home. They are not poor.

QUINN: No.

TENNENT: And I'll bet you they have cable TV. Now here's what I want to say. I watched a family on Fox News about a month ago, when the gas prices were the highest they ever were, and this family was on with their two children, and the children were upset because the family had to cut out cable in their home to make --

QUINN: Oh, no.

TENNENT: No, no, they were a good family. Listen, they knew that what they had to do is make cuts other places.

QUINN: Oh, I get it, OK.

TENNENT: This is how we used to live. You live according to your means, right? My husband's grandfather used to say, “Live below your means so you never have to.” OK?

QUINN: Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

TENNENT: So, this is how we -- our country was this way. If you couldn't afford something, then you didn't buy it. If you needed something else more, then you didn't buy the iPod. Do you understand?

QUINN: Sure.

TENNENT: I've lived a long time without an iPod. You can do it; it can happen. So don't put -- don't put that jive out there in front of me, devil, and tell me that these people are hurting when they are not hurting. All they need to do is make some cuts and figure out a way to do this. Roll up your collective sleeves and get it done. You know what? There are Republicans out there in the same position as those people on that show last night, and they're doing it. You figure out where you make a cut, and you make it. That's how everybody lives.

QUINN: You got a choice: You could be Louisiana, or you could be Mississippi after Katrina.

TENNENT: Don't run that jive by me. I'll tell you what, I was so offended by that. I am not buying that stuff.

QUINN: Well, you know, this is an old trick of the left.

TENNENT: I had the devil in my house last night.

QUINN: That's right.