On Wednesday's "Morning Joe," MSNBC co-host Mika Brzezinski twice made it very clear that she has no interest in the revelation that Kathleen Sebelius, Barack Obama's nominee for Health and Human Services, is just the latest pick for the President's cabinet to have tax problems. During a news brief in the 6am hour, Brzezinski related the story and that Sebelius just paid over $7000 in back taxes. She then editorialized to her co-hosts, "Around the table, does anyone care?" [Audio available here.]
"Morning Joe" regulars Mike Barnicle and Willie Geist both replied no. Geist then added, "Get over it." Despite expressing how much she didn't care, Brzezinski repeated the story in the 7am hour and also the same stunt. After briefly explaining the particulars, she complained, "Again, around the table, does anyone care?"
Brzezinski may find the story tedious, but Sebelius is now the sixth Obama nominee to have tax problems (and after Tom Daschle, the second HHS candidate to have such a controversy). So, the question is, how high would the numbers have to go before she considers it relevant?
A transcript of the two news briefs, which aired on April 1, follow:
6:32
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: And Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, President Obama's second choice for Health and Human Services secretary, revealed that she, too, has run into a few tax problems.
WILLIE GEIST: Oh, no.
BRZEZINSKI: Sebelius explained that she recently corrected three years of tax returns and paid more than $7,000 in back taxes. Around the table, does anyone care?
MIKE BARNICLE: No.
GEIST: No. Get over it.
BRZEZINSKI: Care? Care? Okay.
7:07
BRZEZINSKI: Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius, President Obama's second choice for health and human services secretary, revealed that she, too, has run into some tax trouble. Sebelius explained that she recently corrected three years of tax returns and paid more than $7,000 in back taxes. Again, around the table, does anyone care?
BARNICLE: No.
GEIST: Nope.
