Defiant Morning Joe Defends Burying Weiner-gate: 'We'll Talk About What We Feel Like Talking About'
Editor's Update: Thanks to tipster Jim Trotter who reminded us that back in February, Joe and the Brew Crew spent almost 4 minutes talking about Chris Lee's shirtless pic. (video at link)
Yesterday, this column jibed Joe Scarborough & Co. for blacking out, during Morning Joe's first half-hour, coverage of Anthony Weiner's epic news conference of the day before.
Today, a defiant Scarborough dismissed the criticism the show received, boasting "we'll talk about what we feel like talking about."
When the show opened today, it at first seemed that Scarborough was about to make amends for yesterday's poor news judgment. But Joe's mock contrition was just a set-up for a joke.
View video after the jump.
Watch Scarborough shrug off criticism for having blown a very big story.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Of course, a lot of people were very upset by our coverage yesterday morning, on the right. A lot of conservatives believe that we paid short shrift to a certain story, and for that we apologize. We're going to double-down today and talk about the story you wanted us to talk about yesterday. Willie Geist: so let's get into it. What kind of impact does the seige of the Peruvian mines have on that election?
WILLIE GEIST: Right. How much time do you have?
. . .
SCARBOROUGH: There's a lot to talk about this morning. And as usual we'll talk about what we feel like talking about. Mike Barnicle, we had all these people emailing, and tweeting, "very disappointed in you that you didn't spend three hours talking about Anthony Weiner." You know, we saw the press conference the day before, and it was just a carnival. And there was important news on Afghanistan, and we thought that more important.
When Hugh Hefner's lefty daughter, Christine, later appeared, she congratulated Joe on burying the Weinergate story and claimed Morning Joe viewers were happy about it.
CHRISTINE HEFNER: I was listening when you were talking about getting some blowback on not spending more time yesterday. And I think that's a risk of, you hear from relatively few people and it seems as if it's representative of your audience, and I'd be willing to be if you actually went out and talked to your audience, people were very happy with the relative weighting you gave on the stories.
SCARBOROUGH: Oh yeah. We had a lot of people thank us.
No doubt. After all, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Paul Krugman and Nancy Pelosi are known to watch Morning Joe.
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Comments
Scarborough just didn't "not talk about it".
Submitted by Texndoc on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 8:12am.
He purposely opened his show on the 0500 and 0600 hour with Jon Stewart and Colbert doing Sarah Palin hit-pieces.
"Afghanistan" my behind, you pompous ass. It was immediate Palin-hate, both hours. You're trolling for the liberal tinfoil hat wearers who did not want to cry more over their "Anthony". I realize Fox and Friends has triple or quadruple your viewers.
And Willie Geist, you used to come off as an intelligent maybe contrarian opinion on the show. Now you're just a douche.
Too bad about Willie.
Submitted by Red Jeep on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 8:33am.
Guess he decided his future is with the Liberals.
Agreed on Willie.
Submitted by amyshulk on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 11:45am.
Agreed on Willie.
Ronald Reagan
Morning Schmoe is Content Challenged to Begin With
Submitted by Blonde on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 8:18am.
Now Joe's merely made it official.
He should change the name of his show to Morning Schmuck.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
"Morning Schmuck." I love it. Joe the Schmo also is a good fit.
Submitted by Rush Fan on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 10:32pm.
Whether it is Schmuck or Schmo, Scarborough and MESSNBC fit like OJ's glove. May they both go down the drain together.
→ Hide the Weiner
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 8:22am.
Compliments to Joe on his loyalty. MSNBC may be a sinking ship, but it's HIS sinking ship.
You win with that post
Submitted by Blonde on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 8:29am.
Hide the Weiner!!!!
Winner winner, chicken dinner (weiner dinner?)
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Well, Well, Well
Submitted by NVRAT on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 8:25am.
It appears that Mr. Scarborough was embarrassed by one of his favorite Liberals. So, the thing to do is to attack Sara Palin. Geez, what a small mind.
Palin is the fallback position for libtards everywhere...
Submitted by bigdaddy on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 8:31am.
When a liberal coworker started to go down the "Palin's Paul Revere" road I merely asked which of the 57 states she was in today...end of discussion...he looked like he had just seen a "Corpseman"...
Joe....
