As we've noted here and here, in recent days Joe Scarborough has assumed the role of volunteer Biden campaign advisor.
Joe had his campaign cap back on during today's Morning Joe. But in a twist, instead of advising Biden simply to attack Trump harder, Scarborough actually suggested something that runs counter to the liberal party line.
Scarborough emphatically declared that there is an "unprecedented crisis" at the border -- and urged Biden to focus his efforts on securing all necessary funding for border agents, judges, etc. to deal with the crisis.
And in the course of his spiel, Scarborough took a shot at the role of Kamala Harris, Biden's "border czar." Scarborough said:
"I'm sorry, but going around on the campaign trail and talking about what's happening in Central America, that not going to help anybody. There's a crisis at the border right now that has to be taken care of first . . . And these holistic problems: other countries, reasons why they're coming up here, well, that is long-term. That doesn't work on the campaign trail."
Scarborough wants Biden to able to dismiss Trump on his favorite issue, and brag to Trump, "I funded the border more than you ever did....I spent more money on the border than you ever did with your imaginary wall --
He also acknowledged that should Biden take his advice, "some people in his base are not going to like it." That's an understatement. It's not just Biden's liberal base that would be angered. Surely many influential people within the Biden campaign itself would oppose any serious effort to close our open southern border. This crisis didn't come about by accident -- this massive surge looks like the result of a calculated plan to usher into the United States as many "undocumented Democrats" as possible!
Joe Scarborough describing the situation on the southern border as an "unprecedented crisis," and urging Biden to seek funding for what is needed to address it, was sponsored in part by GoDaddy and Apple.
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
10/2/23
6:43 am EDTJOE SCARBOROUGH: I tell you, if I were Joe Biden, if I were advising Joe Biden, I would say, listen, you have an unbelievable opportunity here. You, you, you increase funding for Ukraine. You continue the funding there, but you don't do a halfway measure on the border.
This is an unprecedented crisis on the border. That calls for an, for unprecedented action.
Some people in his base is, are not going to like it. Okay, well, that's what compromise is.
Lke, Lyndon Johnson, it's like, I want 51 votes. If we got 65, 68 votes, then I didn't push the compromise enough. I want 51 votes, which means I offended people on both sides of the extreme, and we got everything in there --
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Yes!
SCARBOROUGH: -- we could possibly get in there. That's what Joe Biden needs to do here. We're always hearing, oh, these people keep streaming across the border because we don't have enough border agents, we don't have enough judges, we don't have enought this. We don't have enough that.
Well, there aren't resources to take care of this. And, and, I'm sorry, but going around on the campaign trail and talking about what's happening in Central America, that not going to help anybody. There's a crisis at the border right now that has to be taken care of first.
MIKA: And it will take Democrats and Republicans to do that.
SCARBOROUGH: It will take Democrats and Republicans to do it. You've got a great opportunity to do it here.
And these holistic problems, right? Other countries, reasons why they're coming up here, well, that is long-term. And you know it's long-term. That doesn't work on the campaign trail.
Actually, give people the resources they need on the border. Give them the judges. Give them the security. Give everybody what they need, the border security people. And this is a great opportunity to do it.
Don't listen to the extremes on both sides. Do what's the right thing. And I will say, if you do what the right thing is, to bring some order to the border, he actually, any time Donald Trump brings up the border, he goes, wait, what are you talking about? I funded the border more than you ever did.
MIKA: Right.
SCARBOROUGH: I spent more money on the border than you ever did with your imaginary wall --
MIKA: Oh my God!
SCARBOROUGH: -- that you had up in your mind and you said you were going to build this great, beautiful, gold wall with one door the middle of it.
MIKA: People could climb right over.
SCARBOROUGH: You never did it. You never did it. Republicans even said it was a stupid idea when they were in charge of Washington, D.C.Y ou never did it, Donald. But I tell you what: I did. And this is what I did. And then you just start ticking down the list of it and, and I'll tell you, the American people want that. Our border agents need that. And it's a win/win.
MIKA: And an opportunity to hold the Republicans accountable for their part of this process. Or, to work with them! We'll see.
SCARBOROUGH: Right. And by the way, if the Republicans vote no on that --
MIKA: I mean [inaudible.] Yeah.
SCARBOROUGH: Good luck defending that in the swing districts.
