In our new Bigly World, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. So I have to admit, I don’t hate Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough these days. We can yell about the fact that Joe cozied up to Donald Trump and was something of a Trump apologist throughout the campaign, but he also made very critical statements about Trump last year and throughout this year. The fact that Donald Trump attacked Joe and Mika on Twitter a few weeks ago should show you how much Joe and Mika’s criticisms have stung our thin-skinned, baby-fisted emperor. I don’t hate Joe and Mika, that’s what I’m saying. Any port in a storm, etc.
So, Mika and Joe appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. I enjoyed this? Part 1 is Mika and Joe taking on the Don Trump Jr. scandal:
Part 2 is Joe saying that he doesn’t recognize his own party – he was a Republican Congressman – and that “my party has betrayed their core values… What exactly in the Republican party willing to do? How much of this country and our values are they willing to sell out?” When Colbert was like, then why do you still call yourself a Republican? Colbert replied: “I am a Republican, but I’m not going to be a Republican anymore. I got to become an independent.”
This doesn’t surprise me. Many Republicans considered Joe to be a RINO (Republican In Name Only) anyway, although he did parrot the party line at times. But you do have to wonder… where are all of the so-called Republican leaders these days? Mitch McConnell will do anything to take away people’s health care. Paul Ryan hates poor people. John McCain spends his days yelling at clouds. The Bush family voted for Hillary, but they’re not really speaking up or speaking against Bigly. Sigh…
Photos courtesy of CBS, WENN.
The bizarre thing is the Bush family keeping quiet – despite Bigly being an embarrassment AND after how he mocked Jeb. What is going on here? It’s not like they have another Bush to place in office, and the Bush girls have shown no inclination towards politics. I wonder if they are keeping the republican guard sweet for a reason, or if they just cannot be bothered?
Either way, even their silence is better than the absolute mockery that McCain has made of himself.
I think they’re taking the high road. I think GWB is following the now antiquated protocol of former presidents not criticizing the current president. His father too. Sigh.
A fine and convenient time for that family to take the high road after all of the damage they’ve caused.
Vaultdweller101…. AMEN!!!!!
The problem with this line of thought is that silence is endorsement. Anyone who can sit by and say nothing under these circumstances is complicit.
Trump openly burned all White House, presidential administration, and governing traditions. The current administration is so criminal and damaging to our country in every imaginable way, and the silence of these former presidents feels like a dereliction of duty on their part. (I understand that they are no longer acting presidents, but they still receive the protections and honors as former leader–they receive millions in book deals, speaking fees, etc.. and are still looked to for their opinions, guidance and experience.) It is past time for our former leaders to speak out and help protect the country that they promised to serve. We are well past normal, traditional and respectful and everyone needs to get on board, pronto.
GWB has kept quiet ever since he left office. He offered no opinion on Obama either. So, he’s just doing what he’s always done.
Anya , silence is not an endorsement. Only an endorsement is an endorsement. GWB made very clear when he left office, that – good or bad – he would not be commenting on politics and President’s that followed him.
As I stated downthread. He affirmed to NPR a that he didn’t vote for Trump (or HRC).
That says everything.
If only his VP had felt the same way…
It’s a long-standing tradition that former presidents do not badmouth sitting presidents. You didn’t hear GH Bush badmouth Clinton, Clinton badmouth Bush, Bush badmouth Obama. The Bush family let it be known how they feel about Trump by voting for Hilary.
W and Laura didn’t vote for Hillary – they wrote in a name but didn’t say whose.
I could see Dubya writing in his own name and then gigglesnorting.
It’s also a long-standing tradition that the current president doesn’t badmouth the former presidents. Therefore, some traditions needs to change especially when the our very democracy is at stake.
I agree. They don’t see it as their role to badmouth others, plus it’s such hard work (except for George W who played golf most of the time or whatever) they just want to leave it behind. But I think it’s mostly they don’t want to undermine the democratic/electoral process. It’s for Congress to impeach.
All the ex-presidents are maintaining a dignified silence. They probably don’t want to sully their own legacies (such as they are) by getting into the muck with this pig.
Potentially they could be called into action to talk America through any potential impeachment process, assure everyone the system works, democracy stands, blah blah blah.
For now, I’m sure they all feel a little better about their presidencies. Because this mess is a runaway train of toxic waste that’s also on fire.
Dubya doesn’t like to criticize sitting presidents. He wouldn’t go after Obama, either.
I think Jeb’s son is in politics in Texas, so, yes, we have another generation of them trying to be presidents to which to look forward.
