When Joe Scarborough's reported $9-million-a-year Morning Joe gig comes to an end [not to mention wife Mika 'Know Your Value' Brzezinski's similar pay], perhaps Scarborough should give stand-up comedy a shot.
Because on Friday's Morning Joe, Scarborough got off an absolute rip-snorter of a belly-laugh-producing line. In bemoaning what some Republicans and news outlets have said in criticizing the latest Trump indictment, Scarborough boasted:
"I must say, sometimes, Mika, you get frustrated because, politically, I'm too pragmatic. I bend over backwards too hard to understand too many people's views."
LOL: as if Scarborough's shtick was anything other than a non-stop stream of pro-liberal propaganda!
If Scarborough was supposedly so interested in understanding people with views that differ from his, why doesn't he ever have such people on his show? Morning Joe is a Simon-pure echo chamber for the liberal talking points of the day.
For example, check out the guest lineup from Wednesday, assembled to discuss the January 6th indictment against Trump that dropped the day before:
- Jen Psaki: former Biden spox.
- Chuck Rosenberg: Obama appointee as Acting DEA Administrator.
- Ken Dilanian: NBC News justice correspondent, and a reliable liberal voice, as here.
- Mike Barnicle: Scarborough sidekick and Kennedy family fanboy.
- Jon Meacham: occasional Biden speechwriter.
- Claire McCaskill: Dem ex-senator.
- Al Sharpton: liberal activist and reparations advocate.
- Bob Woodward: the man who brought down Richard Nixon.
- Michael Schmidt: liberal New York Times correspondent and husband of Trump-hater par excellence Nicolle Wallace.
- Neil Katyal: Obama's former Acting Solicitor General
- Ari Melber: liberal MSNBC host.
- John Heilemann: rabid Trump antagonist.
That liberal murderer's row was no abberation. The only Republicans Scarborough allowed on the show are of the Never Trump variety. So please, Joe, spare us your sanctimony about how far you bend over backwards to understand opposing views.
Scarborough claimed, and Mika agreed, that she gets "frustrated" with him for trying too hard to understand people with differing views. As lopsidedly liberal as was Morning Joe already, just imagine what it would be like if Mika had total control over the lineup: 'To get the truth about today's news, we're delighted to again have as our sole guest for the entire four hours . . . Karine Jean-Pierre!'
Scarborough and Willie Geist denounced those that say Trump can't get a fair trial in D.C. because of the jury pool. Do Joe and Willie really believe a fair and balanced jury will be assembled in a city in which President Biden got over 95 percent of the vote in 2020?
Scarborough also managed to work into his rant some of his traditional themes: twice mentioning that he had been a member of Congress, and again displaying his insecurities regarding people who had gone "to the best schools in America."
Joe Scarborough claiming he bends over backward "too hard" to understand other people was sponsored in part by Abbvie, maker of Rinvoq, GlaxoSmithKline, maker of the meningitis B vaccine, and Amazon.
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
8/4/23
6:05 am EDTJOE SCARBOROUGH: The Wall Street Journal editorial page today: shameful. It makes me sad. The editorial page I've been reading all my life. They go full -- and you never go full Trump, if you're on the Wall Street editorial page. They went full Trump today.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: You never go full Trump.
SCARBOROUGH: You never go full Trump.
MIKA: Mmm-hmm.
SCARBOROUGH: They blame it on the Democrats. And Willie, you're not going to believe this. They say Joe Biden's old.
WILLIE GEIST: Hmm.
SCARBOROUGH: They say Joe Biden's old. So you've got all of this going on.
. . .
GEIST: Lindsey Graham said yesterday that Donald Trump can't get a fair trial in Washington because of the jury pool in Washington. Remember, in the E. Jean Carroll case, the defamation case, when that was decided, Marco Rubio said the jury system is a joke. Another lawyer, saying the jury system in the United States is a joke.
This is the way it works.
SCARBOROUGH: It's sick.
GEIST: You're tried in the place where you're alleged to have committed a crime.
. . .
SCARBOROUGH: What is worth it for these people? What is it worth for, for the Wall Street Journal editorial page? What is it worth for Lindsey Graham to try to excuse an attempted coup? What's that worth?
I just -- I must say, sometimes, Mika, you get frustrated because politically, I'm too pragmatic.
MIKA: Right.
SCARBOROUGH: I bend over backwards too hard --
MIKA: You do.
SCARBOROUGH: -- to understand too many people's views. And it frustrates you.
I've got to say, in this case, I -- there's no getting this. I've been a Member of Congress. It's not worth this. It's not worth betraying [bangs table] your country. It's not worth turning a blind eye to a coup.
It's not worth going to the best schools in America, getting one of the best editorial jobs in America, reading this and knowing better.
And trying to blame Donald Trump's attempted coup, coup attempt on Democrats that want to use this in an election? On the Biden crime family? On Joe Biden being old?
Come on, man! You're better than that! I know! Because I know you. Because I've been reading your work my whole life. Because I served with you in Congress during some difficult times. You're better than this!
