Bill and Hillary might be taking flak for the vote-suppressing lawsuit their supporters brought in Nevada, but the couple can count on at least one supporter in the MSM: David Shuster.
On today's Morning Joe, host Joe Scarborough and MSNBC's David Shuster got into an extended argument over Mitt Romney's testy exchange with a reporter over the candidate's claim that Washington lobbyists were not running his campaign [in contrast with McCain's]. But while that dust-up between Scarborough and Shuster had its moments, a couple Shuster comments during the briefer Nevada-caucus discussion were, IMHO, more telling.
View video here, which includes both the MSNBC pair's discussion and footage of Bill Clinton's angry reaction to a reporter who had the temerity to question him about the lawsuit.
Background: this past summer, the DNC in conjunction with the Nevada Dem party agreed that to facilitate participation in the caucuses by the thousands of casino employees who would be working this Saturday, at-large caucuses would be established at the casinos themselves. All was copacetic till a couple weeks ago, when the Culinary Workers Union, thousands of whose members would be attending those casino-based caucuses, endorsed Barack Obama. Suddenly, the teachers union, which is backing Hillary Clinton, brought a lawsuit to stop the casino-based caucuses. A judge has now ruled that the caucuses can proceed.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: [Bill Clinton] doesn't like the idea of the caucuses being held in the casinos after they knew for a year that caucuses would be held in the casinos. But then last week, the casino workers decided to endorse Obama, and now Bill Clinton has a problem with caucuses being held in casinos. I'm confused.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: No you're not.
DAVID SHUSTER: It's easy, Joe. You shouldn't give an unfair advantage to --
SCARBOROUGH: What is that? I am an Iceman Lawyer, what is that, I am just a Caveman Lawyer. I don't know your strange political ways in Washington. Bill Clinton shocked, stunned and deeply saddened that they're going to do what they've been saying they're going to do for a year. Let's roll the tape.
Cut to clip of Clinton. Favorite morsel: Clinton angrily telling the reporter that the Hillary backers bringing the suit are "old-fashioned" when it comes to elections. Such a traditionalist, that Bill.
SCARBOROUGH: That is fascinating. Bill Clinton, very upset.
SHUSTER: He wasn't very upset! [Don't look for Dave to turn up on O'Reilly as a body-language expert].
SCARBOROUGH: And going around, the last couple of days, he's been saying the last couple days "would you rather one person's vote count five times as much as anybody else's? That's not democratic!"
BRZEZINSKI: It seems that everyone's a little ornery lately.
SCARBOROUGH: They are. But you know who's not? My good friend David Shuster. He's such a good guy.
And as you see, the two put their differences aside and "hugged it out" in a way that would make Ari Gold proud.
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.
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Nice spin Bill
January 18, 2008 - 08:09 ET by well99Shuster is a Clinton shill anyways.Why didnt him and Bill bring this up before as Joe pointed out.Bill is his usual whiney self.Bill pouts more than a 3 year old.Shuster and his kind are his enablers.The reporter should of brought a crying towel or a pacifier for Bill.
Shuester--now with less drool than Mathews!
January 18, 2008 - 09:08 ET by dronetekDid anyone hear him a bit later when they were talking about journalists and the republicans? David says, "We jounralists dont like it when politicans lie to us and we will call them on it", or something to that effect. I couldnt help but burst in to laughter. They went on to talk about bias in the media, but only as far as the different republicans are concerned.
It still amazes me how these people form and create their own little reality to live in.
Maybe Joe should say
January 18, 2008 - 09:24 ET by well99The American people dont like when journalist lie.Which is all the time.Go back to carrying Bills baggage Shuster.Shuster such a shill.
SPIN
January 18, 2008 - 09:16 ET by billbPoor Barack, now he knows how a Republican feels dealing with the Clintons and the MSM!
Bill C
January 18, 2008 - 09:20 ET by well99Doesnt like tough questions.He just goes on the attack and starts whineing and the lies begin.
David Shuster
January 18, 2008 - 08:12 ET by Cool ArrowShuster is slapping Romney around right now.
I ♣ My Seal
I caught about 10 minutes of
January 18, 2008 - 08:14 ET by Roger the ShrubberI caught about 10 minutes of that show this morning. Scarborough brought up Reagan's legacy, and Mika rolled her eyes and sighed "must we?". Both her and Shuster then tried to argue how NO Democrat(ic) like Reagan, etc.