That would be George P. Bush. I shiver at the thought of a third George Bush as president.
He threw his support to the Orange ass even though that jerk disparaged his race (George P is half hispanic).
Oh yeah, there’s another Bush trying to get his foot in the door. Jeb’s son is George P. Bush and he is currently Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office.
LOL for days.
The Republican part today is the same Republican party when Joe was a Congressman. Nothing has changed.
F**k off now and forever, Joe Scarborough. No one gets a pass just because they are speaking out now.
Yeah, this is so true. I am also sick of the lie about how great Reagan was in comparison. Reagan was just TrumpLite.
Reagan was Trump with acting skills and actual hair.
At least Reagan had actual political experience before becoming President, so he’s got that much over the fool we have now.
I’m always baffled by the Reagan love. He was an awful President. I think Repubs love him just because he managed to win and gave them access to power.
He also unleashed Lee Atwater on America which unshered in a new era of dirty politics. Eff Reagan.
OMG! SO.MUCH.THIS.
Reagan kicked off his campaign at the Neshoba County Fair, Mississippi. He was a CA politician. Born and raised in IL. NEVER lived in the South. And in 1980, much of the South was still Dem. Why MS?
Because it was close to Philadelphia, MS where the bodies of the 3 murdered civil rights workers (Goodman, Schwerner and Cheney) were found.
A dog whistle if there ever was one.
And that bogus “welfare queen” story about a woman living high on the hog on consumer supports in Chicago? (buzz words EVERYWHERE). Yes, the woman existed and yes, she was black. She was also committing multiple CRIMES. Consumer supports were not intended to pay out multiple accounts to the same person under different names, but was all Reagan-bots needed to hear to be convinced that Ron was gonna stop all of those “free loading” lazy POC.
Then, Lee Atwater’s now infamous confession in 1984 (made anonymously at the time) to the Southern Strategy.
Reagan was ALL about campaigning on racism and division. He just wasn’t as crude about it.
@Radley, I agree. Reagan was a terrible president with completely undeserving moniker of “The Great Commicator.” But as with baby fists, he was the Republicans’ “guy” and nothing could deter the Republican voters from that narrative even though he was an idiot and worked for the rich only.
I guess Joe forgot his far-right Congressional record.
Also, why is his hair standing up straight?
Because it’s full of lies and BS.
LMAO!
I get the cynicism, but I also agree that enemy of my enemy is my friend. With someone like Trump in office, undoing so many accomplishments from President Obama and the social left in general, I don’t think now is the time for purity tests, or circular firing squads.
I think we need to do everything, stand with any American, whose end goal get this disaster of a president out of office.
I was a Republican up until about 10 years ago.Straight up and down voting Republican.Even belonged to the young Republicans. Obama coming in the scene helped me to transition into voting for a Democrat. When the tea party took over and the hateful vitriolic and actions against the poor invaded the party, i left it for good. Also at the time moved into a very diverse community with people from all over the world that had more liberal bent and it changed my worldview. I’m currently a progressive and can’t see myself ever voting republican again until the party is completely cleaned out. People change and with that change their political ideology can change. People are a lot more complicated than their past record of political leanings & how they voted in the past.
I’m a republican who voted for Hilary. I too have become disenchanted with the party for the past 10 years. In my youth I interned in Congress (R) and volunteered for republican causes. Not sure any party represents my views these days. BTW, I don’t think Trump is actually a republican, so I don’t get all the republican love. Can’t wait til his presidency is over! It’s actually causing me relationship problems. I can’t believe my friends support him and they think I’ve turned into a liberal commie… Egads!
I am an Independent. I tried to be a Democrat for a minute but they make me want to throw something at the television. They give in and try to win over people who are never going to vote for them by throwing their base under the bus. But I do vote Dem.
I am too far away from the Republican agenda that it has never entered my mind to support one.
But in these dark times we need every ally we can find. I don’t care what someone was yesterday. We need people to oppose this dangerous psychopath for whatever their personal reasons are. We have a common goal and that is the focus.
I have no plans to invite Joe to dinner so he doesn’t need to be someone I like. But he has a platform to expose Tangerine and that is all that matters.
Kaiser is right. Enemy of my enemy is my friend. If the US had realized that about Saddam Hussein we wouldn’t have Isis and we wouldn’t have Tangerine. We wouldn’t have the Syrian problem. There wouldn’t have been over 100,000 innocent civilian casualties.
These ex-Rep posts are super interesting to read. Thanks for sharing.
