'Morning Joe' Approach To Oakland 'Occupy': Condemn Police First, Get Facts Later
Today, some members of the Morning Joe panel piously preached the importance of not jumping to conclusions regarding the clash between "Occupy" demonstrators and police in Oakland, California that left one man seriously injured.
But that didn't prevent Mike Barnicle from describing the event as a "police riot" or Joe Scarborough from speaking of police "brutality." H/t NB reader Ray R. Interestingly, Mika Brzezinski was the voice of reason, declining to condemn the police, saying she'd "hold back" and "wait"--presumably to get all the facts. Video after the jump.
Even Willie Geist eschewed his normal equanimity. Despite admitting he didn't have the facts, Geist proclaimed the demonstrators "peaceful" and proceeded to accuse police of acting in an "unconscionable" manner.
Watch the Morning Joe crowd condemn first, wait for facts later.
MIKE BARNICLE: You know what you're watching out there? You were watching a police riot, a police riot. Oakland, the Oakland police department has had a series of problems over the last 10 years. And that was a police riot you were just watching.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: And by the way, you've had protests across the country; none have broken out like that. When I first saw the tear gas images yesterday morning, I thought--first of all I thought how stupid it was. We didn't really understand the extent of the brutality till now. You just sat there: why did they do that? Was it really necessary to fire the tear gas and create a much more difficult scene? Which is exactly what they've done.
HAROLD FORD, JR.: They created hysteria for no reason.
SCARBOROUGH: Yeah.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: This is the police we're talking about?
FORD: This is the police.
BRZEZINSKI: I'd hold back.
FORD: These people were protesting about jobs and their incomes. They have every right to. Why the policemen engaged themselves this way is just, um --
BRZEZINSKI: I'd wait.
SCARBOROUGH: I'm just curious: Willie, what are your thoughts on the overreaction by the Oakland police and what it means for the bigger movement?
WILLIE GEIST: I'm always careful to hear the whole story first --
SCARBOROUGH: Exactly.
GEIST: -- but to me, using tear gas on peaceful demonstrators is pretty unconscionable. Again, we don't know the circumstances. But if you can't contain a group of young kids protesting about jobs by other means, you might want to reevaluate your police work.
SCARBOROUGH: I don't know. I'm with you, Willie. A lot of times people jump to conclusions without knowing the full story and the police always seem to be the first ones to be pushed around and kicked around when something like--when you have the story show up on the pages of the newspaper. The burden is always on the police department. But in this case, this just seems so egregious. It seems like it's an egregious use of force.
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Comments
Ya we don't need the facts...
Submitted by tjc-illinois on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 7:33am.
Ya, we don't need the facts.... We will make them up to suit our bias.
'Well, to tell the family secret, my grandmother was Dutch." Bart
Oh, please. All the video in
Submitted by Ed Gregory on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 7:39am.
Oh, please. All the video in the world at their disposal and these clowns still jump to the wrong conclusion. These occupiers are bored, tired, cranky and out of weed, and now the news media and others are tired of their act. Clashing with police is their last desperate attempt to get attention.
That, or they're just Raiders fans. Either way, Oakland police are well-versed in the baton arts.
This show is pure entertainment!!!
Submitted by scottyusmc on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 7:40am.
They never let the facts get in the way of a good storyline... "Police Riot" another new term coined by the idiot left in an attempt to justify their violence. Right - like I see roaming bands of police violently attacking peaceful citizens... What a crock - but like I say - it is entertaining..
Propaganda as ordered from the Ministry of Truth!
Submitted by swim-r-sink on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 10:34am.
I have been watching this show the past few days and somethings have become increasingly clear to me. First off Schmoe made a comment a few days ago about OWS where he told Mika that Obama Has (taken more money from Wall Street) than any President in history. Mika looked like she was ready to tear his throat out with her teeth! So in the last couple of days you can see that Joe has been told to keep in his place or else! She is in control as far as I see. And the reason they are so focused on the OWS nonsense that they so over hype is simple! Do you think they would dare say anything about the Fast and Furious investigations or the unraveling of B.O.`s Green Energy scams? They at MSNBC are doubling down on Obama's increasing Leftist agenda. And as the Progressives see their Messiah fading in to the twilight along with their Journalistic credibility. Their shameless deceitful ugliness will become even more manifest! Plenty of Popcorn and Beer needed! This is gonna be good sports fans!
Oh, please!
Submitted by motherbelt on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 7:41am.
Morning Schmoe is channeling Michael Moore: the demonstrators are peaceful, the police are rioting.
How about this guy?
I'm all about the riot- we need to be violent!
It appears that they are bound and determined to provoke reaction, and are hoping to create a "Kent State moment" as that moron Donny Deutsch said the movement needed.
Police riots?
Submitted by GeneralAl on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 7:41am.
Police riots, huh? How about a bunch of filthy, dirty, lazy, ungrateful, Marxist robots attacking the police? Serves the little --------------------- [You fill in your favorite name!] right!
"Old Soldiers never die, they just fade away"!
Morning Schmoe
Submitted by Mystapitt on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 7:45am.
I tend to watch this horror show because i like battling wits with libs. However, I am growing weary of the lack of balance and likeability of his panel. The Five is similar with little balance, but how can you not like Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld (funny), Monica Crowley, etc... I would love to see Barnicle on The Five...give Beckle some help. Not that Barnicle would thrive...but it would be fun to see him challenged.
Matching wits with a liberal
Submitted by johnsonl on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 8:24am.
is like playing chess with a monkey. Eventually the monkey will figure it out, but by then it's too late.
Oh yea,
Submitted by Boudin on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 7:52am.
