There was a rather surprising moment on MSNBC's Morning Joe Friday.
When mega-rich guest Donny Deutsch said there's "more hate involved" in the Tea Party than the Occupy Wall Street movement, he was immediately jumped on by hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for the absurdity (video follows with transcript and commentary):
DONNY DEUTSCH: So the kinds of things that you guys are talking about here, which I don't think anybody can argue, and there are points, the movement needs to grow up. It needs, it’s interesting, when you partner the editorial with what you guys are saying that it needs to have a grown-up tone. Even though you didn't, or I, obviously, the Tea Party repulses me, there was an adultness to it, and there is a childlikeness, even though the message is right and it needs to happen…
JOE SCARBOROUGH, CO-HOST: Why did the Tea Party repulse you?
MIKA BRZEZINSKI, CO-HOST: What do you mean “adultness?” Same question.
DEUTSCH: Adultness? Well, basically, exactly what you said. It feels like just a bunch of kids yapping instead of, hey, this is wrong, this has to change, and this is where we have to go.
BRZEZINSKI: But it's not.
SCARBOROUGH: What do they stand for? Other than we don't like the rich?
BRZEZINSKI: I mean, look at the Time magazine article yesterday where they profile all the different types of people that are down there. There's definitely the element you talked about.
DEUTSCH: Well, of course it's different, but you look at it. Isn't there a, that needs gravitas, it doesn't have gravitas.
SCARBOROUGH: Why were you repulsed by the Tea Party? And why do you think this protest is more worthy than the Tea Party?
DEUTSCH: I didn't say it’s more worthy.
SCARBOROUGH: You said you were repulsed. You said you agree with what they're doing down there, but you were repulsed by the Tea Party.
DEUTSCH: I always felt there was a certain undertone…
SCARBOROUGH: Sort of a middle-Americanness to the Tea Party that offended you?
DEUTSCH: No, I think there was a -- there seemed to be more hate involved for lack of a better word.
BRZEZINSKI: Really? Well, they're going to the homes now of some of these people.
SCARBOROUGH: Yeah, they're actually going to the homes and if they could drag people out and beat them, they would. Seriously, Donny, you know, nothing. You just, you take that pink tie with you to Kansas.
DEUTSCH: I was waiting six, I'm sorry, 8:47.
SCARBOROUGH: Yeah.
DEUTSCH: It took an hour and, or, no, wait I always get confused, 6:47, it took you 47 minutes to comment on my pink tie.
SCARBOROUGH: You've got twelve watches that cost $1 million each.
"There seemed to be more hate involved."
Certainly, it's not surprising that Deutsch would say this as likely close to 99 percent of the media would agree with his absurd premise.
But Mika disagreeing with him and smartly observing the hatred being directed at the rich was quite surprising.
As for Scarborough's watch comment, readers are advised that our friends at Celebrity Net Worth estimate Deutsch's fortune at $200 million.
Yet he likes the Wall Street protesters more than the Tea Party.
When are these wealthy liberals going to understand that the Occupy Wall Street movement will eventually come after them when they realize there aren't enough wealthy conservatives to confiscate funds from?
Maybe that'll be the moment folks like Deutsch realize they've backed the wrong horse - if it's not too late.
