First Olbermann, now Joe Scarborough gets suspended for donations to Republicans, because, you know, nobody knows Joe is on the Right. Both pundits should have disclosed to their audiences, but a suspension without pay is preposterous. Unlike Keith, Joe hung a lantern on his problem, or as I like to call it, invoking the Jack Ryan strategy, which means “Give them no place to go, nothing to report, no story.”
MSNBC said Friday that it is suspending “Morning Joe” co-host Joe Scarborough for two days after he acknowledged giving eight previously unknown $500 contributions to friends and family members running for state and local offices during his tenure at the network, a violation of parent NBC’s ban on political contributions by employees without specific permission from the network president.
“I recognize that I have a responsibility to honor the guidelines and conditions of my employment, and I regret that I failed to do so in this matter,” Scarborough said in a statement. “I apologize to MSNBC and to anyone who has been negatively affected by my actions,” he said, adding that after he was made aware of some of the contributions, he called MSNBC President Phil Griffin “and agreed with Phil’s immediate demand of a two-day suspension without pay.”
Meanwhile, according to Media Matters Fox News channel is giving $40 million in free publicity to 2012 candidates, which of course includes Sarah Palin. Someone email Jon Stewart so he can dispense with the false equivalencies.
The good news is that it looks like the suspension will coincide with Thanksgiving week festivities. Now that’s planning, Scarborough.
Now I’m going to segue into something that has been annoying me all week. To address something Scarborough & Co. keep repeating daily about the Murkowski Senate win in Alaska.
It’s frustrating to be the only one pointing to facts regarding Sarah Palin on this one, especially since my politics are on the exact opposite side as hers. However, everyone from Joe to Mika to Aaron Sorkin to everyone on the Left keeps saying what a comeuppance to Sarah it was that Lisa Murkowski & Alaskans refudiated Sarah Palin by voting against Joe Miller in the general election.
It’s not Palin’s fault that Murkowski pulled a Lieberman in the general after she was soundly defeated in the primaries by Miller. It’s also not Palin’s fault that Joe Miller turned out to be a frickin’ idiot, tweeting arrogantly before he’d won the general that he appreciated being welcome in DC. Or the fact that Miller hired bodyguards that ended up in a scandal because his peeps handcuffed a reporter without any cause.
Would you vote for someone after that scene?
Meanwhile Lisa Murkowski ran a killer Independent campaign. Joe Miller was engaged in premature measuring his Senate office for drapes. Credit goes to Murkowski for making history in a write-in campaign that hasn’t been done since 1954 and Strom Thurmond. She dug down and pulled off something historic and deserves a lot of credit for it.
What Sarah Palin should have done, if she really knew how to play this game, was to be the bigger person, swallow her gargantuan ego and insecurities, and release a statement congratulating Lisa Murkowski. But Sarah doesn’t know how to play the game with grace yet. As egos go she’s a lot like Barack Obama in that she can’t give ground to her adversaries for fear it shows weakness. It’s the Small Politicians Playbook.
In addition, the primary talking points from the Republican intelligentsia, including the talking heads on both sides, continues to be about blaming Sarah Palin for the Right losing the Senate too, which was never in play in the first place.
I understand that Joe Scarborough and Mika, add in everyone in the Republican establishment, want to stop a Palin primary juggernaut. Fine, go for it. But making shit up won’t do it. It just makes her stronger and her fans more loyal.
I agree with you that Palin should have congratulated Lisa Mursevinski.
I suspect that the bad blood has to do with suspicions, probably well-grounded on Palin’s part, that the Murkowski’s had something to do with the ethics campaign against her a couple of years ago.
When you have small, intimate states with political classes that know each other the way the Alaskan leadership class does, it becomes like the Hatfields and the McCoys up there. It’s bad, blood; really bad blood, and it’s personal.
Of course, I never saw you complain when the Clintons took retribution on THEIR enemies, now did I?
How about some specifics section9? I see the Clinton’s continually being gracious to people who have stabbed them in the back. Recent case in point WJC going out and campaigning for Jerry Brown. I am glad that Brown beat Whitman but it does not make him any less a horses ass.
