Scarborough Confesses: ‘Perhaps We Don’t Know What We’re Talking About’ On The Stimulus
Scarborough Confesses: ‘Perhaps We Don’t Know What We’re Talking About’ On The Stimulus
In recent weeks, media debate surrounding the economic recovery package has turned against President Obama’s legislation, with numerous allegations that Obama is losing the message wars in the eyes of the public:
– Charlie Gibson: And as you know, there’s a lot of people in the public, a lot of members of Congress who think this is pork-stuffed and that it really doesn’t stimulate. [ABC, 2/3/09].
– Stuart Varney: The stimulus package, really has lost a great deal of public support, in part because it has not been presented honestly. [Fox News, 2/9/09]
– Tom Brokaw: All the polling, including what you just showed us, indicates that the American public may have some real reservations about this stimulus plan. [MSNBC, 2/10/09]
– Bill O’Reilly: The majority of Americans are now opposed to spending a trillion dollars on social engineering and other liberal causes. [Fox News, 2/5/09]
But a Gallup poll released yesterday revealed that 67 percent approve of Obama’s handling of the recovery bill. Gallup also observed that the public desires a progressive stimulus package that is rooted in heavy government investment.
As ThinkProgress has noted, MSNBC’s Morning Joe crew is helping lead the charge against Obama’s handling of the recovery package. But presented with the Gallup poll on the show this morning, Joe Scarborough quickly backtracked, admitting, “[P]erhaps we overanalyzed it, and we don’t know what we’re talking about”:
SCARBOROUGH: Chuck, it has been a difficult process. We’ve been very critical of the process. It seems sloppy. It seems that the White House has been off their game. … And then we see a poll like the Gallup Poll that came out yesterday that makes me think that perhaps we overanalyzed it, and we don’t know what we’re talking about. … Sixty-seven percent of Americans approve of Barack Obama’s handling of the economy.
“I think it’s high fifties at least. Oh. Sixty-seven,” said a surprised Mika Brzezinski. Watch it (via TPM):
“This is a steaming pile of garbage,” declared Scarborough last week, calling the bill “pure straight socialism.” “There’s a lot of welfare in there. There’s a lot of spending. It’s not stimulus,” Brzezinski added. Indeed, they don’t seem to know much.
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perhaps!?
you slay me joe.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:01 pmJoey, let me save you some air time…”we don’t know what we’re talking about.” Then go to commercial.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:02 pmBelac, Rove still is telling them what to say, he’s just wronger than ever.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:03 pmScarborough: Perhaps we should have asked actual economists their opinion… or maybe read the bill… man, our jobs were so much easier when Rove told us what to say…
February 10th, 2009 at 5:03 pm“Steaming pile of garbage”? Projecting much, Joe?
February 10th, 2009 at 5:03 pmI’m waiting for “perhaps we’ve never known what we were talking about.” But self-reflection is not a cornerstone of the GOPer mentality.
At least he didn’t say FCUK again!
PEACE
February 10th, 2009 at 5:04 pmIf these so called media messengers stepped back from the microphones and cameras and spent some time with average Americans that are losing their jobs and their homes instead of the “elite” Republicans that they hang out with they might be able to make an intelligent analysis of what is happening in America. Instead, they have blinders on and look to their new leader, “Porkulus” Limbaugh.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:05 pmOK, that was weird, my posts popped up in reverse order! I can travel back in time!
February 10th, 2009 at 5:05 pmYa think?!? Give that man a McArthur Genius Prize!
February 10th, 2009 at 5:07 pmRepublitards.
Belac, Rove still is telling them what to say, he’s just wronger than ever.
Ahh, true… I bow to your insight SKdeA…
February 10th, 2009 at 5:07 pmOf course Scarborough don’t know what the heck he is talking about but moreover,how the heck Chuck Todd got his job?anyone saw his asinine question to the Prez of the USA last night”consumer spending is responsible for the economic mess we are in.”.Nice responce from Obama smacking Todd’s BS down.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:09 pm67% is one poll, and that’s asking “Do you support Obama’s handling of the economy?” A tad broader than support for the stimulus package. Another poll asked about the stimulus and got 51% support, but then another poll (Rasmussen) said that 37% favor the legislation and 43% were opposed.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:10 pmbelac Says:
Scarborough: Perhaps we should have asked actual economists their opinion… or maybe read the bill… man, our jobs were so much easier when Rove told us what to say…
February 10th, 2009 at 5:10 pm““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““
LMAO! Phucking awesome comment!
