On Morning Joe today, Carlos Watson "joked" that fear of Pres. Obama drove Rush Limbaugh to take pills. Watson is not some night-time MSNBC pundit paid to proffer controversial opinions. MSNBC has given Watson the daily 11 AM slot. The network describes him as the host of a "news recap" show.
Watson was riffing off a discussion of Rush's suggestion that Sanford's inability to prevent federal stimulus funds from coming into South Carolina, and his concerns about the federal government taking over, had pushed him to decide that he simply wanted to enjoy life.
That eventually led to Watson's unseemly remark.
CARLOS WATSON: Actually it was the fear of Obama that also caused Rush to use the pills.
You'll note from her pained reaction that fellow panelist Suzy Welch [author, and wife of former GE CEO Jack] didn't see the humor in Watson's remark, while Willie Geist gently reproached him: "oh, come on now." In contrast, Andrea Mitchell reacted approvingly.
ANDREA MITCHELL: I love it. No personal responsibility. As Gail Collins said in the New York Times, maybe we need more women in politics because these guys don't seem to be able to control their "stimulus."
Note: Beyond its nastiness, Watson's crack was simply nonsensical. Rush informed his audience of his addiction to pain medication in 2003, nearly six years before Pres. Obama took office.
