Scarborough, Bashir In MSNBC Bash-up Over Hacking Scandal
Keith Olbermann was infamous for his in-house feuds during his MSNBC tenure. But Keith's clearing-off has manifestly failed to transform the network into a land of milk and honey. Witness the nasty little spat on today's Morning Joe between Joe Scarborough and Martin Bashir, host of an MSNBC afternoon show.
At hand was the hacking scandal, and in particular Piers Morgan's possible involvement. Scarborough referenced a Morgan statement indicating that at the time he was editor of a British newspaper, he was aware of a phone-hacking technique. Joe asked Bashir if he was surprised that more hadn't been made of it. Bashir condescendingly responded that he wasn't surprised since, "if you read it carefully, Joe" the statement contained no admission by Morgan of having used the technique. For more on the matter, including the suggestion that Morgan's paper in fact used the hacking technique to break a sex scoop, click here.
That set Scarborough off and the two continued to exchange barbs till the end of the segment.
View video after the jump.
Watch the flare-up and imagine the collegial times rolling in the MSNBC cafeteria.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Are you surprised that more questions haven't been raised about the passage from Piers Morgan's book where he talks about phone hacking and brags about how you can do it?
MARTIN BASHIR: No, I'm not surprised because he doesn't actually say that he does it. What he said was in the book if you read it carefully, Joe, and this is important, he actually said he'd heard about this phenomena and that he therefore personally changed his own cell phone numbers in order to prevent that from happening. But he never asserted that he would do that.
SCARBOROUGH: I did read it carefully, Martin. Not as carefully as you, of course, because I can't do anything as carefully as you. But I will tell you --
BASHIR: Oh, don't be ridiculous. Now you're being self-pitying.
SCARBOROUGH: I'm just a dumb country lawyer.
BASHIR: Oh, right.
SCARBOROUGH: Thank you so much for being with us. We greatly appreciate it.
BASHIR: It's a great pleasure to be with you, Joe. Thank you.
SCARBOROUGH: Yes, and have fun following Parliament there. How fascinating. You know, I've got to say, I have read Piers Morgan's quote and it's pretty damning. You look at the tone, and there's almost a braggadocio like, hey, let me tell you, this is how--this is a trick of the trade.
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Comments
Bashir is a tool.
Submitted by Soldat44 on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 9:50am.
Bashir is a tool.
I say ship Morgan AND Bashir
Submitted by motherbelt on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 10:01am.
I say ship Morgan AND Bashir back to the BBC!
Problem solved.
Just like Ali Velshi and Canada....
Submitted by drsamherman on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 11:28am.
...the UK and BBC got rid of Morgan and Bashir and they don't want them back.
Joe, Poor Joe...
Submitted by KyWriter on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 10:08am.
Could he finally be learning that his liberal friends tolerate him only for whatever validation he can offer them? Probably not; Scarborough's self-image as being a voice above partisan squabbling should more properly be described as self-delusion. His fence-straddling is getting tiresome.
Poor Joe's clothes
Submitted by Red Jeep on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 10:14am.
Poor Joe wore the same jacket and shirt for at least 2 days last week and 1 day this week. Maybe his cleaning lady is on vacation.
Joe isn't one of the boys anymore....
Submitted by OldJarhead77 on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 10:24am.
He.. Like mika and Prissy chrissy, andrea cooper, and mattie b are all Obama Prison wives... guess joe was do busy doing his boy barrys wash to do his own.
Lean Forward, Joe!
Submitted by Newsbubba on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 10:36am.
Here it come again, yo.
Perfect Newsbubba
Submitted by Red Jeep on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 11:11am.
"Lean forward---Here it comes again"
I shall think of that every time I hear, "Lean Forward"
The government says, "Lean forward." The taxpayer thinks Here it comes again, the Shaft.
Close, Jeep ...
Submitted by Newsbubba on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 1:43pm.
... but since, ahh, ugg, ...Bambi be in his ahh, ... his campaign MODE, ahh, ugg, we's all gotta, ugh SWITCH to ebonics, yo!
Dat mean it be awholebuncha stuff, ugh,... ahh like, "Here it come" stead of "Here it comes." You,know, ahh, ... know what I'm SAYING?
If our leader speak like dat, so do we.
Hey Jarhead...
Submitted by KyWriter on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 11:20am.