The GOP needs some new or revised talking points. They are all saying the exact same thing. Don’t need to listen to any of them becuase you have already heard it. Is that how they get their lies to become accepted conventional wisdom?
I know they will do everything in their power to stop Palin but it seems to me that it is the pundits more that the GOP who keep saying that Palin lost them the Senate.
Political endorsements don’t seem to mean very much. If Sarah Palin couldn’t swing an election on her home turf, among people who presumably think like she does more than most places, then they’re probably overvalued. They can help mobilize people, and maybe a change a few minds, but that’s it. Calling an individual race a defeat for someone who endorsing the losing candidate really is absurd.
Wait a second, Joe Scarborough isn’t a liberal? I’m sure you’re mistaken, Taylor. He’s so nice…
murkowski now owes no one. she hates the tea party, the gop backed miller and funded lawyers against her efforts. lets hope lisa gets a little more liberated and be the gop’s bastard lieberman.
Texan4Hillary,
LOLOLOL! That would be great if Murkowski was a thorn now in the GOP’s side. I read yesterday she’s for repealing DADT. Will Sarah Tweet about this turn of events and call the Senator, “a Sodomite-loving liberal”? *major eyeroll*
As far as Joe Scarborough’s suspension, I wish MSNBC would fire Phil Griffin. Neither Joe or Keith report the news. They are news commentators (talk-show hosts). Taking away their ability to contribute as private citizens in our elections, IMHO, is Unconstitutional.
I haven’t watched Morning Joe for a long time. I became hooked on ESPN2′s Mike & Mike in the Morning. Yes, I am a sports fanatic. Last time I watched Joe’s show, two years ago, Mika loved Sarah Palin. What happened? Is Sarah not elitist enough for Joe and Mika?
Taylor,
This is an interesting overview of “the play” that has taken place since our last economic crisis, occurred. The future doesn’t look bright for the American dollar. Link: http://www.zerohedge.com/forum/timing-us-crash-rebirth-zero-hedge-anthologybt-bob-will-love.
Act 1) The government with the aid of the banks increases the creation of fiat money (in the form of bank loans) to fuel economic growth. Unfortunately, history has proven that, as the total debt load for an economy increases the ability for the economy to grow diminishes. As a result, despite accelerated bank lending, the economy stagnates. A debt bubble is being formed.
Act 2) Government deficits accelerate as more corporations/consumers become reliant on tax cuts, bailouts, and social programs. The economy is now addicted to debt and real long term economic growth starts to decline along with tax revenues. Also, new debt is being issued/used for purposes other than long term capital investment which decreases the utility of the new debt to generate long term economic growth.
Act 3) To cover its deficit spending, the government sells increasing amounts of debt to global creditors stressing their ability to consume the debt at fair market interest rates. Interest rates on the debt rise. The government often forces it’s banks to buy it’s debt to relieve the interest rate pressure. Debt laden asset classes (like real estate and equipment) deflate in value as people/companies begin defaulting under oppressive debt loads.
Act 4) The government via it’s central bank creates currency out of thin air (money printing) and buys it’s own debt (because no one else will at reasonable interest rates). Today, called ‘Quantitative Easing’. This devalues the currency in the eyes of global investors and helps keep the debt bubble inflated.
Act 5) Investors around the world start selling the currency and related debt instruments for fear of loosing their principle via debt default. This accelerates the decline of the value of the currency and inflates prices for imported goods and materials (which further drags down the economy and tax revenues).
Act 6) Acts 1 thru 5 (above) execute in an ever tighter loop resulting in the collapse of the value of the currency and hyperinflation. This occurs in a short period of time relative to Acts 1 through 5. History shows that this process can result in debt default/restructuring, mass civil unrest, political upheaval, war, and/or depression. Inflation renders most remaining long term debts and related interest bearing investments valueless. The debt bubble is eliminated and a new monetary/financial system for the economy is born which will (in the very long term) repeat the cycle.