Not to mention my time-traveling powers!
February 10th, 2009 at 5:10 pmLet’s see… I think I will go back in time and expose Karl on the hillside after birth. save us all a lot of trouble.
scarbourass, limpballs, and the other minions of the right-wing noise machine are not on the ari because they “know what the’re talking about”.
They are there to catapult the propaganda – its the old divide-and-conquor. The “success” of the repugs/neocons is due to the way they have convinced a group of primarily white folks that are scared of losing what they have that the economic uncertainty is because of the people that are even worse off them they are on the socio-economic ladder.
It’s a lie and the repugs/neocons rely on an “echo chamber” of disinformation to pull this off and even then need to resort to vote fraud (2000 and 2004 – key races in 2002).
February 10th, 2009 at 5:10 pmJOe Scarborough and Mika “come to Mommy” always backtrack when confronted with the truth. It’s disgusting to watch them. Time and time again they trash whatever they feel needs trashing ignoring the facts.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:10 pm“There’s a lot of spending. It’s not stimulus,” Brzezinski added.
Ms Brzezinski, that’s the whole point! That’s how you stimulate the economy, you spend money! What are your qualifications to speak on these matters again?
February 10th, 2009 at 5:11 pmWTF!?! I thought Mika was a democrat? Has she been warned by Joe Scatterbrain to agree with everything he says or else she will end up dead in his MSNBC office?
February 10th, 2009 at 5:13 pmI will tell you one thing, since down grading to basic cable I am a lot more sane by not watching Morning Joe or listening to the lying republicans on Hardball or FUX Noise.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:15 pmJoe says, It seems sloppy. It seems that the White House has been off their game. …
Excuse me, but isn’t CONGRESS writing this Stimulus Package???
Obama said it was Urgent, and Mostly Good but Not Perfect.
He is President, not Dictator.
He has to Sign this “Sausage” but he didn’t make it.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:16 pmPoor Joe. Just a couple of weeks ago Joe was lamenting about how “nobody saw this coming”. To that I posted that the only people that didn’t see this coming were the guests Joe invited in support of his flawed point of view. Now, when he is wrong again, he sluffs it off as “overanalyzing”. Earth to Joe, you have to be smarter than a bag of rocks because we knew better when you were constantly spouting your crap. And with this track record you think you would make a good US Senator for Florida? Just try it. You might have to finally answer why a healthy young woman was found dead in your Congressional office.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:16 pmJoe’s producers noticed the 67% and began to consider that maybe it wasn’t so smart to piss off two-thirds of Americans. If you do that, they won’t buy the crap advertised on your television “program.”
February 10th, 2009 at 5:16 pmAccording to the Gallup poll the American people are no longer buying the republican propaganda pushed in the “Liberal” media or by the republicans in congress.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:16 pmYeah, I’ve been thinking the same thing, too. Just because he did a good job with the “election analysis board” doesn’t mean that he is qualified to be a reporter. Todd should stick to statistics. As for the morning Joe, well, he is still trying to find his skill set.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:17 pmOh yeah? Wanna see something really scary?
February 10th, 2009 at 5:18 pmhttp://img210.imageshack.us/img210/9196/obamushmq0.png
i was particularly happy that obama set chuck todd straight on his very studid remark about people’s spending getting us into this mess…
i never understood the fawning over that guy…
February 10th, 2009 at 5:19 pmJoe, you’re exactly right – YOU DON’T KNOW SQUAT ABOUT THE STIMULUS BILL! SO STFU!
February 10th, 2009 at 5:21 pmspencers mom Says:
At least he didn’t say FCUK again!
not that YOU heard! that 10 second delay saves the day!
February 10th, 2009 at 5:22 pmI support the stimulus package AND I have some real reservations about it (ex. is it large enough, can it be implemented quickly enough). But then, I do nuance.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:22 pmliberalinaredstate Says:
JOe Scarborough and Mika “come to Mommy” always backtrack when confronted with the truth.
