Some people are hard to shop for, but when it comes to MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski it's going to be a breeze. Next to her name on my Chanukah list, I'm putting her down without hesitation . . . for a Roget's Thesaurus. Because when it comes to describing the performance of people across her political divide, Mika seems stuck on a solitary word: "underwhelming."
As noted here, reading the news of Fred Thompson's "Tonight Show" appearance last week, Mika editorialized that "it was sort of underwhelming, but . . . it's done."
At the top of today's "Morning Joe," host Joe Scarborough invited Mika to assess General Petraeus's performance before Congress yesterday, and . . . you guessed it.
View video here.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: So how did General Petraeus do, Mika?
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Am I allowed to use the word "underwhelming"?
SCARBOROUGH: If you want to; you've done it before. Who did you use that for?
BRZEZINSKI: Uh, Fred Thompson.
SCARBOROUGH: So you thought Petraeus was underwhelming.
BRZEZINSKI: I just think the whole numbers thing is interesting. We had the surge, and when we had the surge this summer, a lot of people said they're having the surge so they can draw back. And that's exactly what happened. Just from the surge.
Panelist Matthew Felling, Editor of CBS's "Public Eye," observed that Petraeus gave "just enough for both sides to keep just going at it."
SCARBOROUGH: That's what's so distressing to me, is this general comes from Iraq, delivers his testimony, and I'm looking at the rundown afterwards and I could have predicted before hearing any of the people commenting on his testimony what they were going to say before they opened their mouths.
Mika gave a sympathetic "yeah." May her ears hear the words of her mouth. Speaking of words, next time Brzezinski assesses the work of someone who doesn't share her liberal agenda, may I suggest any of: "pedestrian," "hum-drum", or the always-serviceable "unimpressive"?
Come on, Mika, let's mix it up, here.
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Mike
September 11, 2007 - 06:01 ET by allanfWhat would Mika call her Dad's performance on Iran?
It is evident from her
September 11, 2007 - 06:19 ET by Gat New YorkIt is evident from her daily diatribes that her entire reason for being is to rehabilitate her father and Carter. I still canot believe that Scarborough was one of Newt's army.
I, too, remember when
September 11, 2007 - 06:46 ET by motherbeltI, too, remember when Scarborough used to be a real firebrand conservative! Must be something in the water over at MSNBC. Every now and then he shows a flash of his former self, but not nearly often enough.
Show Me the Money
September 11, 2007 - 08:00 ET by allanfRemember the line from the Tom Cruise movie Jerry McGuire?
"Show me the money"
For Scarborough it's all about the money. From NBC, they need to be deflect criicism of bias by putting a body in the Republican column. The sweetness is that he is no longer a Republican!!!
Obviously his beliefs were conveniences rather than tightly held principles.
Probably "underrated."
September 11, 2007 - 06:47 ET by motherbeltWhat would Mika call her Dad's performance on Iran?
Probably "underrated."
Both father and daughter are
September 11, 2007 - 07:43 ET by Senior ChiefBoth father and daughter are underwhelming! And Jimmy Carter, awfully under-underwhelming!
You're right, Mr.
September 11, 2007 - 06:49 ET by motherbeltYou're right, Mr. Finkelstein. "Underwhelming" is the most overused catchphrase since (supposedly) Yogi Berra's "deja vu all over again."
It's one thing for teens to overuse a popular word or phrase, but as newreader and supposed conversationalist on a news/talk show, she should do better than that. Besides, "underwhelming" is one of those sort of "made up" words (someone modifying "overwhelming") that grew in popular usage until it was considered prevalent enough to warrant inclusion in the dictionary. That means it's a "legitimate" word; not necessarily proper or appropriate.
As for Joe's comment "I could have predicted before hearing any of the people commenting on his testimony what they were going to say"
He's not really prescient: most of them said it before the General's appearance. Or at least gave hints the weight of a brick.
What's going to get even
September 11, 2007 - 06:48 ET by FairlightWhat's going to get even more underwhelming are Joe's ratings by way of less underwhelming content. I would also retire the Mika contract and send her packing to CourtTV.
So Joe could have predicted Mika's "underwhelming"?
September 11, 2007 - 06:50 ET by CTI was impressed with General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker's presentation to the House of Representatives yesterday. It was also a great opportunity for the Moonbats and Defeatocrats to show America what they are.
What will today bring in the Senate, a tedious repeat of the same report or more anti-Americanism from the Defeatocrats?
Mika, Rep. Landros
September 11, 2007 - 07:57 ET by Senior ChiefMika, Rep. Landros (Democrack-Cal) was sadly underwhelming with his comments yesterday in Congress. I watched the Gen. Petraeus and Amb Crocker's interview on FOX with Brit. These gentlemen were courageous and have given their all, despite overwhelming tasks. They were candid and gave their true assessment of Iraq.
Sadly again, democracks showed their true colors and were truly invested their efforts in the defeat of America.