Submitted by Forbus on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 8:25am.
And I'll watch what I want to watch. Buh-bye.
Joe speaks German....
Submitted by bigdaddy on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 8:32am.
...AufWeinersehen...
I know nothing............................
Submitted by Tomorama on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 9:15am.
I thought he spoke "Austrian"?
Funny, ass-hat Chrissy for the 12th day in a row hammered Palin and for the 12th day in a row his closing comments hammered her and AGAIN he fails to realize she was right about the Paul Revere line she gave.
But that would mean he NEEDS to READ a history book, instead he get's the poem from the TMZ crowd and thinks that is the whole story of the ride of Paul Revere...................
bigdaddy---
Submitted by matthewdean on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 8:55pm.
"Auf Weinersehen."
Good one!
MD
and we will continue
Submitted by ohio granny on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 8:49am.
Sorry Joe, we will continue to tune you out. I guess you have been drinking the libs kool aid too long. Never watched you, never will.
Cut the crap, Joe! You'll
Submitted by Van Halen on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 8:50am.
Cut the crap, Joe! You'll talk about what you're TOLD to talk about and right now, MSDNC is TELLING you to bury the story. But you go ahead and talk about other stuff, this story is red hot right now. See you in the ratings. Oh, that's right - you guys are always in the bottom. I wonder why?
Perhaps Joe is mailing his weiner around
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 9:01am.
as well.
If this was a real story...
Submitted by c5then on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 9:04am.
Joe would have been informed of it by the DNC memo.
Since he never got that, he didn't want to hotdog it on his own...
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
And to think, , ,
Submitted by rickbren on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 9:08am.
old Joe used to be one of the good guys.
He never was. He was just
Submitted by Free Stinker on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 9:35am.
He never was. He was just pretending.
/// Sarah Palin Fan since July 11, 2007 /// خال
I pretty much watch Morning Joe.
Submitted by Coderaven on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 9:17am.
As an independant I tend to watch this show and enjoy it as my left perspective. I was happy they wouldn't spend to much time on it, but it should have been covered.
They where more than happy to cover Lee's issue for 3 + minutes on Febuary 10th.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036789//vp/41507924#41507924
I do not like Weiner, the 911 victims bill where he blathered for the cameras and didn't even bother mentioning the pork keeping other congressman from signing it, I have always found him to be an example of why I can never relate to the democratic party.
I {mostly} enjoy the show
Submitted by amyshulk on Thu, 06/09/2011 - 1:00am.
I {mostly} enjoy the show too, but with Joe constantly banging the "Get out of Afghanistan" drum, as if he even comprehends the intricacies involved {neither do I, but I'm not so stupid as to think I do} and trying to equate entitlement spending with Military spending makes me ill!!!
What happened to REALLY supporting our Military? Barnicle talks like he has a reality on it, but he just sounds like a smug jerk.
Ronald Reagan
Of course, Joe can talk about what he wants to talk about.
Submitted by KyWriter on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 9:19am.
We'll just continue to watch what we want to watch. (Clue: it isn't MSNBC.)
Sorry for you Joe
Submitted by desert3030 on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 9:33am.
You gave it all up when you caved in. You will and only can go with your DailyLos, Media Matters , and Demorats leads. you sold your soul for money rather than what used to be your core values. You, your network, as well as a couple others will look back someday and say .....what did we do?
Me, I miss the old Joe, the real Joe.
Morning Joke would rather
Submitted by Free Stinker on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 9:24am.
Morning Joke would rather talk about the latest imaginary Sarah Palin gaffe.
/// Sarah Palin Fan since July 11, 2007 /// خال
Joe you're revealing
Submitted by Semus on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 9:34am.
Joe you're revealing yourself.
'We'll Talk About What We Feel Like Talking About'
Submitted by golds1 on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 9:53am.
...and I'll watch what I like to watch - not your show - Scumborough.
Just goes to Show!
Submitted by circusstorm on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 10:10am.
The "filth" that is the people of New York City. Weiner will be re-elected and Joe will have him on to congradulate him...
Yes, and by then Weiner will have gone to rehab...
Submitted by Red Jeep on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 10:29am.
...and will have grown...will by then have sponsored several bills banning internet pornography....ad nauseum, ad nauseum.
