Former General Electric CEO Jack Welch: Global Warming Skeptic

While guest hosting Wednesday’s "Morning Joe", former General Electric CEO Jack Welch condemned global warming, the very theory MSNBC has been peddling for years. GE, of course, owns MSNBC; the rebuke of MSNBC’s favorite alarmist hypothesis came in a segment where hosts share noteworthy editorials. Welch decided to share an opinion piece from Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal aptly titled "Global Warming As Mass Neurosis." Welch informed the audience that the article has "a lot of technical numbers here to show you that NASA overstated what's happening." Welch summarized the article by saying "And they got an argument that states that global warming is the attack on capitalism that socialism couldn't bring"

After Jack’s synopsis, co- host Pat Buchanan interjects his belief that global warming is "a neo-Marxist idea for the transfer of wealth and power." Jack Welch jumps in to agree saying "Right" Pat Buchanan then decides to carry his rebuke even further by saying "And At the end global elites, and they’re, you know they’re gonna to dictate to all of us because of this phony idea that we're all in some eminent danger. I agree with that 100 %." Welch, the former GE CEO enthusiastically jumped in to agree saying "Absolutely!"

Later in the segment Mika Brzezinski did her best to put pressure on her former boss by saying "Alright, but I just want to say at some point this [global warming] is going to come back and haunt us if we don't address it, Jack." However ‘Neutron Jack’ refused to cede his ground and sarcastically responded "We'll see."

What makes this vivacious segment so amusing is that as the former Chief Executive Officer of General Electric, Jack Welch, was once the head of a company that owns MSNBC. MSNBC is a network that hawks global warming mythology on a regular basis. Just two months ago Newsbusters profiled how MSNBC firebrand Chris Matthews was shocked by global warming skepticism. Apparently, Matthews never talked to his old boss about the subject.

A partial transcript is below:

Mika Brzezinski: Now, we have one more opinion page to get to. Jack, what did you choose?

Jack Welch: I choose.

Brzezinski: He brings his own in his pocket.

Welch: I brought this from yesterday's "wall street journal," page A 15.The title of it is global warming as mass neurosis.

Brzezinski: What?

Welch: Global warming as mass neurosis.

Brzezinski: What are you saying Jack?

Welch: Well, what they’re saying is, that a, NASA has changed some of their numbers. Some of the hottest days, they have a lot of technical numbers here to show you that NASA overstated what's happening. But then they go on to try and explain this is a movement. Global warming as a movement. And they’ve got a theological basis for it, they’ve got a sociological basis for it and they got a psychological basis for it. And they got an argument that states that global warming is the attack on capitalism.

Brzezinski: hmm....

Welch: That socialiam couldn't bring

Pat Buchanan: Right

Welch: and that other movements couldn't bring. It's the same crowd that brought you out of control population. It's a very thoughtful piece. And it's on A 15. Anybody who even hasn't even had their mind completely jammed shut on global warming has to read it. Has to read it.

Brzezinski: Ok, I'll read it.

Buchanan: It's a neo-marxist idea for the transfer of wealth and power

Welch: Right.

Buchanan: From people to elites.

Tucker Carlson: That’s exactly right.

Buchanan: And At the end global elites, and they’re, you know they’re gonna to dictate to all of us because of this phony idea that we're all in some eminent danger. I agree with that 100 %.

Brzezinski: You guys aren't using foresight.

Welch: Absolutely!

[chatter]

Buchanan: We've got three guys, let's work on Barnicle. This is al gore's surrogate here. You want to defend him?

Mike Barnicle: It’s an inconvenient truth, I’ll tell you that.

Brzezinski: It’s very inconvenient.

Welch: But this is a must read. A 15."Wall street journal."

Brzezinski: Yesterday’s "Wall Street Journal"

Buchanan: Is it Brett Stevens?

Welch: Yeah, Brett Stevens.

Brzezinski: Alright, but I just want to say at some point this is doing to come back and haunt us if we don't address it, jack.

Welch: We'll see.

Barnicle: Even John Mccain says, you know, he'd rather go after global warming now under the assumption –

Buchanan: Well, we’re going to cut him loose.

Barnicle: Okay. All right.

Brzezinski: Oh boy, I am a little outnumbered here.

Welch: Right now in this political campaign, A 15 of the "wall street journal" is not the most popular article. This is a thoughtful guy taking a position, not some politician running for office.

Welch: All I can say, between global warming and Ben Bernanke and George Bush, they are doing a good job on capitalism.

Brzezinski: And we all do have a neurosis. I think it might be economic. Tucker Carlson.

Welch: And you forgot Congress.

Brzezinski: Yes, there is that.