Joe got in a good shot at Mika when he said "you don't like Reagan because he beat the peanut farmer."
Shuster was very critical of Obama for invoking Reagan's name.
If there was any doubt to those two's political leanings, there should be no doubt nowadays.
I caught it too...Joe
January 18, 2008 - 08:27 ET by taterI caught it too...Joe basically ending the conversation by saying Reagan won 49 states in 1984.
...and he's right on why Mika doesn't like Reagan.
Do you realize how much it costs to run for office? More than any honest man could afford. -Montgomery Burns
In the background some shill
January 18, 2008 - 10:05 ET by Roger the ShrubberIn the background some shill for the AARP kept trying to stand up a flimsy page-sized AARP flyer on the diner countertop, but some producer or staffer came by and removed it.
background shills
January 18, 2008 - 10:09 ET by dronetekA couple STOP GLOBAL WARMING t-shirts in there too.
Watching that video, all I
January 18, 2008 - 08:50 ET by motherbeltWatching that video, all I could think was "this is the face of a man on the edge." He just gets nastier all the time. Her Royal Clintoness probably told him to strap on a pair and start acting like he wants her to win. LOL
The Clintons were perfectly content with the arrangement (this ABC report makes it plain that it has been done that way for a long time) until those workers endorsed Obama.
Am I alone in thinking that this man is not "aging well? And he's starting to look like a larger version of Jimmy Carter?
Clinton Lies. Media denies..
January 18, 2008 - 08:39 ET by Jack BauerThat's just a lie. A typical ClintonInc tactic. Just make something up on the spot and the media just won't challenge it.
But there are certain Democrats whose votes in the Presidential nomination are worth about 20,000 that of a Culinary worker.
Like ex-President Clinton who seeme to have conveniently forgotten the role of the DEMOCRAT SUPER-DELGATE...
Jack, check out my link to
January 18, 2008 - 08:59 ET by motherbeltJack, check out my link to tha ABC video; it makes plain that this plan is by no means unique to Nevada. The Clintons know this. It also makes it plain that the casino caucus-goers will only nominate 6% of the delegates; not 5 times as many, as Clinton claims.
But the biggest piece of B as in B, S as in S, is the Clinton campaign's claim that they are NOT taking a position on this. Someone needs to tell the former President that.
mother -- he's the height
January 18, 2008 - 09:42 ET by Jack Bauermother -- he's the height of shallowness.
(Now that's an oxymoron)
Who does Shuster think he's fooling?
January 18, 2008 - 08:46 ET by RJThis morning, exhibiting absolutely no self-awareness, he droned on and on about how "professional" journalists don't allow their own feelings to impact on their work.
He did this while defending the aggressive and offensive AP reporter who accosted Romney.
"I really like Mike Huckabee." -uber lib Mika Brezinski
mika, thats a child not a dog.
January 18, 2008 - 09:43 ET by dronetekMan, today's show is just full of weirdness. Did anyone catch Mika, treating Mitt's grandson like a dog? She not only constantly clapped at him to "come", but fed him smarties like a dog instead of just handing him the canday. How bizzare......
Call an Oral Surgeon!
January 18, 2008 - 10:10 ET by capavIf Shuster grits his teeth any harder, they're going to crumble like bldg. 7. Then Rosie can blame the administration for it.
I caught this segment this
January 18, 2008 - 11:17 ET by bigtimerI caught this segment this morning....poor ol' Shuster his true colors always show through whenever he is on the air in any manner...
As for the Judge ruling against the Clinton team yesterday I heard about it driving home and immediately pictured Bill shaking his finger, scrunching his eyes and stomping his feet, plus Hill throwing anything she could get her hands on in private....things just aren't going their way...and to top it off the two biggest vote swindlers in history are eating their own....talk about delicious....
I love it!
Hey Mark - Obama and the Culinary Union rep. at the debates
January 18, 2008 - 13:20 ET by Gary HallSeems to me that I remember a certain nationally televised Democrat debate, in which a member of Culinary Workers Union, cleverly disguised as an innocent regular person off the street found herself asking a question of Obama -- and in his answer, Obama got exposed the truth - that she was a plant. gh
Have You Hugged a Liberal
January 18, 2008 - 17:11 ET by Chris NormanHave You Hugged a Liberal Today?
No
January 19, 2008 - 12:47 ET by well99I heard if you do the left and right side of your brain stop working.Now if the girl with the conservative t-shirt is a liberal.I am willing to make the sacrifice.