Obama is now seriously contemplating a trip on December 2, 2010, to attend a Jobs Summit hosted by none other than Tom Donohue, President and CEO of U.S. Chamber of Commerce [the very group that just spent $82 million to defeat Democrats in Congress/Senate, this past year]. I guess he must assist the Chamber in *delivering the results* of this last election. What further compromises are now in store for Main Street America? *triple sigh*
Link: http://whitehouse.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/19/henry-in-the-house-obama-mulls-big-speech-to-u-s-chamber-of-commerce/.
“We’re prepared to join with President Obama, his administration, and both parties in Congress to achieve these goals,” Donohue said. “Our economy is simply not expanding fast enough to reduce unemployment and create 20 million jobs. It’s time to get serous. It’s time to act. We’ve been diagnosing our problems for years. How about some *treatment*?”
A turning point in this often testy relationship may have been the President’s trip earlier this month to Asia. Administration officials credit Donohue with flying to South Korea while Obama was there to try and help the President push along the pending free trade agreement (though it’s still stalled), while Chamber officials credit Geithner with literally being available to Donohue at 3 a.m. during the trip to help iron out a sticking point.
MSNBC management is looking like fools right now. Give me a break !!! Who cares who they donate too, FOX does the samething and there management don’t give a crap if you donate to a political party or person. I can’t believe there are some people that say that Sarah Palin cost them the senate. Those people must be on something, because the senate was never in play and the people who were running didn’t no how to run and other problems. I don’t think anyone could help Joe Miller win, I am sorry, I know it was in Sarah Palins state, but Lisa Murkowski is also well known in that state and gets her state alot of money in earmarks. Everyone knows Sarah Palin and Lisa Murkowski don’t get along and can’t stand eachother. Joe and Mika and someothers on MSM like to sneaker about Sarah Palin and its really making them look petty and its going to backfire.
Taylor, Wonk and SCB,
John Judis of the New Republic in an article titled, “You’ve Got This All Wrong, Mr. President (Obama’s misguided view of the independent voter.)” has excellent analysis of the so called “Independents” (the history of their voting and how they voted in this last election) and how Democrats put way too much stock in this unorganized, Frankenstein of a voting group. Additionally, it shows how Obama’s message today is the same old one he campaigned on in 2008: sans the lie of “hope and change” with more, “Reach out and *touch* a Republican, today.”
Lastly, how wrong Obama will be if he takes the Republican’s direction in bringing back our economy and jobs. A surefire failure for America’s economy, to which, he will own. I would also add, that if he takes this tact, he has since Day One, Independents be damned as he will lose the entire Democratic base for many years to come. And I thought Dubya was THE wrecking ball *chosen* to destroy Main Street. Sobbing.
Link: http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/79246/independent-voters-barack-obama-midterms.
An excerpt:
“Yes, Obama does have to pay attention to those white working-class voters who shift uneasily from one party to the other, but the way to win them over is to get them jobs — and if that fails because of Republican obstructionism, to make sure that these voters blame the Republicans not the Democrats and his administration for the result. If he can’t do that, his only recourse may be to get on his knees and pray that unbeknownst to most voters and many economists, a strong and buoyant recovery is about to begin.”
I was watching when Vice President Joe Biden was on Morning Joe and they asked him what they thought about Sarah Palin saying in a interview with Barbara Walters that she could beat President Obama in a 2012 election. Joe and Mika was there laughing and Joe Biden smiled but said no I don’t think she can beat Obama but he said you should never underestimate her. What was Sarah Palin supposed to say, of course she would say that, anyone would if asked that. I think they are jealous I don’t see them becoming a VP candidate or a governor. Sarah Palin is laughing all the way to the bank, and has way more influence and power than Joe and Mika will ever have.