Stop making them into heroes, a couple months ago they were part of the problem. Truthfully, they were at hand at creating this problem that we have now. He may no longer be a republican but he still is a racist and privileged prick. Liberals stop fawning over him and her, they are still the enemy.
What racist things has Joe said?
I dont think he is a hero but he is a damn side better than Ted Cruz. Trump talked crap about his fiance and he is leaving the party. Trump talked crap about Teds wife and father, and now Ted buffers for him in the Senate.
Trust me, if Trump was still giving exclusive interviews to Joe Scarborough, he would still be calling himself a Republican.
Cruz, McCain, McConnell and company only care about what they can get and what will benefit them. Scarborough is on the outs with the king, so he “left” the party. LOL. Much wow. So brave.
Yeah but he is out with the king precisely because he goes after him when so few in his party are. He has been riding Trump hard since before inauguration. Often harder than many liberal commentators actually. I agree that Joe helped legitimise Trumps candidature but he has been digging at him and his surrogates extremely hard over the last 8 months and thats why Trump would never do an interview with him.
When was he a racist? I’ve never heard that ever. Just because you don’t like his conservative beliefs doesn’t make him a racist.
When you sit there and say nothing but laugh when people make racial jokes or when you make generalized views about a community or everytime you give a platform to someone with discriminatory views. He’s as no racist as Bill Maher.
Think of Joe to Trump as Aniston to Handler. (Cosigners through silence).
Everyone in the media is to blame for this Trump fiasco. They were all too enamored by their explosive ratings every time Trump said or did something outrageous to actually cover the other candidates. How much free publicity did the media on both sides of the aisle give to Trump during the primaries and presidential campaign?
Far more than any other candidate, because Trump was ratings gold for them. It was $$$ over country for them.
I know the media is an easy target for everyone-but anyone with a brain could see Trump was a con man and a liar. Even now that his antics are everywhere-he still has his base! 30% of the country is willing to overlook every lie, deflection, attack and horrible thing he says/does.
They were all falling over themselves to cover every word or gesture basically giving Tangerine free campaign commercials all day long. They went on and on about the emails. They never stuck to the bombshells about Trump but ran back to the freaking dumb emails. All of them helped this happen.
He cultivated a base through the media’s refusal to expose him as a vile con artist from day one. The stories about Trump are no secret. It didn’t take undercover investigative reporting to find out about him. They kept fawning over his spawn when DJ has been a disgusting bigot for several years and Crooked Jared’s father is a felon whose story is tawdry. No stories about Giuliani and his 911 poser lies? No looking into his money, his refusal to release his taxes or get a real physical exam? They have some blame in this no matter what they are doing now.
Who said he was a hero??
I’m not a fan. But I allow for the possibility of personal growth. We do want right wingers to emerge from their logic fog, right? So when one takes baby steps away from the madness, we shouldn’t attack. Let’s see how it plays out. He could be sincere and he has a platform to influence other disillusioned Repubs. Could be a good thing.
Joe viciously attacked Hilary today & he constantly asserts that ONLY republicans believe in fiscal responsibility despite the fact that Clinton & Obama cleaned up after republican fiscal FAILURES. He, despite all evidence, embraces trickle down economic theory. He also posits republican supremacy in love of country & constitution. He’s ridiculous & very dangerous because he seems reasonable. He’s not. Trump started his campaigned by calling Mexicans rapists, yet Joe cheered (in person as an invited guest) for Trump at his first SotU. This was in February 2017. Finally, he used to after black conservative John Ridley on, but Ridley (who has his own ideological blind spots) was too “equal” so disappeared.
Kinda off-topic, but since they share a network, did anyone else see the Rachel Maddow video where she was sent fake intelligence to discredit her work and that it might be happening to other journalists too? Honestly, I feel like we are trapped in a poorly-written spy novel.
Any ex republican is a ok with me!! In all seriousness , if this time doesn’t wake people up, then I don’t know what will.
Agreed – I hope Joe is the child that shouts “The emperor has no clothes!” That party needs a loud wake up call, and hopefully this starts the exodus.
Agreed. I don’t hate ALL people that share different beliefs than me….but I do hate people that don’t have the gumption to fight against something they KNOW is wrong.
I’m with you. I watch them once in a while-and he’s been highly critical for months of Trump and has been calling out Republicans in Congress for just sitting back and willing to overlook everything Trump says or does.
This clown said that he became a Republican because of Reagan. That tells me all I need to know. He can go to hell and take Mika with him. They get no pass from me, ever.