I am sure the poor Cop's are having the time of their lives. Good freakin grief!
This just in:
Submitted by DontFeedTheTrolls on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 8:06am.
Joe Biden says that from now on if you are being raped or murdered, call the OWS protestors, NOT the police!
barnicle the idiot
Submitted by D'saredumbpeople on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 8:20am.
Barnicle,what a loser a typical liberal coming down on the police ....was his fat ass and fat head there.....no...anybody who watches that show is very lucky.....all the stupid people are in one studio.....led by Joe and Mika they have to be related...somewhere the genes were connected. you gtet to see the dumbest people on tv...
So, the passive-aggressive commentator
Submitted by johnsonl on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 8:22am.
whines in agreement with his liberal panel about how brutal the Oakland Police are, gets called on it, and continues. Liberals live in their own little fantasy world.
Pin on a badge and strap on a gun, pansy. Ride with Oakland's Finest for a week and get back to us about what they do. I would be willing to bet that none of them have a journolism degree.
It was a "laugh riot"!
Submitted by almostacowboy on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 8:25am.
Those guys on the Mourning Schmoe are hilarious: "police riot"; "egregious use of force"; "peaceful demonstrators"; and my personal favorite, "a group of young kids protesting about jobs" - as if they just wanted to sell lemon aide but had to buy a $600 business licensee.
Oakland police acted stupidly
Submitted by Agnostic on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 8:31am.
Morning Joe is just following President Obama' lead in Cambridge in blaming 'the man' first and protecting the 'victim'.
As a society we need to stop protecting people from themselves. For people who believe in evolution they seem to have no faith in survival of the fittest.
The collective intellegence
Submitted by inquiringmind on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 8:59am.
The collective intellegence in that room today couldn't light a 40 watt bulb. I am shocked by how stupid some people can be when facts to the contrary are right in front of them. How about we wait until all the facts come out before we make a comment like " police riot".
And Mika, midway through the conversation asks, " It's the police were talking about"? Shows she must have been thinking about her Fall wardrobe or something because she wasn't following the conversation.
Comedy Gold
Submitted by dbo on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 10:27am.
I bet the Oakland police are shaking in their boots now. (*Warning* 90 second video where liberal loon completely embarrasses himself).
Oh my lord....
Submitted by jon_torlin on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 10:42am.
If that guy wasn't serious and I believe he was, this would have been a really good parody of......something. "Every single one of you" and he has a single pair of handcuffs.
The guy's barking up a flagpole thinking it's a tree!
-Jon
It's obvious that the next
Submitted by celator on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 10:31am.
It's obvious that the next step OWS gang is pushing for a confrontation with the police in the cities they have gathered to breed and steal. We'll see a gradual notching up of the violence by these rabble until someone gets seriously hurt. Chaos will ensue, police will be demonized, the MSM will continue to show complete affiliation with these protesters, Obama and the rest of the block head socialist democrats will say even more to incite these mobs.
Welcome to 1968.
Watching this stupid show is
Submitted by jessieH on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 10:49am.
Watching this stupid show is like watching morons on parade.
Joe is trying to re create
Submitted by jkwtrading on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 12:13pm.
Joe is trying to re create Detroit of the 60's. then it worked , now it won't. their B.S was successful then now it is what it was then a lie.
Joe is trying to re create
Submitted by jkwtrading on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 12:14pm.
Joe is trying to re create Detroit of the 60's. then it worked , now it won't. their B.S was successful then now it is what it was then a lie.
Must have done some good
Submitted by Cho Yi Fan on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 1:08pm.
The police action in Oakland must have done some good. There was a bigger march last night
and everyone behaved themselves. Mayor Quan is back in town denying
that she had anything to do with the police action against the occupiers.There was no brutality.
There was a police action to keep a crowd under control but the media being
liberal shills have to blame the cops. If you think the national media is biased
then you should have heard some of the local SF Oakland media whining about
excessive force used by OPD. I am sure that there will be an investigation which will
determine that the cops are the bad guys.
One fact ......
Submitted by jmigyanka@msn.com on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 2:27pm.
...........Mike Barnicle is the “PLAGERIZER EXTRAORDINAIRE” and he should not be taken with any seriousness … since he is a proven and notable LIAR! Read for yourself: http://www.ajr.org/article.asp?id=192
What about Lori - Joe?....
Submitted by jmigyanka@msn.com on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 2:40pm.
...was she 'brutalized' before she died in your office?
1. http://archive.democrats.com/preview.cfm?term=Joe%20Scarborough
2. http://www.americanpolitics.com/20010808Klausutis.html
3. http://flyingsnail.com/Dahbud/firejoescarborough.html
What in the world did this accomplish?
Submitted by kata on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 7:22pm.
What did it prove? What was the message? The Occupuppets are willing to go down there and do it all again. Now with gas masks. No one is asking what the end game is.
These are not journalists. These are morons.
Huh, I figured it would take
Submitted by amyshulk on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 10:42pm.
Huh, I figured it would take until Monday for the meme to circulate, guess not. Joe, you need to take another vacation, and clear the cobwebs that prevent you from thinking critically.
Ronald Reagan
Mike Barnicle was also the
Submitted by amyshulk on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 10:46pm.
Mike Barnicle was also the one who tried to destroy the woman who called the Cambridge police - he *never* apologized for that, taking his lead from Pres. Obama in impugning people based on how THEY think/act!!!
Ronald Reagan
the young man was hit with a pojectile-
Submitted by JIMMY1660 on Fri, 10/28/2011 - 3:13pm.
since when do Police throw "stuff"-
Who was throwing-urine/paint/vinegar, etc-
OWS-malcontents.