Colorado tanker:
I think what Matthews is trying to do is imply that Republicans are anti ethnic-Catholic. He himself is an Irish-Catholic so he implicitly is saying that the reason that Pelosi is getting attacked is because of her ethnic (Italian) and Catholic background.
You are correct what this is sort of the attitude that WASP had towards Italians, Poles and Irish as well. Unfortunately for the Left, there are many Americans of Italian ancestry, the late Justice Scalia, current Justice Alito, former mayor Giuliani, former Justice Department attorney DiGenova who left the identity politics of the left during the Reagan movement (which would include me as well).
Pelosi Goes Popeing
“Hey, lady, ssst! Hey, come over here.”
“What? You talkin’ tah me?”
“Hey, yeah. Look, I sella you some tickets, you get audience with da Pope.”
“Don’t you recognize me? I was the House Speaker!”
“Hey, yeah, listen, I’ma the spic inna my house, too. You wanna tickets or not?”
“Well, I...”
“I give ‘em to you cheap. Say, whattsamattuh you face?”
“What do you mean?”
“Issa all, I dunno, stretched like-uh cheap skin job.”
“You mean, like, I’m a Cylon?”
“Whassa Cylon?”
“You don’t get Battlestar Galactica?”
“Hey, if iss inna da Vatican, I getta you in.”