On Friday’s Morning Joe, Bloomberg Politics managing editor Mark Halperin strongly condemned Hillary Clinton’s decision to compare Republican politicians to terrorists over the issue of abortion.
Halperin did not mince words when he repudiated the Democratic frontrunner's language and argued that “[i]f a Republican did this the world would come to a halt.”
Co-host Joe Scarborough was just as harsh on Mrs. Clinton and called her comments “disgusting." The Morning Joe host suggested Clinton "wanted us to talk about this. She wanted to throw a bright shiny object out there. So they don't -- so they don't talk about the e-mail scandal.”
After Scarborough listed off the numerous atrocities terrorists like ISIS commit against women on a daily basis he maintained that Hillary’s comments expose the “sick radicalism” of the Democratic Party:
Is this the radicalism, we've been talking about the craziness of the Republican Party. But is this the sick radicalism that is now infecting the Democratic Party that if you're Barack Obama you compare Chuck Schumer to people shouting death to America in Iran? And if you're Hillary Clinton, you compare pro-life Democrats and Republicans to ISIS? What happened here yesterday? This is so over the top.
The MSNBC host went one step further and stressed that Clinton’s rhetoric was a “disgusting” “planned” strategy as she tries to distract from the FBI’s ongoing investigation into her private e-mail server containing classified information:
This is a strategy of her to be -- to engage in gutter politics to distract from the fact that the FBI is investigating her because she's been called a liar by the American people. So she's just going to try to change the subject. Democrats that are concerned about what's going on should just be more concerned this morning.
After Mika Brzezinski played Clinton’s full comments once again she admitted that her remarks were clearly “written” and not merely off-the-cuff remarks. Halperin also made sure to point out the media double standard in its coverage of the 2016 campaign and how a Republican would have been swiftly condemned for invoking terrorists while talking about the Democratic Party:
The world would come to a halt. There would be editorials in every newspaper condemning him and demanding he apologize.
See relevant transcript below.
MSNBC’s Morning Joe
August 28, 2015
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Well, the RNC was quick to respond to the comments but I'll let you do it first.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: It was disgusting. It was absolutely disgusting. Hillary Clinton saying that somebody that takes a pro-life
BRZEZINSKI: I was trying to be careful.
SCARBOROUGH: I mean, let's tell the truth. She wanted us to talk about this. She wanted to throw a bright shiny object out there. So they don't -- so they don't talk about the e-mail scandal. And so she has to be so hyperbolic and insulting and quite frankly just -- it's gutter politics at its worst to compare people to radical terrorists that's cut off people's head and blow up grand moms. It's not all right. And we've seen by reporting what these terrorists do to young girls, the sexual slavery is absolutely appalling and what Hillary Clinton did is compare somebody who is pro-life -- which is close to 50% of Americans -- to radical terrorists.
This is like Barack Obama. Is this the radicalism, we've been talking about the craziness of the Republican Party. But is this the sick radicalism that is now infecting the Democratic Party that if you're Barack Obama you compare Chuck Schumer to people shouting death to America in Iran? And if you're Hillary Clinton, you compare pro-life Democrats and Republicans to ISIS? What happened here yesterday? This is so over the top.
MARK HALPERIN: If a Republican did this the world would come to a halt.
SCARBOROUGH: The world would come to a halt.
HALPERIN: It should be condemned in strong terms. I'm hoping and I’m suspecting she may take it back today.
BRZEZINSKI: So the RNC –
SCARBOROUGH: No, why would she take it back?
HALPERIN: I think she might.
SCARBOROUGH: Did you see what she was doing? You know what the most disgusting part of it was? She was reading notes. This was planned. And the campaign says she has no plans to apologize and now she's accusing Republicans of twisting her words. This is a strategy of her to be -- to engage in gutter politics to distract from the fact that the FBI is investigating her because she's been called a liar by the American people. So she's just going to try to change the subject. Democrats that are concerned about what's going on should just be more concerned this morning.
--
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Yeah, there were notes. That's written.
SCARBOROUGH: Mark?
BRZEZINSKI: Maybe she's looking ahead.
SCARBOROUGH: What would happen if Scott Walker, who is going to be on today, compared Barack Obama to Islamic terrorists--
BRZEZINSKI: Policies to.
SCARBOROUGH: because he was pro-choice and Scott Walker said he wants to slaughter innocence just like ISIS because he's pro-abortion?
HALPERIN: The world would come to a halt. There would be editorials in every newspaper condemning him and demanding he apologize.