Well, that’s still a lot better than some do, which is ignore the truth, pretend they were “always right” and change the subject. I guess we – ugh – have to give them a little credit for saying that.
Still, if you think there’s a possibility you might be wrong, you shouldn’t use such extremist language. Except that’s ratings, baby.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:23 pmWhy is this point so difficult for them to follow, Wayne?
The only time government spending does NOT stimulate the economy is when it goes directly into the pockets of cronies.
Or maybe into a big sinkhole in the Mesopotamian desert.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:24 pmI also liked Chuck Todd’s question. I don’t know his motivation, but I think it is entirely possible that he has heard rumblings that “some people” (and you know who they are) think that individuals brought this crisis on with their irresponsible spending. However, we know that these “some people” are not going to directly put this idea in front of Obama or anyone outside their echo chamber to respond to. They fear a thorough debunking, like Obama gave. Therefore, I think Chuck Todd’s question did us/US a service.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:27 pmOr to the Cayman Islands….
February 10th, 2009 at 5:28 pmSixty Seven, Joe. That’s seventeen more than a plurality.
That’s two thirds, Joe, for every one who thinks like you, there are two of us who feel the need to do this.
So STFU, Joe, or just stuff a gasoline soaked rag in it.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:28 pmand i read that i’m not alone in my assessment of todd…
it kind of surprised me when he said that…
February 10th, 2009 at 5:28 pm31, that’s about the only kind of stimulus they understand. Except maybe for the kind found in airport bathrooms, under the clothes of pages, etc.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:29 pmAt the risk of sounding sexist…“There’s a lot of spending. It’s not stimulus,” Brzezinski added.
“Every kiss begins with K” ad nauseum.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:31 pmwhy, that’s a very christian way to see it, PLC…
February 10th, 2009 at 5:32 pmthat’s what i like about you…
Very subtle and nice point at 32, PLC.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:33 pmkaty, thank you. I do try to be optimistic and give people the benefit of the doubt (and that has been sorely tested in the last eight years). Even if Todd’s question came from his own place of idiocy, though, I see usefulness in the question being asked. I trust that Obama is savvy and articulate enough to take those questions and use them for good.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:36 pmI think Chuck Todd is pointing out the Dilemma in our whole Economic Conventional Wisdom.
On the one Hand…Americans don’t SAVE Enough…our Savings Rate is in Negative Territory, and among the Lowest in the Industrialized World.
On the Other Hand… consumer Spending IS about 70% of our Economy…and regardless of how we got in this mess…unless Consumers Start Spending/Charging Again, we are not likely to see an Economic Recovery.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:36 pm“Scarborough Confesses: ‘Perhaps We Don’t Know What We’re Talking About’ On The Stimulus”
Gee, ya think? Say ain’t so, Joe.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:38 pmDoes anybody here know what is in the bill? Everybody says we need it, but nobody is saying or don’t know what is in it. The bill itself is so long that you fall asleep halfway through it.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:39 pmI would like someone here to inform the masses because I can’t find hardly anything about it.
Badger Says:On the Other Hand… consumer Spending IS about 70% of our Economy…and regardless of how we got in this mess…unless Consumers Start Spending/Charging Again, we are not likely to see an Economic Recovery.
If that is all our economy is based on, study yoga so you can kiss your butt good bye.
We are not what we spend. We are what we build.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:41 pmScarborough is, to use his own words, a steaming pile of garbage.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:43 pmoveranalyzed it? You mean your attempt to sabotage it failed miserably don’t you?
Obama 1
February 10th, 2009 at 5:45 pmrush 0
Kewl Scar. If we’re lucky, he’ll rename his show “Where/When/How I went wrong/said something stupid/talked about stuff I know nothing about.”
February 10th, 2009 at 5:48 pmHoodathunk Says: We are what we build.
This bears repeating – hourly if necessary. The US (or any) economy is strongest when it builds and produces.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:48 pmHoodathunk Says:
We are not what we spend. We are what we build.
That IS the Problem. Everything that isn’t literally Nailed
Down…like Houses and other Construction Projects like roads and Bridges… is Made in CHINA.
