As we would cynically say back in the good old days in Queens [insert NYC accent]: yeah, right.
On today's Morning Joe, Associated Press White House correspondent Julie Pace claimed that one thing that made Hillary hesitate in deciding to run for president was that she "worried that her candidacy would block out Joe Biden who is quite a close friend of hers." When Joe Scarborough expressed skepticism, and the panel burst into guffaws, Joe said "Good. I'm not the only one laughing at that."
Much of today's Morning Joe was devoted to a discussion of Rolling Stone's failed journalism on the UVa story. Maybe Mika Brzezinski should look in the mirror: she began her interview of Wendy Sherman, the chief US negotiator on the Iran deal, by offering her "congratulations." Even Sherman herself had the sense to suggest that congratulations were not yet in order.
In contrast, Joe Scarborough actually tried to get Sherman to answer an important question: how much advance notice of inspections does the deal give Iran? Sherman skated away faster than Apolo Ohno, refusing to answer other than to claim that "we will have the access we need to ensure that we have the time to make the decisions that we need." Very reassuring, coming from the architect of the disastrous North Korean negotiations, which of course led to the Norks going nuclear. Readers are urged to read the linked article: who knew, e.g., that Sherman is a former Emily's List director?
When Joe and Mika interviewed New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt on today's Morning Joe, Scarborough had to work to get Schmidt to say something that was in his own article: that while Colin Powell also used private email as Secretary of State, there were no rules prohibiting that at the time. Later, Joe and Mika later remarked that they were "taken aback" by the interview and that "something else was happening" during it. Mika mentioned that there was a "massive onslaught" of Twitter "hatred" from Hillary supporters overnight. She wondered whether Schmidt had been on the receiving end of that hatred, and if the "fear of retribution or something" had gotten into his head.
Who said: "I've always believed the decline of the middle class could be tied to the decline of unions. And when you have 7%, 8% of the work force in unions, when you have CEO pay going up to record heights, you're going to have a hollowing out of the middle class." Was it a. Elizabeth Warren; b. Robert Reich; or c. Ed Schultz?
Correct answer: d. None of the above. It was Joe Scarborough on today's Morning Joe. Scarborough prefaced his lament over the decline of unions by saying "It's been well-documented on Twitter: I'm a right-wing Republican stooge." Translation: to my liberal critics out there, see: my heart's in the right [left] place when it comes to unions.
Honoring a long tradition of liberal women circling the wagons around Dem men accused of impropriety, Mika Brzezinski has come to the defense of Uncle Joe Biden.
On today's Morning Joe, Mika declared that Biden was not being "creepy" when for 20 seconds he put his hands on Stephanie Carter during her husband Ash's swearing in as Defense Secretary. For good measure, Mika claimed Biden "probably" said something sweet. Has Brzezinski spoken with Mrs. Carter, or is she displaying her skills for a second career as Real Psychic Mika?
Mike Barnicle: proud member of the Barack Obama "terrible deeds in the name of Christ" school of moral blindness . . .
Joe Scarborough opened today's Morning Joe with a protracted and impassioned plea for America—and in particular President Obama—to call out radical Islam by name. Mika Brzezinski was dubious, citing unspecified "difficult times" in the past when presidents used the wrong language. But taking Mika's misgivings a giant step further, Mike Barnicle flatly declared that we can't call radical Islam by name because "we're the Crusaders."
Joe Scarborough's defense of Brian Williams amounts to a warning to people in the media and politics: I know a lot about many of you, too.
On today's Morning Joe, Scarborough ominously said: "in over a decade in this news business, it is fair to say looking straight in the camera, I've seen a lot, I know a lot, and I know that there are very few people in this industry or in politics that could live by the standard of perfection. Cast the first stone? I would be careful."
Europe has been the target of numerous acts of Muslim terrorism, while its economies suffer and unemployment is rampant. The United States is still recovering from 9-11 and has been the object of a number of terrorist attacks/attempts since then. Yet in neither country is there a voice in mainstream television saying that right-wing parties might have a point when they advocate limits on immigration.
That was Joe Scarborough's point on today's Morning Joe: "I have yet to hear one person on American television or European television, mainstream, say these people [right-wingers favoring immigration restrictions] may have a point."
Joe Scarborough has a warning for conservatives: going after Jeb Bush will make him more likely to run for president.
According to Scarborough, speaking on today's Morning Joe, Jeb is "his mother's son," "kind of "cranky" and "rough around the edges." If conservatives think they will drive Jeb out of the race by attacking him, "they've got him played exactly backwards." To the contrary, conservative attacks will make Jeb more likely to run "to prove them wrong."
As Seton Motley, the former MRCer now head of Less Government said in bringing Joe Scarborough's comments to our attention: "credit when it's due." Because the Morning Joe host had the guts today to speak truth to MSM power, including people at his own network, over the liberal media's cowardly, misleading coverage of Ferguson.
Scarborough tied the media's misinformation to the decision of five members of the St. Louis Rams to take the field last night in a "hands-up, don't shoot" gesture. Said Scarborough: "they might as well have come out with a flying saucer attached to all of their heads," because that happened as much as did Michael Brown make the gesture they thought they were imitating.
Jim Miklaszewski kept it relatively diplomatic, declaring "there's something amiss here." But Joe Scarborough was blunt: "boy, that's damning," said the Morning Joe host.
They were characterizing Miklaszewski's description of the Obama administration's "micromanagement" of the Department of Defense in which communication flows only in one direction: from the White House to the Pentagon. On today's Morning Joe, NBC's Pentagon correspondent reported that former SecDefs Robert Gates and Leon Panetta had recently "lambaste[d]" that micromanagement.
It brings to mind that old narcissistic boast: I've never been wrong except that one time when I thought I was wrong. In the current case, we have Al Hunt playing the role of President Obama's alter ego.
Hunt the Hilarious made his curious claim on today's Morning Joe after a clip was rolled of President Obama, just last year, saying that were he to grant amnesty to illegals "I would be ignoring the law in a way that I think would be very difficult to defend legally." Responded Hunt: "I don't agree with his analysis back then. I think he's on pretty solid legal ground. I sure do."