While discussing Republican attacks on House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Monday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Hardball,” host Chris Matthews referred to attacks on Pelosi as “ethnic politics” and stated that attacking people from the coasts who are “usually ethnic” is an old tactic by Republicans.

Matthews said, “Picking on somebody from one of the coasts, usually ethnic, and making them the poster person of the Democratic Party is old business for the Republicans. They did it with — way back to some guy from the Bronx back in the 40s. They did it with Bella Abzug from the west side of New York City. They did it to Tip O’Neill. They did it to Teddy Kennedy. Now, they’re doing it after Nancy Pelosi. They love to get an ethnic sort of person from one of the coasts and make them the bad person.”

He later asked, “What about this ethnic politics? Okay, Nancy Pelosi is — looks well-off. She’s well-dressed. You know, she seems like somebody who comes from well — pretty good circumstances, but is that why they go after her? Why do they go after Pelosi? Why do they go after all of these people?”

(h/t Daily Caller)

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