STUFF is all made in China. We solved the “Wage/ Price Spiral” Problem by Outsourcing our Manufacturing Base. It kept Prices and Inflation Low for 25 years…but the chickens have now come Home to Roost.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:50 pmBadger, you have hit on an extremely important point that should be used to drive home justification for this and even more infrastructure building in future stimuli packages. It will be jobs BY Americans and products FOR Americans.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:55 pmSeems to me there was an awful lot of opposition among the public to the spending of $500 billion per year on bush’s boondoggle in Iraq. Where was the media reporting on that at the time?
As long as the money was going to warmongers and “contractors/corporations” the media was all for it.
Now that the economic elites have bled the finances of the middle class and average Citizen who earns less than $750,000 per year dry, they’re getting upset at the idea of actually doing the only thing that might get the economy moving again — giving these people access to credit and work that will put money back into local and state economies.
I guess they’re upset ’cause they were prepared to count up the “toys” they’d managed to collect and declare the one with the most the “winner.”
February 10th, 2009 at 5:59 pmblclem Says:
February 10th, 2009 at 6:00 pmHere’s a summary that links to both versions…
Looking at a graph of the Dow – it appears that the market was teetering and then sharply fell in October.
What did the sitting president do in the 3 months between then and inarguration day ?
And we’re holding Obama to the fire after a few weeks ?
February 10th, 2009 at 6:04 pmInteresting story about a company, lets call them Brunswick. They have closed factories in the Midwest that make bowling balls and pins. Sent the operations to Mexico. I’ve never been to Mexico so some of you might want to step up and tell me how many bowling alleys there are down there.
The company thought making this stuff with cheap labor was a good idea so they closed down plants and laid off the very people who were the base of their buying public. Some genius of a bean counter told them that laying off the people who actually buy bowling balls so they can no longer do so and sending the operation to a place that has no concept of bowling was economical.
These are the geniuses driving our manufacturing industry.
February 10th, 2009 at 6:06 pmAnd for all the parrot trolls, the next time you are in WalMart, say hi to all the rich folk shopping there.
February 10th, 2009 at 6:09 pmScarborough does not need to tell us that he does not know what he is talking about, we already know that….for sometime.
But does MSNBC know that..?
February 10th, 2009 at 6:09 pmThat’s important because if they do know that at MSNBC, we might not have to see Scarborough again babbling in the morning.
#30 Except that’s ratings, baby.
Joe Scar is a cynic, not to mention a clown. He somewhat admitted to ginning up his comments on Stephen Colbert…for the ratings. Distorting the facts should never come into play just for ratings.
C. Todd’s blaming the economic crisis on Consumer Spending was wreckless….He is such a tool. I enjoyed watching President Obama sternly correct him
February 10th, 2009 at 6:11 pmI’m going to make supper but I will leave one last little recommendation. I watched it last night on TCM…Bound for Glory.
Nobody thought it could happen back then either.
February 10th, 2009 at 6:11 pm“Perhaps”?
Gee, ya think?
February 10th, 2009 at 6:18 pmJoe: Perhaps we don’t know what we are talking about.
Finally some words of truth are spoken by the morning Joe.
February 10th, 2009 at 6:35 pm“Scarborough Confesses: ‘Perhaps We Don’t Know What We’re Talking About’…
…from the times I have seen you on the BoobTube…you are one of the bigger Boobs on the Tube…
…and rarely do you know what the hell you are being told to spew out of your pie hole.
February 10th, 2009 at 6:45 pmYou have not properly identified the problem Badger. The core problem was that the velocity of money dropped off. That number represents how often money turns over. This happens when money becomes concentrated in the hands of too few. The top 1% acquired a percentage not seen since 1928. Like it or not, the only cure for this problem is a redistribution of the wealth away from the top 1% where it increases the velocity. Yes, that means tax increases for those having a taxable income over $250,000. The only reason it took as long as it did was because people were tapping into their home equity to maintain spending. That couldn’t last forever and it didn’t.
February 10th, 2009 at 7:05 pmRepublican (nazi) trademark…say it over and over again til they believe it…
February 10th, 2009 at 7:05 pmThe bigger the lies, the more they swallow….
