Somebody slap an 'L' on Bill Clinton's forehead . . . Slick Willie has been called many things: a grifter, a snake-oil salesman, even an alleged rapist. But one label that hasn't been affixed to him is the L-word: loser. Until this morning.
On today's Morning Joe, after airing Bill Clinton's recent attack on Bernie Sanders, Scarborough said "I know I'm listening to a loser." Continued Scarborough: "I'm listening to somebody that's losing, that's saying 'oh, they've got better slogans, oh, they've got better this, their polls may be a little higher now, or oh, they may be more angry, but --' I've heard that form of speech a thousand times. And it's never good for the one giving it."
Scarborough singled out as a mistake Clinton's line that Sanders sounded "madder" than Hillary. That was a "softball," said Scarborough, pointing to Sanders' comeback in which he readily admitted to being angry over a string of perceived injustices in the country.
So . . . has Bill Clinton lost his political fastball? Is Hillary's campaign breaking out in flop sweat?
Note: Bill Clinton whining about Sanders' slogans being "easier to say?" That's rich, coming from the guy who rode to the White House on "it's the economy, stupid"—at a time the economy was actually growing at an annual 4.5% rate that President Obama could only dream of today.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Both Clinton and Sanders barnstormed Iowa over the weekend. Sanders was defiant of recent attacks from the Clinton campaign, saying they were running a desperate campaign lacking excitement and he fought back these comments from former President Bill Clinton.BILL CLINTON: We gotta tell people who think that may be lured by people that say this other guy is madder than she is. [ Laughter ] And that feels authentic. And besides, these slogans are easier to say.[Laughter] And I say that in no disrespect. I admire that.
SANDERS: He was somewhere, I think maybe in Nevada, and he said, you know, Bernie Sanders is angry. That's true. I plead guilty. I am angry. I am angry and millions of Americans are angry. We are angry that our people are working longer hours for lower wages. We are angry that our criminal justice system is broken. And we're angry that we have a corrupt campaign finance system that allows billionaires to buy elections. [ Applause ]
MIKA: Joe, the same -- similar response that Donald Trump had to Nikki Haley. Yes, yes, we're angry.
JOE: You're damn right I'm angry and it -- it was just a powerful moment for Bernie Sanders. I mean, Bill Clinton got the laugh lines, but, Sam Stein, you don't have to be a political expert to know who's in a better position there -- the establishment candidate deriding the outsider for saying he's angry or the outsider that says, yeah, you know what? I am angry. It's like a softball pitch. I mean no disrespect to Bill Clinton, I really don't. And I'm not talking about him generally, but specifically in that scene when I hear those words coming out of a politician's mouth, I know I'm listening to a loser. I'm listening to somebody that is losing, that's saying, "oh, they've got better slogans, oh, they've got better this, oh, their polls may be a little higher now or, oh, they may be more angry. But --" I've heard that form of that speech a thousand times and it's never good for the one giving it.
SAM STEIN: No.
