Turning on the tube this morning, you had to wonder whether you were actually watching Morning Joe, or a rerun of Saturday Night Live's satire of Mika Brzezinski's histrionics on the show.
The doubt arose because Mika gave an exceptionally emotional performance that seemed like a virtual parody of the parody. As others spoke, Mika interrupted with excited yells.
Check the mash-up below.
Note: the substance of the segment was two-fold. First, a prepared tribute to the heroism of Robert Mueller as a young Marine in Vietnam—with the obligatory comparison to President Trump. Second, a glorification of the performance of Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer in their White House meeting yesterday with President Trump.
A partial transcript is below.
Morning Joe12/12/18
JOE SCARBOROUGH: [Referring to White House meeting among Trump, Pelosi and Schumer] More than just lurid political entertainment --
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Uh-h-h-h!
. . . .
WILLIE GEIST: Joe, there's no turning back from that one, is there?
BRZEZINSKI: Oh my God!. . .
SCARBOROUGH: The expression, taking candy from a baby --
BRZEZINSKI: Y-e-a-h-h-h.
SCARBOROUGH: -- comes to mind.
. . .
SCARBOROUGH: The President was bragging about winning North Dakota and bragging about winning Indiana, and --
BRZEZINSKI: Ah-h-h-h-h-h!!
. . .
JOHN HEILEMANN: [Speaking of prospect of Republicans abandoning Trump] Look up and say, hey, this is just to horrible for us, and we're going eventually to lose and we'll have to abandon him, but I don't know when that day comes --
BRZEZINSKI: Oh my God!
HEILEMANN: But I don't know when.
BRZEZINSKI: It's got to be now!
. . .
SCARBOROUGH: Kevin McCarthy's defense is, well, you know, come on. We're not going to -- it's a felony, yeah sure, it's a felony. We're not going to -- I mean, come on, it's just a felony.
BRZEZINSKI:Oh, my Lord!