Joe Scarborough
Submitted by RCB on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 10:08am.
“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than a sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” MLK
Has anyone compared the amount of time . . .
Submitted by Galvanic on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 10:10am.
. . . they devoted to Weiner to the time they spent on NY Congressman Lee, who resigned his office after he posted a shirtless image of himself? Just curious.
As for Scarborough, he uses much of the available air time reminding the audience of the grand ol' days of civility on the Hill when he was a Congressman -- well, at least that's how he remembers it.
And let's not forget to take time for Willie and Mika to hawk their books (Fox News hosts due the same).
Joe lied this morning. He
Submitted by lehman on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 10:17am.
Joe lied this morning. He said he didn't obsess over Mark Sanford or other Republicans. I remember him cackling every morning about Sanford saying he was hiking on the Appachachian Trail when he was really in Argentina with his girlfriend. Joe had no mercy on him. He made fun of him for weeks.
Yesterday after they showed a clip of Weiner, Mika looked like she was going to cry. If it was a Republican she would have been laughing right along with Joe.
And I don't even want to get started on their mocking of Sarah Palin. I watch this show less and less because of the way they treat her.
Hey, where's the Shmoe defender?
Submitted by SickofLibs on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 10:31am.
Oh, beating up on Palin's Paul Revere comment, AGAIN, on another thread.
Nevermind.
SoL---
Submitted by matthewdean on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 9:05pm.
The house lib has been AWOL on the last few threads that have dinged Joe Scab and his show.
Think he may have either seen the light, or maybe just given up on the Scab's defense as hopeless?
Nah.
The Weiner Roast has taken the wind out of the lib's sails for a bit; even the troll traffic has slowed temporarily.
They'll be back.
MD
Haven't watched Scarborough for the past couple of weeks...
Submitted by Jer on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 9:34pm.
so I haven't commented. On the last Morning Joe I caught, Scarborough was bragging about his opposition to raising the debt limit during the Clinton years and was urging the GOP to keep the pressure on Obama in the current stand-off.
Since that was yet another example of Joe's fiscal conservatism, I doubt seriously NB reported it--since it doesn't fit with this website's "Scarborough the RINO/lib" selective sketching.
Nothing like cherry-picking to persuade the gullible they're staring at a bowl of fruit.
Jer
Yes, Matthew, I'm just prostrate with grief and catatonic shock over Weinergate... [yawn] Hope he leaves...good riddance.
Ah, cherry-picking---
Submitted by matthewdean on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 9:47pm.
indeed.
Shame on NB's for not believing in Joe Scab as you do, Jer.
Your push for Scab to be seen as a conservative smacks muchly of the liberal tactic of trying to have as much input as possible into the selection process for nominating the GOP presidential candidate.
Push, Jer.
Push for Scarborough.
Push, push, push.
Push like you were in labor.
Oops.
False pregnancy.
So sad.
MD
Right Jer - "bragging" and
Submitted by amyshulk on Thu, 06/09/2011 - 1:22am.
Right Jer - "bragging" and "past" are the key words. He pays lip service to what he used to believe in - not even close to being courageous enough to stand up for those principles now.
I get why you defend him, and I agree he tries every now and then but Mika shuts him right down - him and anyone else who says something she disagrees with.
IF his intent is to persuade the left to conservative principles, but in a different way than other conservative pundits do, I have to ask: has he convinced you?
Ronald Reagan
amyshulk
Submitted by MrShy on Thu, 06/09/2011 - 1:30am.
"IF his intent is to persuade the left to conservative principles, but in a different way than other conservative pundits do, I have to ask: has he convinced you?"
He's convinced Jer that unprincipled ex-conservative sellouts like beady eyed Cup'a Joe himself are what all conservatives should be.
- Shy on Vinyl
Join Mr. Shy and The 1* Percent
Nonsense, amy....
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 06/09/2011 - 2:04am.
It was much more than lip service. I think it was on that same show that Harold Ford was offering his debt reduction solutions which consisted of a few essentially inconsequential half-steps and the typical, tiresome, wholly predictable and woefully inadequate platitudes whereupon Scarborough proceeded to carve Ford's drop-in-the-bucket fiscal recommendations into mincemeat and expose the continuing timidity of the left in confronting the real beasts with the insatiable appetites for the national treasury: Entitlements [Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid]. True conservatives should be applauding Scarborough instead of being utterly mortified because he may occasionally criticize Sarah Palin or compliment a Democrat.