You're not the only one on this site. I think we can both see Joe and his buddies in a GI party for Obama. In fact, what better place for them than the head?
Yep!
Submitted by OldJarhead77 on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 11:35am.
josie chrissy andrea all worshipping at the source of the recycled Obama Kool-aide.... mika should tell him to wipe his mouth and fix his lipstick!
Hypocrites
Submitted by iveseenitall on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 10:13am.
The "liberal" press in the UK and the US have been doing these sneaky, illegal things forever. It is not being overlooked this time because it is the left's opportunity to get Murdoch. If it were a lefty whom they caught, they woud make that person a hero, especially if the hacking were done to catch a conservative. Hypocrites, all of 'em.
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal" (progressive)
"Fake/false but accurate"
Submitted by kg on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 10:23am.
"Fake/false but accurate"
"DumbAssity of Dope"
I find it very difficult to
Submitted by DaChew on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 10:21am.
I find it very difficult to believe that these hacking techniques were known only to and used only by employees of News of the World. I'd be willing to bet there's a lot of paper shredding and email deleting going on at the other tabloids right now.
I haven't read Piers' book
Submitted by bkeyser on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 10:34am.
*
The Make Believe Media was
Submitted by Free Stinker on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 11:05am.
The Make Believe Media was never this upset about Sarah Palim's email being "hacked".
/// Sarah Palin Fan since July 11, 2007 /// خال
HOW TRUE!!
Submitted by OldJarhead77 on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 11:08am.
In fact, didn't they applaud the dirtbag that did it?
FROM THE DESK OF F. VENGENCE
Submitted by FVF on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 11:10am.
FROM THE DESK OF F. VENGENCE FLOOK:
I wrote this Monday night so it has lost some of its zip. Our liberal friends are worked into a frenzy HOPING this phone hacking scandal will bring down Rupert Murdock. (How many times did Brian Williams mention Rupert’s name in his last two “news” reports?) Let me tell you what this hubbub has caused me to do with my investments. I have, over the past few months, sold ALL of my stocks. I am assuming Obama will veto the Republicans’ final debt ceiling offer and will throw us into absolute financial crisis. Then I can buy stocks of good companies for very reasonable prices. But, this Murdoch deal may be an even better short-term opportunity. Someone said last night that News Corp’s (NWS) stock was down 30%. Let’s assume that is accurate. I’ll use make-believe numbers to so we can all do the math in our heads. NWS was selling for $10; now it is selling for $7. If I buy it at $7 and it goes back to $10, I have made 46%. ($3/$7) And, once Murdoch is cleared – as he will be – the stock will go back up and I will make my $46+%. Unless, of course, Obama has ruined the country. But, I’m a pig; I’ll wait for NWS to go even lower and make more than 50%. (WARNING, I AM NOT A FINANCIAL ADVISOR.)
Tues., PM – I watched Brian Williams again. I refuse to call what he does “news.” He spent even more time attacking Murdoch. Is Murdoch a conservative? Or do libs simply hate him because he owns FNC? And the attack on Murdoch’s wife!! No decent news person would have EVER done that! What has America come to?
Then the Michele Bachmann story regarding the migraines that will keep her from being president. Why try to hide the disgust you have for Rep. Bachmann, Brian? Why don’t you just say it the way you normally would when you are off the air, “When, Rep. Bachmann, did you stop hiring four swarthy guys to tie up your husband so you could force him to watch you have sex with those four swarthy guys”? (For those of you who did not notice, this is my variation of the “When did you stop beating your wife, Senator” story.
And FNC and MRC meekly point out how awful the MSM has become. And conservatives sit around and complain about how awful it is.
F. VENGENCE FLOOK
Joe Douchebag and Martin Batshit -- spar over Piers FakeFotos
Submitted by mytwosense on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 12:58pm.
What's this?
Martin Batshit Bashir -- who pounced exploitatively on Michael Jackson, for Bashir's own notoriety and loads of those British Pound Sterlings/American Bucks, and,
Joe Douchebag Scarborough -- who has the integrity and moral compass of a jackal,
are quarrelling about whether,
Piers FakeFotos Morgan -- who knowingly published counterfeit war photos, is ethical and above board???
Could it get more pathetic, and absurd, and disingenuous, than that?
Where does MSNBC and CNN find these deceptive and dishonest clowns?
In the rubbish bin/garbage?