MSNBC's Joe Scarborough is still really pissed off that those dirty f**king hippies on the left out there are going after his hero Chris Christie. He's been ranting and raving about every single morning since the Bridgegate scandal first broke, but this Wednesday he was in rare form, comparing reaction from "the left" of Christie's problems to the way the right was more than happy to go after Hillary Clinton for their drummed up, phony Benghazi "scandal."
But don't dare say he's conflating the two, just before he doubles down on the comparison.
And you've just gotta' love Chuck Todd and his assertion that the Democrats in New Jersey had better bring in an equal number Republicans to make sure that their investigation looks impartial, or they'll be making a huge political mistake. Have you mentioned that to Darrell Issa recently Chuck?
Rough transcript:
SCARBOROUGH: Chuck, let's move on to Chris Christie, another guy that was elected in 2009. He started his second term yesterday as governor of New Jersey. and I thought he did a pretty good job at his swearing in ceremony.
It doesn't matter. Right now Chris Christie is just in a position where he can't win. If he's himself, people say he's a bully. If he tries to be a little more reserved they go, "Oh, Chris Christie is a shell of his former self."
The spinning and spewing that is going on right now on the left, while the rest of us sanely just wait for the facts so come out is so over the top that I just wonder if we've all been guilty of blowing this out of proportion and until we know what's actually in the documents, what's in the e-mails.
TODD: Well just remember, we live in a media environment now that there's no such thing as nuance. There is no such thing... there is... and part of this is the new media environment, right, where everything is the biggest story in the world for 12 minutes, 12 hours, 12 days, depending on truly how worthy it is.
So you're right. I think sometimes everything can feel like a feeding frenzy for a period of time and you think which one of these is going to last? Now, obviously for Christie is that there's too many people with official investigations open. Right? That's the issue. For him, he's got to hunker down.
I imagine the parallel universe where this doesn't happen, there is no bridge scandal, his inaugural speech is covered like, boy, here he goes again. This guy is trying to make the electability argument, make the governing argument. He's trying to contrast himself with Washington.
What's interesting to me is that his inaugural speech felt like a speech that was written before the scandal, meaning this was the speech he wanted to use to send a national message. But of course as you know, no one's listening to him right now. He could say whatever he wants, that's not going to penetrate.
What's news today? The make-up, the partisan make-up for instance, of this special committee that's going to be investigating him, which, by the way, I think the assembly Democrats made a political mistake.
Even though they're in charge, even though Democrats have the majority, if you're going to investigate the governor and throwing around the "I" word like impeachment, then you know what, you'd better come up with a 50/50 partisan committee. have an investigating committee. You shouldn't be going out there 8/4 or whatever. It should be as many Democrats as Republicans so the investigation has political credibility.
DEUTSCH: Joe, I don't think it was blown out of proportion, only because, his coverage up until this point on the positive side, was so blown out of proportion. He was so lionized... obviously he's an effective governor, but there was such a disproportionate amount of attention, that when the blemish comes out, it going to be equally as heightened.
SCARBOROUGH: I understand that. I think what's so remarkable is how Chris Christie in Trenton, New Jersey is the de facto head of the national Republican party.
I'm saying that just because... the reaction from Democrats, whether you're talking about online, on cable news, on Twitter, is around the clock. It reminds me what people on the far right did on Benghazi the second after the Benghazi attacks and it became this rallying cry for the right, just like this Chris Christie bridge scandal has been to the left.
I'm not equating the two so, please, just save your energy and your Cheetos. But, you know, it's sort of like shoot first, ask questions later, and it is just so excessive on the left. Just like it was so excessive...
BRZEZINSKI: I don't agree.
SCARBOROUGH: Oh, my god. Please don't make me say it. Please don't make me say it here on TV.
DEUTSCH: Say it.
SCARBOROUGH: No, I can't.
SCARBOROUGH: Please don't make me say how excessive it has been on the left. It’s just like Benghazi on the right, right afterwards, where if you tried to show, as Chuck said, any nuance, and say "Well, okay, great, I understand this is very troubling. Let’s ask questions and wait for the facts to come out," oh my dog, the right just went crazy and of you hate America. Joe, you're a RINO. Joe, you're a piece of crap. Joe blah, blah, blah.
BRZEZINSKI: My turn.
SCARBOROUGH: You're saying, no listen, before we accuse the administration of, you know, just sitting by and letting four Americans die, why don't we have an investigation? Well, now the same thing is happening on the other side.
BRZEZINSKI: So it's happening on the left. It's also because of this interesting timing because Chris Christie is seen as a potential candidate for president, but he hasn't won the primary. He's not the nominee. So even from within his own party I think he's red meat.
Scarborough seems to have some selective memory loss when it comes to his reaction to Benghazi. Why can't everyone have nice calm, rational discussions like this one? -- Scarborough Repeatedly Shouts 'Benghazi!' to Block Voter Suppression Talk .
