Let's be honest about that first GOP debate hosted by Brett Baier and Megyn Kelly: we were all impressed that Megyn asked Donald Trump some substantive questions. Of course, the backlash from Trump and his sycophants somehow made the man even more popular, contrary to what usually happens to candidates when they appear so defensive. The yammerers at Morning Joe were discussing this latest kerfuffle between Fox News and the Donald, as expected.
It's obvious that Joe Scarborough is squarely in the camp of Donald Trump, hell he phones in an interview almost daily, and the network replays highlights of the call ad nauseum throughout the day. His obsession with Trump hasn't exactly helped Morning Joe in the ratings war. Nonetheless, he began his tirade today by ebulliently praising the independent, rebellious Trump with a comparison with the patron saint of all Republicans, Ronald Reagan. The bottom line is that both men understood that the media's ratings depend on the celebrity candidates and they will lose revenue if the celebrity/candidate chooses not to participate in their programming. These are the highest accolades that Joe could bestow upon the bloviating billionaire.
Both Squint and the Meat Puppet were highly offended by the audacious statement put forth by Fox News.
The outrage was palpable. Scarborough moved so far right today that Fox News seemed like the Democratic Socialist's network by comparison.
SCARBOROUGH: First of all, a news organization that is going to run a debate, provoking a candidate like that, is asking for it. I will tell you, I would literally go to the center of Sixth Avenue and set myself on fire, set myself on fire, before I stood on a debate stage with any news organization that did that.
MIKA: That did that statement.
SCARBOROUGH: I would tell them to go to Hell a lot faster than Donald Trump did. I'm going to talk about Fox, I've got a ton of friends at Fox, I love Fox, I know a lot of people at Fox are really twisted up about how this has gone down, and how Megyn Kelly is somehow, with Michael Moore, has taken over the network.
MIKE BARNICLE: They provoked him.
SCARBOROUGH: They provoked him! They had to know.
Joe played a montage of Megyn Kelly's various disparaging, but refreshingly candid remarks regarding the obvious pass the media has given this unorthodox celebrity candidate.
SCARBOROUGH: *sarcastically* That is good, unbiased journalism. And if I were a candidate, I'd certainly would want that person asking me questions in a fair, and a balanced way. No actually, as I said before, I'd rather set myself on fire in front of a Fox 'News' studio than go on stage with that.
Perhaps Joe is pining for a post in the Trump administration? I can't imagine he'd want to give up his gravy train at MSNBC, but then again, power corrupts.
