Did Chuck Todd just do it again? His comment a couple of weeks ago that Dem Alison Lundergan Grimes "disqualified herself" for refusing to say whether she voted for Barack Obama was quickly made into an ad by the McConnell campaign. On today's Morning Joe, Todd made a highly quotable claim about another race.
Todd described the campaign for a congressional seat in a district located in Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn as "a fight between mob families." That sent Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough scrambling to disassociate themselves from the Meet the Press moderator. And at the end of the segment, Mika told Todd: "I think you might have made another ad!" Retorted Todd: "I'll never come on the show again."
The district in question is currently represented by Republican Michael Grimm. Grimm is under indictment for matters regarding the operation of a restaurant of which he was a part owner. Grimm was also caught on video telling a reporter who asked him about investigations into his fundraising "I'll break you in half."
Despite the indictments and the incident with the reporter, a recent poll shows Grimm leading in his re-election race. When this was mentioned on today's Morning Joe, Scarborough was shocked. That led Todd to make his "mob families" mention. Todd didn't offer any details as to the supposed "mob families" to which he was referring. He did later clarify that he was just "kidding" and being "facetious."
JEREMY PETERS: One of the most startling facts I've heard this entire mid-term cycle is from Steve Israel who came in to see us [at the New York Times] the other day and he said what's not working against Michael Grimm, the Republican congressman from Staten island who's been indicted on a laundry-list of charges, is people just don't, they shrug when they hear it. It's so common in New York politics.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Is Michael Grimm going to win?
PETERS: Yes.
SCARBOROUGH: Are you kidding me?
PETERS: They think he's going to win.
CHUCK TODD: That's a fight between mob families.
SCARBOROUGH: Wait! Whoa! I disassociate myself!
TODD: No, no, no. I have kids!
SCARBOROUGH: I don't know. I don't know what happens on Staten Island. What you guys do on Staten Island is cool with me. I don't want to know.
TODD: I'm kidding, but that's what it's been described --
SCARBOROUGH: I disassociate myself from those comments! Holy cow!
TODD: It's what it's been described to me; it's just like this personal war between two warring families; that it really has nothing to do with politics.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Again, put it in a box right here. We disassociate ourselves with anything Chuck Todd says. Meet the Press: he stays in his silo, and we're here right here.
TODD: I'm being facetious.
SCARBOROUGH: Mobster or not mobster, I don't know. Wow!
. . .
BRZEZINSKI: Thank you very much.
SCARBOROUGH: All right, Chuck.
BRZEZINSKI: I think you might have made another ad, just saying.
TODD: Stop. I'll never come on the show again.
BRZEZINSKI: Oh stop!
SCARBOROUGH: We love it!