Fairminded,
I don’t bash Sarah Palin. She has the most extreme views that I find frightening. What I fear is she’s somehow a Democratic plant *forcing* me to vote for the Democratic president in 2012, which most say will be Obama. Obama is a centrist LOSER who has to be replaced, but not, I repeat most emphatically: NOT BY SARAH PALIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Right now, Sarah Palin as a private citizen is totally irrelevant to me. Now if she would become the GOP nominee for POTUS, watch out. Until then, she can write her silly *disrespectful* books, do her own political reality TV shows, post “Dancing with the Stars” phone numbers to push Bristol into the winner’s circle via her Facebook page and her constant Tweets of nasty no-nothings. I am TRYING to avoid, at all costs, her over-the-top verbosity since she’s not trying to reach me (tis impossible). She needs help from those low information Tea Party voters whom can kiss my Democratic *ss! They got their wish. They made it happen. They own the House now and shall be held accountable. Believe me, they reject any responsibility when it comes to thar side of the aisle. I can already picture me in DC with a bullhorn yelling at their elected Republicans, “Whar’s Da Jobs???” (Bring Fox News’ cameras, ASAP!) ROFLMAO!!!
IF the former Governor gets the nomination in 2012, it won’t be just Democrats conspiring to stop her, it will be most of the world. The woman is nuts. Do we really want her having control over our nukes? Or invading more nations in the name of the war on terror or worse, God told her to do it — you know, the female version of Dubya Dumbo?!? *shudder*
Mrs. Palin is the very reason I can’t take Tea Partiers, seriously. She’s never been a fiscal conservative, just a hardcore social conservative. They’re just as ignorant of her history as they were Dubya’s.
Paraphrasing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: No way. No How. No Palin.
TM is correct on her assesment about Palin in this race. But Murkowski should not be credited with ‘running a killer Independent campaign.’
What’s the saying? – Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.- She did not run an effective primary campaign. Why? One word. Arrogance.
http://alaskadispatch.com/dispatches/politics/6638-miller-victory-how-murkowski-fumbled-in-gop-primary
If Murkowski hussled during the primary as she did during the general, she probably would have won. So the primary person responsible for all this Alaska drama is Murkowski.
And there is only one reason she did win. Pork.
Now I personally don’t care for either one of them (Miller or Murkowski) But, if a politican; does not make an effort because of arrogance, or assumptions or whatever reason. They deserve what they get.
salient points…especially the insight into Palin.
When people start writing their 2010 year in review articles about politics, they will write about many things. But, one thing that will go unwritten is the amount of arrogance of the political elites in both parties (more in the Democratic Party) and the media.
Unfortunately, the Republicans probably comprehend this more then the Democrats. They will be able to adjust going into 2012. But the Democrats? That remains to be seen, but so far there are no signs that there is any serious anaylsis.
Now people can say what they want about Palin publicly, but in private they should take her more seriously. When she says she could beat Obama, she can. Plouffe’s comment that ‘we can only hope that she is the Republican nominee’, is arrogance, pure and simple. Just look at the new political map. The Obama/Democrat political operation doesn’t have a stellar record to stand on over the past two years.
It is not hard at all to imagine, the reactions from the media, the political elites concerning a Palin 2012 run.
She wins Iowa – Well, that’s just a bunch of bible thumping teabag conservatives, a fluke.
She loses New Hampshire – Well that just goes to show, when you have a primary, instead of a devout packing caucus the intelligent people get to have a say.
She wins North Carolina – Well we all know what kind of people vote Republican in North Carolina.
She wins Nevada – Well she only won because the Tea Party is still pissed off, because that crazy Angel didn’t win.
And on and on for the rest of the States. But, it should be noted that the Republicans change their nominating process. All States having a primary/caucus in March apportion their nominating delegates. In April it is winner takes all.
So Plouffe might get what he wants. And what’s the saying? Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
Well, I disagree that the Senate was never in play. a few more seats and it would have swung and it wouldn’t have been hard with the GOP turnout.
I can see the criticism of Palin w/r/t to Alaska but really the blame goes to the rank and file of the tea party who nominated crappy candidates like O’Donnell and Angle.After all, Palin is only one vote and none of these could have won without people turning out to vote for them in the GOP primary.
“Well, I disagree that the Senate was never in play. a few more seats and it would have swung and it wouldn’t have been hard with the GOP turnout.”
Yeah, “it wouldn’t have been hard with the GOP turnout” That’s why it happened right?
Well look at the house===huge losses. Don’t you think that would have happened in the senate too if the Tea partier’s had a brain?