What’s My Problem With Scarborough?

For those of you just joining us, I wrote a column last week in which I mentioned in passing that Joe Scarborough is engaging in neo-McCarthyite tactics: repeatedly accusing the president and the Democrats of promoting socialism. And on Friday, Joe Scarborough wrote a response to my post.

In short, Scarborough claimed that he hasn’t engaged in red-baiting even though he’s on record attacking the president and Democrats for being socialists and wealth redistributors — knowing full-well how this talk is perceived by the public.

Also, despite his self-righteous attitude, Scarborough is hardly innocent when it comes to name-calling and “uncivilized” discourse. On his show, he’s called Barack Obama “dainty” and “prissy”; he once said that Keith Olbermann was “too stupid to be on TV”; he blamed his frozen car lock on Japanese saboteurs; etc, etc.

But more than anything else, his column was childish and petulant. While claiming to embrace civil discourse, he made sure to thoroughly underscore his three-decades-long friendship with Arianna and how he’s not sure he wants to blog for her if he’s going to be attacked. He’s clearly saying to Arianna (and perhaps as a warning to me): either you ban the mean commenters and muzzle nasty name-calling bloggers like Cesca, or I won’t play on your site anymore.

That’s the short form summary. If you’d like to review my previous posts about this fracas, click the “Joe Scarborough” link below for the archive.

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  • duh

    Scarborough is a F**KTARD!

  • http://wallenfeldt.com/blog Wally

    Once again, you nailed it on the head Bob.I read his flimsy whine on HuffPo and the misguided comments who only had heard his side of the story.If you want to be the “loyal opposition” there are ways to do so. Trafficking in Fifth Columnist BS isn’t it, however.Cry all he wants, he’s in danger of being lumped in with the Glenn Becks of the world if he keeps up this behavior.

  • gypsy

    haha…i didn’t know about the japanese saboteurs thing! funny stuff…

  • GIthePotato

    Bob,This man has been driving you mad for over four years? I would say let it go but I believe in the words of my President, “We need a nation of service”. Your service to this country is to continue to call bullshit on this asshole every time he opens his sewer.MSNBC is my home. As horrible as it is to say, I watch it on average 10 hours a day. It is on in the background and when I am making a peanut butter and salmonella sandwich I hear something that makes me put the butter knife to my throat. But I don’t with the hopes the Mr. Cesca and other liberal CRUSADERS are out there hearing the same dog whistle of insanity and tearing up the blogs. Morning JOE just doesn’t fit the MSNBC mold but I understand there is a MARKET for this type of entertainment. All I am asking for is that the Jesus will one day place a Bob or and Elvis on my TV in the AM and I won’t have to blind my mind’s eye.

  • http://yazoostreet.blogspot.com Anthony Cartouche

    Joe,I know you’re reading this, so let me just say that you are a huge whiny-ass titty baby.Go back on your show and swear on live TV some more. That seems to be all you’re good at.

  • bikesterq

    I just came upon your blog this morning and I’m quite impressed. Congratulations, you do a great job. You’ve hit the nail on the head about Joe the Schmoe. He has an overly inflated opinion of himself and really doesn’t want to engage in civil discourse. Perhaps the network can bury him much earlier in the morning and do themselves a favor.He turned me off several years ago; I won’t even channel surf to msnbc when he’s on.Looking forward to reading your blog in the future.

  • GIthePotato

    Anthony Cartouche, I thought we were getting ready to fight. I have been know to refer to myself as JOE and started to put my battle gear on.*Takes off grenade pouches filled with Campbells soup*

  • GIthePotato

    bikesterq,Welcome to the Hague. Stay around for awhile and make sure to bring your random thoughts into the Prime Time Thread this evening. We love newbys.

  • http://imaginistaphoto.blogspot.com/ Imaginista

    Awwww, did you call out wittle Joey for his asshattishness? Po wittle Joey, he’s so upset he’s telling mommy Arianna. So there.God, I hope she tells him not to let the door hit him where the good lord split him. I see you in the top spot on the HuffPo way more than cryboy Joe.

  • Jan

    Morning blow. On a lighter note at least Tucker Carlson isn’t on anymore bloviating.

  • sammyscooge

    *falling on the floor laughing*Both GI and Anthony Cartouche: both your comments had me rolling.

  • sammyscooge

    Imaginista said: I see you in the top spot on the HuffPo way more than cryboy Joe.__________________________________________What do you want to bet they’ll yank Bob out of the top spot over this latest crap?