What's with the headline on
September 11, 2007 - 06:51 ET by motherbeltWhat's with the headline on the "Morning Joe" screenshot..."The Petraeus Pullback"??
Underwhelming????
September 11, 2007 - 07:08 ET by BourbeauIt's amazing what this country's dismal apathy permits. Here we have a decorated four star general and an accomplished career diplomat, sent into a war zone to help create a functioning government, reporting back to the zombies on Capitol Hill and the only description the likes of the NY Times, Moveon.org, Mika and Scarborough can come up with are "cooking the books" and "underwhelming". Aside from the various side shows, as a country, we should be embarassed by the incoherent questioning of these two men. How they kept a straight face, never mind making sense of some of it, is beyond incredible. Regardless of what we had to witness from the nay sayers, thank you General, and thank you Mr. Ambassador for helping make sense of what's happening on the front - great job.
Now it would have been
September 11, 2007 - 08:02 ET by dscottNow it would have been rivoting and a ratings booster if Patraeus had just cooperated with the liberal script and said: "GET US OUT OF HERE! My boys are dying left and right, the freedom fighters have us beat, George W Bush, the evil Lord Sidious in disguise, has forced us to fight against our wills and threatened to kill our relatives if we didn't do what he says. The evil Karl Rove has his poltical commisars brain washing the troops with psycotropic drugs to make them walk into the line of fire. We've lost, we've lost, please let us come home. blubber, blubbler, sniff, sniff. Can someone give me a hanky, I let my caring side show..." <sarcasm, for those who don't know me, for those who do, I'm sorry for explaining the obvious to dolts>
dscott's postulate: The degree to which someone exaggerates or deceives is inversely proportional to the merit of the advocated position.
motherbelt
September 11, 2007 - 08:13 ET by SportPoliticsI believe the liberals have been having their secret framing debates - since publicly they are not supposed to be pre-judging the surge, and instead have claimed they will treat the matter with fairness and honor.
So they have been having these secret talking point meetings and wigging together their framing strategy, and somehow out of that came this idea of "pullback" - and the thing Mika said " they had the surge just so they could drawback ..."
Noone knows what it means yet, and the libs don't have to say, because none of their crap ever really makes sense, so they haven't yet noticed there is some glaring kookiness they are spewing.
The best thing they can do is quickly bury the undeveloped retarded spew of an idea before they make further goofs out themselves.
What I believe they are TRYING to subtly say is " the baby killers just went in with extra so they could chicken back and retreat for a while "
Somehow the libs lost entirely the fact that troops are now EMBEDDED in cities, instead of "pulling back" to the bases.
They somehow have their talking points signals crossed, or Mika does, since it's her SPEWBABBLE.
Ratings
September 11, 2007 - 07:02 ET by ThisnThatMSNBC Ratings: Underwhelming.
___________________________________
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber
What the heck does Mika mean ?
September 11, 2007 - 07:23 ET by SportPoliticsWhat the heck is she getting at, and why is her tense so screwey ?
" We had the surge(were still having the surge), and when we had the surge this summer(we're still having the surge), a lot of people said they're having the surge so they can draw back(so who can draw back ?). And that's exactly what happened(huh ?). Just from the surge.(what ? )"
Ok, she's gone insane, some strange lib talking points have taken over her brain.
Possibly Mika is lining
September 11, 2007 - 07:40 ET by BuffNBonePossibly Mika is lining herself up to make "Underwhelming Person of the Week" designations for those she deems worthy.
"Fighters are fun but bombers make policy"
And when all is said and
September 11, 2007 - 08:11 ET by Senior ChiefAnd when all is said and done in Congress, Pres. Bush is going to continue the surge, bring the war to their territories and defeat the enemies foreign and domestic, and that's an overwhelming task! Even the democrack's presidential wanna-bes has the same mind set. They're just hiding it from the looney leftists of their party. Withdrawal, forget it. They cannot afford to fight the war here in our soil. And again Mika, that's going to be an overwhelming task. Think about this: your children, your nieces and nephews might get drafted! Underwhelm yet?
So Mika and Joe, are you our enemies? That would be an underwhelming statement, isn't it? Losers!
That's Chutzpah
September 11, 2007 - 09:57 ET by mattmFor MSNBC to call anyone underwhelming is like Hillary accusing someone of being crooked or Algore accusing someone of being a cup and saucer short of a full place setting.
But they are all being
September 11, 2007 - 10:05 ET by dscottBut they are all being consistent in their hypocrisy, so there is nothing inconsistent about their behavior. <snark>
dscott's postulate: The degree to which someone exaggerates or deceives is inversely proportional to the merit of the advocated position.
Come on, Mark give her a
September 11, 2007 - 14:43 ET by Chris NormanCome on, Mark give her a break. Mika knows more words than most parrots... :)
Prove it Chris. I dare
September 11, 2007 - 14:48 ET by bassndudeProve it Chris. I dare ya:-)
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
Mika want a cracker?
September 11, 2007 - 15:42 ET by Chris NormanMika want a cracker?