Well, we wouldn’t want to make Geraldo Rivera cry. But the fact is, he didn’t really address the situation. He once again smeared Michelle by bringing up militias, the KKK and neo-Nazis, to whom Michelle has no links and has never had any links (to whom Geraldo has attempted to link Michelle before), rather than just answer the question of whether deportable criminal aliens ought to be deported. And he brought up In Defense of Internment, mischaracterized it as “extolling” Roosevelt’s internment, rather than answer the question at hand. That’s called changing the subject. And he said he “cringes” nearly every time he sees Michelle on Fox. Well ain’t that a shame.

We have 100% preventable crimes and we have a government that’s supposed to enforce the laws that would lead to those preventions. What would Geraldo do about them? We still don’t know. We do know than when confronted with facts, Geraldo either distracts with emotion, or attacks his critics with smears and innuendo. When he isn’t actually lying on national TV. So today’s performance is just a reversion to the usual form.

I’m just surprised he didn’t bring up John Lennon. Because, you know, he was an illegal alien too.

Exit question for Geraldo: Was LBJ’s “war on poverty” an actual, violent war on poor people? Or are you just once again trying to smear an opponent who has beaten you on the facts time and time again?

Update (AP): MM responds:

Geraldo says he “cringes” whenever I’m on Fox. I’ll tell you exactly why. It’s not because of any principled objection he has to the arguments I’ve made in my books (which he hasn’t read), columns, blog posts, and tee-vee appearances. It’s because the mere existence of conservative-thinking minorities who reject his tired old brand of identity politics threatens his race/ethnic-card-playing schtick. He can no longer dismiss all immigration enforcement proponents as racists without looking like a fool or tool, because there are countless, vocal numbers of them like me who have skin as brown as his. He cringes because he knows I’m not alone. He cringes because I’ll call out his bullcrap to his face without feeling any need to soften the blow or suck up in a collegial manner. He’s a know-it-all who knows nothing about the deportation abyss–and he masks his fundamental ignorance with incoherent indignance.