I’m not sure which members of the Bush family voted for HRC. I distinctly remember (and found the tweet on NPR) addressing W and Laura Bush…
“A spokesman for former President George W. Bush confirms to NPR that he and his wife voted for neither Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton.”
As for them not speaking up against Trump…..they are honoring the tradition that former presidents don’t do that to sitting presidents. They didn’t do it to Obama and they won’t do it to Trump either, By acknowledging they didn’t vote for him…..they said everything.
I watched Joe for the first time last night on Late Night. To me he came across as surprisingly insipid, loud and full of himself (good God, that bouffant Elvis hair). I can easily imagine that he was a Trump friend/aquaintance. I couldn’t stand watching three hours of this blowhard. In contrast, Mika seemed sensible and more articulate. But like I said, first time I’ve ever seen either of them.
Me too, I don’t watch their show, but I watched Colbert last night. They struck me as people loving the attention, and that’s about it. I don’t know much about him, but I can understand abandoning the current GOP and being an independent, though I don’t think it’s a new thing that the GOP is off the rails.
Colbert was brilliant. Drawing the jail cell over Jr., and calling him a flaming douche bag. He also called Sr. something hilarious I can’t remember now. I’m so glad the gloves are off and Colbert is allowed to do his thing. He’s too smart to keep sanitized for network television.
So Joe joined the largest percentage of Americans (40%) who don’t affiliate with either party, Don’t think for a single moment that turning away from the Republican Party means turning TO the Democratic Party. It doesn’t. Neither party is wowing –or wooing– the populace.
Don’t watch their show for them; watch it for their guests, who are often great.
I agree – the guests are great and that was a big reason why I tuned in. But even with that I had go stop watching – I couldn’t take Joe, and especially Mika – still haven’t let go fully that she never stood up for Hillary. She was very ctitical of HRC.
Yes. Many in the media strained to make false equivalencies between HRC and Trump.
Joe wants attention – he wants to be a rock star. Independent, my a$$. 👿
Both he and Mika gave Cheeto unlimited time on their show during a portion of the campaign. They knew the emperor was naked a long time ago.
And if you watched all the interviews and coverage-what did you think? Did you think Trump came across as balanced and intelligent and filled with interesting ideas for our country? I am so sick of the media getting bashed for somehow not showing Trump’s true colors. He’s a liar, a con-and has come across that way EVERYWHERE and FOREVER.
I think the menus played some part. But more than anything there a lot of of politically illiterate people
Is it just me or does Joe look like Matthew Perry’s older, nerdier brother?
Now that you mentioned it, yes I can see it, lol
He really needs to cut his hair
Morning Joe has kept up a constant barrage of criticism of Trump’s presidency since it began, and even before. Don’t we want republicans to speak out now? Or are we going to blame all Republicans for having been republicans, and thus refuse to welcome any who now can’t stomach Trump?
Let’s not be so insistent on ideological “purity” that we dismiss a show and network that are incredibly important right now.
So, all of the African-American voters who were disenfranchised, the groped women, the insults to minorities, etc. wasn’t the tipping point. But when you personally were insulted, now there is an issue. Pffft!
Joe has been openly critical of Trump for months. That’s why Trump insulted them to begin with. Not the other way around.
I know. But he was also a strong supporter, even when all of the garbage came out about Trump. So, I cut him zero slack.
He’s been criticizing Trump and railing on Republicans not calling him out. He may not have been that way before-but he’s been that way since January. And I don’t think he was remotely a “strong supporter.” Don’t you want Republicans waking up to the nightmare that is Trump?? EVERYONE needs to get this. It doesn’t end until the Republicans join us.
Scarborough ought to apologize to the entire nation for boosting AgentOrange in 2015 and 2016. Morning Joe let the disaster we are forced to call President endlessly. Scarborough laughed when Trump mocked the disabled reporter. I know he wants to brush all that away, and it’s true people do forget quickly, but as an early member of the resistance, Scarborough is not a member. He is as much to blame for this disaster as Fox and the Russian. They too fell for all the Russian propaganda seeking to undermine our Democracy. Why does he do it, because it pays good money, right now it pays good money to be anti-Trump, but let us never forget that as soon as it begins to pay to be pro-Trump, Scarborough will be right back sucking up like all the other so-called former Republicans.
^^This.
Meh. I think the Bushes have been pretty clear where they stand on Trump. So, other than wage an idiotic Twitter war, what else are they supposed to do?