  • GIthePotato

    Oh Jesus? Please heavenly father left Arianna be a masochist cougar.

  • NorCalNative

    Instead of tripping about Joe S., I’d like to talk about the “tactic” of civilized discourse.We’ve created a template in this country that the elites determine the winners and losers of an argument simply based on the false idea of civilized discourse.One of the main reasons I’m a fan of this blog is because your anger about current events makes a whole lotta sense. If you’re not angry about how this Democracy has been turned into anything but, then you’re simply an ignorant bump or you’re not paying attention.On the other hand, there’s lots of inarticulate angry blather from the left towards yahoo’s like Scarbourough Fair. Anger without facts equals uncivilized discourse and the left as represented on HuffPo is guilty quite often.However, just because someone may show a little rowdy enthusiasm towards or against some political target doesn’t negate the message if it is in fact based on truth and knowledge.The right NEEDS and DESERVES to have their sh*t disturbed as often as possible. Businessmen and the Religious Right may prefer a King or Dictator that loves the free-market place like JESUS himself, but that certainly doesn’t make it right.Democracy itself is under attack by these faux patriots. Go Awesome Blog! We got your back!

  • B-Side

    The only thing worse than a prick is a sanctimonious prick.Scarborough blathers, shouts, and name-calls all he wants when he has those guests with “ideological diversity” on his show. Big deal, O’Reilly has liberal guests on his show too, does that make him a champion of civil discourse?If Scarborough is offended by insults from liberal bloggers or commentors, perhaps he should take a look at some of the threats and intimidations that right-wing posters are bandying about with such gusto.And the real kicker–”I wish President Obama had made a stronger effort to be bipartisan.” Compared to what??? Those champions of bipartisanship such as Bush, Cheney, McConnell, Boehner, Buchanan, etc etc etc.? Funny how right-wingers suddenly get the bipartisan religion once they are no longer in power!

  • The Minx

    Bob,I remember that you were not going to bring this up with Arianna, but has she mentioned anything to you?Signed,A Wondering Minx

  • The Minx

    GI the Potato, I engaged in snorting & uncontrollable laughter when I read about your Campbell’s Soup Grenades. Any particular flavor?

  • Ace Armstrong

    The Grand Ol’ Peanuts are having a difficult time accepting their return to minority rump status.El Rushbeaux can still muster the troops but their effectiveness is severely limited to the ilk of Mr. Gingery.And Sean Insanity is now referring to his radio show as “the conservative underground in exile”.So maybe ‘Mornin’ Cup o’ Mud’ thinks they are taking the high road by dependence on innuendo and insinuation.Somebody should give these guys an all expense trip to Chicago so they can learn what is happening. The old saw about the difference between Chicago and NYC politics is that in Chicago the trash is always picked up.Proffering the notion that the real winners of the Stimulus Bill was the solidarity of the House Repugs is like saying the a basketball team won because they only lost by 15 points instead of 20.

  • SillyGit

    Minx -My money’s on Split Pea with Ham, Chicken Noodle, beef and Barley, and Vegetable Beef.

  • Elena

    Several posters mentioned last week that their negative comments on Scarborough’s Huff Po post were never posted. I hope that was a fluke and not censorship to make ol’ Joe feel good and to protect his relationship with Arianna. And she’d be a fool to drop Bob just because he speaks his mind. We need someone to be brave and state that “The Emperor has no clothes”. Bob does just that, day in and day out.

  • the Minx

    Mmmmm…. Beef with Barley…I love me some barley….

  • dontpanic23

    Elena, it seems that most comments that weren’t positive toward Joe (not Potato) were scrubbed, not just the usual sanitizing of language or inanity. I’ve made my last attempt at a comment over there. I’m supposed to be on their side of most issues yet I find myself having more comments scrubbed than not and that is unacceptable when I can come here and (within reason) speak my mind.

  • rogect8

    I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating.Joe Scarborough is pretty much universally recognized as a world-class scumbag in the community that knows him best – Pensacola, FL. His douchebaggery resonates even throughout the highly-conservative FL panhandle.Keep calling his bullshit, Bob. He deserves it.

