Weiner-less: Morning Joe Blacks Out Coverage Of 'Anthony' For First Half-Hour

June 7th, 2011 9:34 AM

When I began watching my DVR recording of Morning Joe today, I was of course wondering which clip from yesterday's Weiner press conference Morning Joe had chosen for its show-opener. When instead a clip of Jon Stewart mocking Sarah Palin appeared, I literally wondered if I was playing the recording of the wrong day's Morning Joe.

But as the first half-hour unfolded, it became obvious that Morning Joe had made a conscious decision to black out any mention of Weiner-gate during today's first half-hour. Hat tip NB reader Matthew E.

View video after the jump.  

Newt Gingrich's vacation plans, the failure of the Connecticut governor to appoint a transportation commissioner, and yet another slap at Sarah Palin, this time by Colbert, were all considered newsworthy. But still no Weiner. When a reporter from Politico appeared, surely he would speak about the story consuming DC.  But no, he was asked about Gingrich and the resignation of an Obama econcomics adviser. 

When the show finally got around to the matter in the second half-hour, Joe Scarborough and guest Jon Heilemann ostentatiously went on a first-name basis,  speaking of "Anthony." There was some discussion of the politics, but the focus was on the "vicious" New York press and how tough things were for Weiner's family.  Mika Brzezinski offered nary a comment other than to mutter that the about how "rough" is the situation, how "savage" is the New York press, and how much of a "sideshow" was Weiner's press conference.

Consider the bias and the bad news judgment inherent in burying the most dramatic political press conference of the year.


JOHN HEILEMANN: On the one hand, you've got, being in New York, people say this is more survivable than in other places in the country because there's a higher tolerance here for this kind of thing.  In New York, we're not easily shocked in New York. At the same time, the press here is so much more relentless and vicious.

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Savage.

. . .


HEILEMANN: The next seven days are going to be very, very hard for him because he's not, I mean, Anthony has gotten very popular in the last few years, way above in the view of a lot of Democrats, above his station, by being out there on cable.

. . .

JOE SCARBOROUGH: Usually, if you get in trouble, at least people from your own party in your own state stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you.  They didn't do that with Anthony . . . I don't speak for everybody, but certainly my family's thoughts and prayers are with Anthony's wife and family members.

. . .

MICHAEL STEELE: In the 24-hour news cycle, you can't get before the media and say "I can't say with certainty that's me in the photo."


MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Oh my gosh, it was a feeding frenzy.

SCARBOROUGH: OK, let's move on to sports. Willie Geist!