'He's Taxing Everything That's Bad For You. That's Cool'

The ostensible subject was Caroline Kennedy. But in the course of, you know, discussing Kennedy's foundering effort to, you know, be anointed senator, Mika Brzezinski said something of more enduring interest.  The Morning Joe co-host provided a telling glimpse into the liberal mindset, as Brzezinski cast her vote for Big Mommy government.

Host Joe Scarborough observed that New York Gov. David Paterson was letting Kennedy twist in the wind. Rather than spending his time taxing everything in sight, the guv would be better off appointing Caroline or someone else, so the new senator could hit the ground running once Hillary is confirmed as Secretary of State, opined Scarborough.

That's when Mika made her pitch for taxes as a tool for reforming those not living the lifestyle approved by the latest member of the Lititz landed gentry.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: Governor Paterson, if you're not too busy taxing New Yorkers right now for drinking Coke, or ingesting Coke --

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Oh, now.

SCARBOROUGH: You'd be doing the State of New York a service by going ahead and appointing somebody, subject to Hillary Clinton getting the confirmation by the Senate, so they can go up to Washington, so they can start meeting all the senators, so they'll be ready on day one to represent New York as effectively as possible.  So the sooner he makes that appointment, the better. At this point the focus is on Caroline.  At some point it's going to go back on Paterson, and the people of New York are going to ask why is he allowing this sideshow to go on --

BRZEZINSKI: And we're going to hear from Caroline coming up.

SCARBOROUGH: -- while he's taxing everything in New York [inaudible].

BRZEZINSKI: Stop. I have no problem with the soda tax.

SCARBOROUGH: He's taxing everything, though.

BRZEZINSKI: I know, I like that. Soda tax.

SCARBOROUGH: It's like the fourth verse in tax [inaudible].

BRZEZINSKI: He's taxing everything that's bad for you.  That's cool.