Republicans Aren't Liking Racist Rancher Cliven Bundy So Much Now

Top conservatives back away from Bundy after racist remarks.

They Almost Had It All - Not so long ago, conservative lawmakers and pundits were like a bunch of love-struck teenage boys lining up to dance with the new girl, or in this case, conservative Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy. What could be a bigger turn-on than his very public stand against the evils of big government demonstrated by his refusal to pay the feds the million dollars owed for grazing his cattle on public land. Then he started uttering words like "Negro" and "picking cotton" and "slavery," and the romance died. Here are Bundy's most egregious remarks and some of his fellow conservatives' break-up lines. —Joyce Jones (@BETpolitichick) (Photo: David Becker/Getty Images)

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They Almost Had It All - Not so long ago, conservative lawmakers and pundits were like a bunch of love-struck teenage boys lining up to dance with the new girl, or in this case, conservative Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy. What could be a bigger turn-on than his very public stand against the evils of big government demonstrated by his refusal to pay the feds the million dollars owed for grazing his cattle on public land. Then he started uttering words like "Negro" and "picking cotton" and "slavery," and the romance died. Here are Bundy's most egregious remarks and some of his fellow conservatives' break-up lines. —Joyce Jones (@BETpolitichick) (Photo: David Becker/Getty Images)

What Bundy Knows About the Negro - I want to tell you one more thing I know about the Negro,” Bundy said in an interview with the New York Times. While driving past a public housing project in North Las Vegas, he noted, “In front of that government house the door was usually open and the older people and the kids — and there is always at least a half a dozen people sitting on the porch — they didn’t have nothing to do. They didn’t have nothing for their kids to do. They didn’t have nothing for their young girls to do.”  (Photo: George Frey/Getty Images

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What Bundy Knows About the Negro - I want to tell you one more thing I know about the Negro,” Bundy said in an interview with the New York Times. While driving past a public housing project in North Las Vegas, he noted, “In front of that government house the door was usually open and the older people and the kids — and there is always at least a half a dozen people sitting on the porch — they didn’t have nothing to do. They didn’t have nothing for their kids to do. They didn’t have nothing for their young girls to do.”  (Photo: George Frey/Getty Images

Better Off Slaves? - "And because they were basically on government subsidy, so now what do they do? They abort their young children, they put their young men in jail, because they never learned how to pick cotton," Bundy told the New York Times. "And I’ve often wondered, are they better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things, or are they better off under government subsidy? They didn’t get no more freedom. They got less freedom." (Photo: David Becker/Getty Images)

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Better Off Slaves? - "And because they were basically on government subsidy, so now what do they do? They abort their young children, they put their young men in jail, because they never learned how to pick cotton," Bundy told the New York Times. "And I’ve often wondered, are they better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things, or are they better off under government subsidy? They didn’t get no more freedom. They got less freedom." (Photo: David Becker/Getty Images)

If You Lie Down With Dogs - "They basically pick their friends based on who their 'enemies' are. In this case, a lot of people in conservative media have raced to this guy’s defense," Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough said of some of his fellow conservatives. "They must be feeling very exposed,” he said.  (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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If You Lie Down With Dogs - "They basically pick their friends based on who their 'enemies' are. In this case, a lot of people in conservative media have raced to this guy’s defense," Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough said of some of his fellow conservatives. "They must be feeling very exposed,” he said.  (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Denial - "I didn’t say nothing about picking cotton," Bundy said in an interview with conservative radio host Alex Jones. The controversial rancher also said that he believes The Times should print a retraction. "I think they should do that. They make it a racist-type thing. I'm not racist," he said.  (Photo: George Frey/Getty Images

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Denial - "I didn’t say nothing about picking cotton," Bundy said in an interview with conservative radio host Alex Jones. The controversial rancher also said that he believes The Times should print a retraction. "I think they should do that. They make it a racist-type thing. I'm not racist," he said.  (Photo: George Frey/Getty Images

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He's Just Wondering - "If they think I’m racist, they’re totally wrong,” Bundy told Jones. "Again, I’m wondering: Are you better off under the old system of slavery or are they better off under the welfare slavery that they're under now?" (Photo: REUTERS/Steve Marcus)

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He's Just Wondering - "If they think I’m racist, they’re totally wrong,” Bundy told Jones. "Again, I’m wondering: Are you better off under the old system of slavery or are they better off under the welfare slavery that they're under now?" (Photo: REUTERS/Steve Marcus)

Freedom of Speech - "Maybe I sinned ... and maybe I don't know what I actually said. ... If I say Negro or Black or slave ... if those people cannot take those kind of words and not be [offended], then Martin Luther King hasn't got his job done yet. ... We need to get over this prejudice stuff," Bundy said in a CNN interview. (Photo: CNN)

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Freedom of Speech - "Maybe I sinned ... and maybe I don't know what I actually said. ... If I say Negro or Black or slave ... if those people cannot take those kind of words and not be [offended], then Martin Luther King hasn't got his job done yet. ... We need to get over this prejudice stuff," Bundy said in a CNN interview. (Photo: CNN)

Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) - "His comments are inaccurate and degrading, and I think they are sad,” said Utah U.S. Rep Rob Bishop. "Unless I am missing something, I don’t think it had any relevance to the situation he has, but the fact that he said them does not help his situation, does not help his case, does not help his credibility."  (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) - "His comments are inaccurate and degrading, and I think they are sad,” said Utah U.S. Rep Rob Bishop. "Unless I am missing something, I don’t think it had any relevance to the situation he has, but the fact that he said them does not help his situation, does not help his case, does not help his credibility."  (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus - "Bundy’s comments are completely beyond the pale. Both highly offensive and 100 percent wrong on race," said Reince Priebus, RNC chairman. (Photo: T.J. Kirkpatrick/Getty Images)

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Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus - "Bundy’s comments are completely beyond the pale. Both highly offensive and 100 percent wrong on race," said Reince Priebus, RNC chairman. (Photo: T.J. Kirkpatrick/Getty Images)

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul - "His remarks on race are offensive and I wholeheartedly disagree with him," Sen. Paul said in a statement. (Photo: Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

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Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul - "His remarks on race are offensive and I wholeheartedly disagree with him," Sen. Paul said in a statement. (Photo: Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

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Sean Hannity - "His comments are beyond repugnant to me, they are beyond despicable to me, they are beyond ignorant to me," said conservative commentator Sean Hannity. "I don't even want to hear it anymore. It's obnoxious, ignorant. It reminds me of Todd Akin."  (Photo: Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images)

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Sean Hannity - "His comments are beyond repugnant to me, they are beyond despicable to me, they are beyond ignorant to me," said conservative commentator Sean Hannity. "I don't even want to hear it anymore. It's obnoxious, ignorant. It reminds me of Todd Akin."  (Photo: Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images)

Michael Steele - Bundy's racist remarks "undermine the broader, more important goals to rebrand and reestablish a conversation with a community that looks suspiciously upon most of the things you say," former RNC chairman Michael Steele told New York Magazine.  (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Michael Steele - Bundy's racist remarks "undermine the broader, more important goals to rebrand and reestablish a conversation with a community that looks suspiciously upon most of the things you say," former RNC chairman Michael Steele told New York Magazine.  (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)