The notion that Mika "shuts him up" is laughable. She reads the daily headlines, handles segueways, introduces guests and thanks them for coming, occasionally looks indignant, and spends about five minutes a show actually making serious political points. He control over Joe is zip.
Jer
Finally, Jer comes out with it--
Submitted by matthewdean on Thu, 06/09/2011 - 4:24am.
"True conservatives should be applauding Scarborough instead of being utterly mortified because he may occasionally criticize Sarah Palin or compliment a Democrat."
First off, metro-sexual male liberals have a lock on being "utterly mortified"; secondly, only someone who is liberal to the bone would be inane enough to tell conservatives on a conservative site what "true conservatives" should or shouldn't do reference pseudo-con Joe Scarborough; and thirdly, you truly did miss your calling - living large as a laughologist.
You are just too funny.
MD
Jer - I'll be entering
Submitted by amyshulk on Thu, 06/09/2011 - 4:26am.
Jer - I'll be entering sweepstakes, reading NB, and listening to MJ and even I'll noticed when Mika shuts Joe and others down!
There's a pattern there I recognize {I'll usually rewind to see what got her back up} but I couldn't definitively tell you how to recognize that pattern. I just know someone is NOT allowed to finish their thought.
It's a "tell" if you will, and it's not exclusive to just Mika - O'Reilly and Hannity employ it, as do most pundits that have {or seek to have} any control over the conversation. It's subtle with some, obvious with others.
I like Harold Ford Jr. He gets it. How far he's willing to go to fix the economic mess were in is anyone's guess, but I'd rather debate/work with him on the issue than most of the other D's.
Just like other pundits, Joe gets people on he can be to the right of, in a big picture way, but when it comes to those that stand up for the principles he espouses? He has nothing BUT criticism.
I am not "mortified" by anything Joe says or does, since I don't identify with him in any way, but nice try at deflection from my question - has he swayed you?
Ronald Reagan
Talk about what they want
Submitted by jessieH on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 10:54am.
That might be why nobody watches this crap.
As of now, I am in control here [Alexander Haig].
Submitted by downstateinablu... on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 11:05am.
There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image, make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next few hours, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear.
For 5 days in September 1986, Dan Rather signed off his CBS news broadcasts with the single word "Courage" - Dan needed new contacts what the teleprompter said was "Control" and it was intended to be subliminal.
The NEW new york times slogan:
All the news we deem fit to publish.
You the sheeple - Listen to my words.
I am from the government and I am here help.
Ignorance Personified
Submitted by iveseenitall on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 11:39am.
Once again Joe and his pals demonstrate lack of original thinking and ,of course, their ignorance. The Weiner "issue" can take an intelligent person in many directions. However, Joe and his buddies seem to believe it's only about "sex" ( and they're above that, of course, especially Hugh Hefner's daughter, LOL). For example, does this story not demonstrate what kind of "leaders" America has? Does not this story beg the question as what our "representatives" do all day long? Does not the entire issue relate to such matters as marriage, divorce, infidelity, disloyalty, lack of judgement among those for whom we vote? Does not this matter relate to the "role models" our young people have today? These and so many other topics for discussion are available to mature individuals who can think. But all Joe can do is act like he's above fray --- because he obviously has trouble thinking, as they say, "outside the box". For a man who calls himself a "conservative", he surely demonstrates the characteristics of a typical "liberal" dullard.And for a guy who acts as though he's an independent thinker, he marches to the drums of his masters at MSNBC when they give him the order. Sad.[Never,Never trust a "liberal" (progressive)]
BTW--Joe talks about a "circus" --Sheeze, the entire media is a "circus" today--including your show, Joe.
We know where your coming from
Submitted by Redrowan2000 on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 11:29am.
The number one story for the last ten days and..the number one story on every station on Monday and Joe doesn't want to talk about it.
Maybe Joe with that big ego might be finding some empathy with Anthony.
I hope Joe didn't do some similar things and he doesn't want to talk about it .
You know calling the kettle black?
Just wondering.
Really makes you wonder.
"Don't let the bastards grind you down."
