Sometimes stupid is so overwhelming and violent that it is painful. A conservative Hispanic, Alfonso Aguilar, was a guest on an MSNBC’s show (no one really knows the name of it because no one watches it that long) hosted by leftwing nutbag and race-baiter, Melissa Harris-Perry. Most of us are familiar with Harris-Perry from her work. For instance, she has mocked the infant adopted grandchild of Mitt Romney because he’s black. She has stuck tampons in her ears worn tampon earrings to make a point about abortion (what it was, no one is quite sure because tampons are not really associated with pregnancy). And, of course, she has stated that the idea that your children are, well, yours is outmoded and children belong to all of us (hey, Melissa, if you want to help with college tuition for my kids, let me know.)

Anyway, the subject was [mc_name name=’Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’R000570′ ] and this surreal conversation took place:

ALFONSO AGUILAR: But let’s be fair. If there’s somebody who is a hard worker when he goes to Washington, it’s [mc_name name=’Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’R000570′ ]. Not only works with the Republicans but Democrats. You know very well that I work on [the] immigration issue, trying to get Republicans to support immigration reform. [mc_name name=’Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’R000570′ ] is somebody who has supported immigration reform, has worked with somebody like [mc_name name=’Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’G000535′ ]. [mc_name name=’Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’G000535′ ] is very respectful, speaks highly of [mc_name name=’Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’R000570′ ]. This is somebody who’s trying to govern.

MELISSA HARRIS-PERRY: Alfonso, I feel you. But I just want to pause on one thing. Because I don’t disagree with you that I actually think Mr. Ryan is a great choice for this role. But I want us to be super careful when we use the language “hard worker,” because I actually keep an image of folks working in cotton fields on my office wall, because it is a reminder about what hard work looks like. So, I feel you that he’s a hard worker. I do. But in the context of relative privilege, and I just want to point out that when you talk about work-life balance and being a hard worker, the moms who don’t have health care who are working–

AGUILAR: I understand that.

HARRIS-PERRY: But, we don’t call them hard workers. We call them failures. We call them people who are sucking off the system.

AGUILAR: No, no, no, no.

HARRIS-PERRY: No, no. Really, ya’ll do. That is really what you guys do as a party.

AGUILAR: That is very unfair. I think we cannot generalize about the Republican Party.

HARRIS-PERRY: That’s true. Not all Republicans. That is certainly true.

That alleged picture on Harris-Perry’s wall is the closest she has ever come to work, hard or otherwise. Harris-Perry comes from an affluent family. She attended a series of expensive private universities. Naturally, because of family influence, she went from grad school into academia. She and her husband are notorious income tax scofflaws. When she criticizes anyone for “sucking off the system” it simply demonstrates her rather warped perspective on her own lack of accomplishments.

I’ve held manual labor jobs (laborer, welder, sheet metal mechanic) and professional jobs and I can tell you that hard work comes in all colors and shapes — except the very privileged color and shape of Harris-Perry. I’ve dragged myself home after a 12-hour day in an un-air-conditioned fabrication facility but I’ve also put in 18-hour days on Saturday and Sunday working on business proposal and then pitching them during the week. Both left me physically beat but the latter also produced insomnia and chronic tiredness. In terms of relative freedom and time available to spend with friends and family, the mope out in the cotton field has the Speaker of the House beat all to hell.