Appearing on Wednesday's NBC Today to promote his new film Birdman, actor Michael Keaton oddly started the interview by taking a jab at the new Republican Senate Majority Leader: "...let me just read something. This is just too good. Mitch McConnell – this is from our boy, Mitch...Here's what he says, 'We all know that one of the things the Senate is best at doing is not doing much,' he said. 'Why don't we get started?' Why don't we get started at not doing much? Thanks, Mitch."
Keaton was reading from a Wednesday New York Times article in which McConnell was quoted criticizing Democratic opposition to the Keystone Pipeline. It was clear from the article that he was calling on the Senate to "get started" passing legislation after years of Democrats blocking votes on bills.
Co-host Savannah Guthrie was perplexed by Keaton's sudden political outburst: "Okay, a little report from The New York Times this morning. We'll get started on our interview."
Here is a transcript of the brief exchange:
8:33 AM ET
(...)
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Michael Keaton, good morning. Good to see you.
MICHAEL KEATON: Wow, you started with a real downer of a clip. Speaking of a downer, let me just read something. This is just too good. Mitch McConnell – this is from our boy, Mitch. Sorry, I know you don't know this. Here's what he says, "We all know that one of the things the Senate is best at doing is not doing much," he said. "Why don't we get started?" Why don't we get started at not doing much? Thanks, Mitch.
GUTHRIE: Okay, a little report from The New York Times this morning. We'll get started on our interview.
KEATON: Alright, sorry.
(...)
