Ed Schultz & Al Sharpton Have Tense Exchange With Gov. Walker Over Auto Bailout: 'Let Me Finish!

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Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has become known for taking bold stances on a variety of issues. While his treatment of the unions has come under scrutiny by Democrats, on Wednesday night, the politician tackled a very different issue -- the now infamous auto bailout. In an on-air scuffle with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz and Al Sharpton, Walker made his stance against the government's role in the scenario known.

The back-and-forth started when Maddow asked if Walker thought the bailout was ineffective. He responded in the affirmative and emphasized his view that the private sector, not government, offers the best hope for viable sales and growth.

"It wasn’t in Wisconsin," the governor said of the bailout's success. "What we need is true prosperity and that comes really more effectively through the private sector."

Maddow, of course, challenged this assertion, claiming that she was "surprised" to hear Walker would "run down the American auto industry at a moment when it really has come back." The MSNBC host said that Walker's talk about the ineffectiveness of the auto bailout made it seem as though the situation hasn't worked out -- a notion she flatly rejects.

Walker, though, was ready with a response, this time getting even deeper into what he believes should have been done to help reinvigorate auto sales.

"It could have come back more effectively and sooner had they taken the advice of Mitt Romney early on and done a managed bankruptcy instead of spending all those dollars of taxpayers’ money that otherwise could have been done more effectively in the private sector early on," he said, doubling down on his stance, while also slipping in a tidbit of Romney support.

The back-and-forth didn't end there, though. Maddow's criticisms were joined by clamoring from Schultz and Sharpton, who also seemed to believe that a managed bankruptcy wouldn't have been as effective. That led to some raised voices and a tense back-and-forth that forced walker to interject, "Let me finish!"

Watch the showdown, below:

(H/T: Mediaite)

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