Soooo, we'll talk about what we want to talk about?
Submitted by falcon on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 12:35pm.
You have just declared yourself irrelevant, Joe. Congratulations.
Pretty lonely when you're holding a conversation with yourself in an echo chamber. But it has the added effect of keeping that pesky reality outside.
Dios mio, sometimes I wonder if we truly are living in an alternate reality.
“I will not stand by and watch this great country destroy itself under mediocre leadership, that drifts from one crisis to the next, eroding our national will and purpose.” – Ronald Reagan, July 17, 1980.
Comcast are you watching one
Submitted by Utherpend on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 1:05pm.
Comcast are you watching one of your "News Programs" deciding not to cover a national story when your ratings are in the toilet?
Of course you will Joe.
Submitted by telecaster on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 2:34pm.
It's little surprise to the rest of us that you'll talk about what you want to talk about....and what you want to talk about has nothing to do with twitter crotch boy, or the wonder-president's abject foreign and domestic policy failures, or anything of a democrat persuasion that might have a whiff of scandal or hypocrisy attached to it, or anything else that illustrates the gargantuan imbecility and impotence of the Liberal/Media cartel that provides this country with 95% of what is comically known as news.
You people don't do news. You do the "my personal/political preferences and defense of all things liberal" narrative that you pass off as news, apparently believing that you're somehow fooling people. Believe me Joe, not all of us out here are as blinkered and sold out stupid as you and your fellow "I'm so smart I scare myself and look I'm on TV" schnooks who wouldn't know professional, disinterested, evenhanded journalism if it walked up to you and knocked your teeth down your throat.
Play your game man.....just know we know it's a game and a poorly played one at that.
Mika let slip - last year I
Submitted by amyshulk on Thu, 06/09/2011 - 1:41am.
Mika let slip - last year I think? - that she was down because they no longer controlled the narrative like in "the good old days" but I think they honestly DO believe they drive the narrative. When Joe does get validation on talking on a subject first he crows about it for days. That makes it really easy to see how rarely that happens.
They aren't speaking to the people, they are attempting to influence the movers and shakers.
Ronald Reagan
I begging you Newsbusters . . . .
Submitted by Clemenza on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 2:54pm.
Please go over to the MRC archives and pull the May 29, 2003 video of Don Imus asking Scarborough about his dead intern (Lori Kalusutis) problem. Joe's cavalier response says it all.
GOOD BRINGUP
Submitted by Redrowan2000 on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 7:27pm.
http://www.americanpolitics.com/20010808Klausutis.html
I felt there was a reason he stayed away from this story.
"Don't let the bastards grind you down."
Traitor Joe
Submitted by Time Will Tell on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 4:51pm.
I at one time liked Joe, but now when I channel surf and stop at msnbc, I just shake my head at what he says. It just goes to show you what some people will do and say to be invited to parties. Joe has become a real ass kisser.
Half of the time..
Submitted by greggy on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 8:35pm.
I'm ticked at Joe for being a tool of the left. The other half, it's just because he's a tool.
Joe Scarborough is a big hypocrite.
Submitted by Superman on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 8:36pm.
Whenever a Republican is involved in a scandal, Joe Scarborough can't get enough of the story. But when it's a Democrat who is involved in a scandal, Joe doesn't feel like talking about the story.
Joe the Weiner lover...
Submitted by USMC8411 on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 9:29pm.
Those glasses and that tablecloth shirt just cry out, "I am a gay American" and although A Weiner wouldn't follow me on twitter too, I will stand by my man!
Barnicle Mike copied all of the tweets and claimed them as his own. He's always had writer's block so he has had to rely on the published works of others, which in a court of law, is called PLAGIARISM. Ol' Joe Bite Me suffers from the same mysterious affliction...
When will Buchanan seek his credibility back by getting the hell off of that hack network? Don't go down the scar-burrow Pat... It is an empty, dark hole...
Is it Weiner envy Joe?
Joe also has a scandal to explain
Submitted by jmigyanka@msn.com on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 11:29pm.
Maybe he should spend a little more time explaining the death of his assistant - Lori Klausutis. Here are 2 of hundreds of yahoo hits:
http://archive.democrats.com/preview.cfm?term=Joe%20Scarborough
http://www.americanpolitics.com/20010808Klausutis.html