  • sammyscooge

    Elena said: Several posters mentioned last week that their negative comments on Scarborough’s Huff Po post were never posted. I hope that was a fluke and not censorship to make ol’ Joe feel good and to protect his relationship with Arianna. And she’d be a fool to drop Bob just because he speaks his mind. We need someone to be brave and state that “The Emperor has no clothes”. Bob does just that, day in and day out._______________________________________________I was one of those posters whose comment was weeded out of the Scarborough comment section at HuffPo. Even though my comment was not incendiary or rude, they never posted it.I have a pretty good feeling that the anti-Joe comments were not posted for the very reason you stated. Joe’s relationship with Arianna is far more important to Arianna than Bob’s posts. Make no mistake…she is a BIG phony. If they push Bob out of the top spot,(which I think they will) they’re definitely well on their way to becoming a joke.

  • Dan in DE

    Sammy,You’re taking it a little too far. Sure Arianna is politicing. But she’s definately not the one reading those comments.. and I have to hand it to the moderators, they eventually allowed me to call bullshit on Joe’s conclusion that we owe Arianna better. And I said that it was he who owes all of us better.Secondly, I hate to second guess the host- but, don’t we need to drop the whole Joe-commotion? at least until he comes back for a rematch??There are plenty of other fish to fry in the mean time, right?

  • Dan in DE

    Oh, and I nearly forgot..Mmmmmmm- beef and barley.. and a glass of Pils.

  • sammyscooge

    I respectfully disagree Dan in DE. I’m not taking it too far.Perhaps you misunderstood what I was saying. I am well aware that Arianna isn’t the one moderating the comments. But you’d be a fool to think that her relationship with JS isn’t going to have an effect on what Bob can and can’t say when he writes. But more importantly, what I’m really trying to say here is don’t be surprised when Bob gets knocked out of the top spot due to Scarborough’s hissy fit.Arianna is a phony. Plain and simple. She’s a “liberal” in name only and is only concerned with what will benefit her politically and monetarily.

  • sammyscooge

    Oh and yes. We have many fish to fry. But this is one of those fish if you can look at it from a broader persepctive Dan.

  • thruwithbuzz

    “Secondly, I hate to second guess the host- but, don’t we need to drop the whole Joe-commotion? at least until he comes back for a rematch??” Why Dan? I say keep hammering Scarborough until he stops saying stupid shit.

  • Curly Lasagna

    Mr. Cesca,On Friday I posted a comment on Scarborough’s childish HuffPo post in which he whined about all the negative comments he had to endure. It read as follows:”Joe, all I have to say is I agree with Mika’s Dad.”Nothing more, nothing less, nothing nasty, no profanity. Up popped the “This comment is awaiting approval…” message and I figured that was that. However, my comment was apparently approved because it appeared about five minutes later surrounded by numerous other posts cajoling Joe’s poor, hurt feelings.Figuring I was sure to have pissed someone off, I checked back later on to read my hate mail. Low and behold, MY COMMENT HAD VANISHED!Did Poor, Poor Pitiful Joe censor me? Does Joe have skin as thick as tissue paper? Is freedom of speech under his control? Have something to say? Why say it on HuffPost? What a bunch of pussies……….So, knowing full well I’d get edited again, I posted:”You can censor me all you like Joe, but there are a whole lot more out there who, like me, agree with Mika’s Dad!”

  • Dan in DE

    Can we resonably expect Scarborough to stop saying stupid shit?? No.It’s clear, Joe’s not an internet troll- ignoring him will not make the craziness go away. But still, I feel like he wins when we spend so much energy trashing him.As for Arianna- is she really liberal in name only? I don’t think so.I just really hope you’re wrong, Sammy. Not that it would turn my world upside-down to miss out on the latest celebrity scoop, but Arianna has earned my respect through the interviews I’ve seen her give, and I’d hate for her site to relegate itself to joke status that way.

  • sammyscooge

    Again, I repsectfully disagree Dan.I think she’s a HUGE phony, especially when it comes to practicing what she preaches.Mark my words, Bob will feel the effects of his post.

  • JIm

    Sammy, it was not a fluke. I posted twice; the first time about Scarborough’s piece itself, and, after that was denied, a second post saying why I will never post at Huffington again. That, too, was denied. The suzerains over there have their orders about what gets through. I’m sorry, but that’s how I see it. Anyway, there are far too many “Liberals” eager to make nice with a fiend like Scarborough. These things matter to me, I’m crazy that way.

  • sammyscooge

    @Jim: Oh I know. As I said above, I too sent a post that was weeded out. Then I sent 3 other comments to the moderators letting them know just how much I think they stink. I figured, since they’re reading the comments, I might as well let them know how ridiculous I think they are with the censorship.Meanwhile, I sat and watched the flood of ass kissing comments roll in.