Bcuz the MSM is far more interested in the inside “baseball” aspects of messaging and tactics as opposed to results than they typical majority of Americans are. Joe & the rest of the MSM have their heads stuffed up the a** of the DC circuit and have no idea what the big picture looks like.
February 10th, 2009 at 7:07 pmThese RepubliCon a$$wipes don’t mind socialism for the rich and the banks; but no money for the poor and the middle class. RepubliCons, a gang of thieves, take from the poor and give to the rich.
February 10th, 2009 at 7:09 pmYOU THINK IDIOTS?!!!
February 10th, 2009 at 7:21 pmDallas NE,
I agree with your comments, …perhaps the Problem is thinking that the “Problem” is one thing…it is more likely a multi-faceted Problem.
Wealth HAS been concentrated in the Upper Income Earners. Almost All of the Economic Growth generated in the Bush Years has ended up in Upper Income Pockets.
The rest of Americans have seen their adjusted Income Stagnate or go Down. Middle Class Americans have tried to adjust to their Declining Standard of Living by Having more Members of their Household join the Workforce…and By Borrowing …both of which are reaching a DEAD END due to High UnEmployment, Plunging Home Equity, and Tight Credit.
Economic GROWTH is the Remedy Presented by Conventional Wisdom to Fix Things.. but Economic growth is Unlikely AND Not that good for a Limited Planet.
What no one wants to Admit…is that if things aren’t likely to GROW, then we need a discussion about how the World’s Resources are Distributed.
Distributing Wealth Upwards is losing its Lustre.
February 10th, 2009 at 7:58 pmUm. Yeah. Right. Um. Ah … Maybe you don’t know jack shit.
February 10th, 2009 at 8:22 pmMika and Joe barely have the brainpower of one normal American citizen between them. Maybe they should get out of their bubble’s a bit more often to see what normal Americans are suffering through right now before they offer their idiotic opinions. Translation…stick to reading tele-prompters and STFU.
February 10th, 2009 at 8:26 pmLushInterior Says:
——————————————————————————–
Here piggy, piggy!
—
February 10th, 2009 at 8:44 pmCan we agree to stop discussing Mr Rove?
That’s what happens when you shove your foot in your mouth! And they’re going to be looking even more stupid when this package works.
February 10th, 2009 at 10:08 pmThis is what passes as “conventional wisdom” in DC and NYC (within the media elite). None of them even bothered with the Gallup Poll, Pew Poll and today, the CNN poll.
Scarborough has been pushing back on this administration before they even took office and he hasn’t let up since. I can’t stand to listen to his rants at 6 a.m.–his program is a crashing bore and soooo predictable—-with the same rotation of guests.
He wouldn’t have any guests if he didn’t have access to the same idiots who appear on Today–to me, he is just unwatchable and that Mika……don’t even get me started. Simple show for simpletons.
February 10th, 2009 at 10:17 pmThank you. Somebody gave me a good answer.
February 10th, 2009 at 11:18 pmIt does look like the stimulus package has a lot of waste. I even read that most of members in Congress don’t know what is in it.
This country and the World have not been in this situation before. We elected a Brilliant Man to be our President overwhelmingly…Let’s put our judgement at the poll into supporting his actions and the Stimulus Package…Who you gonna trust; Those who got us into this mess…the Republicons or the President who we asked to get us out of it?
February 10th, 2009 at 11:29 pmJoe Scarborough was told his view is too simplistic. Do you actually believe he is as brilliant as Obama and those the Pressident chose to advise him…Why do we accept what they say on these talk shows as fact. Nost of them are washed up panderers anyway.
February 10th, 2009 at 11:33 pmGee, Joe, really? You might not actually know what you’re talking about? Really? well then maybe you should shut the #$%# up!!! Or maybe you should go do some research and not be so stupid!
February 11th, 2009 at 12:22 am.
Does Scarborough ever know what he’s talking about?
.
February 11th, 2009 at 12:52 amSeems Joe has not gotten over his ass whumpin’ as a Republican and now finds joy in displaying not only his bias but a new found sense of righteousness based on ignorance . . . a true Republican Leader PROUDLY in the makin’ . . .
February 11th, 2009 at 1:29 amLushMoron it is just so SAD how pathetic and stupid you are. Still begging us to pity you for your galactic level stupidity I see. Pity well is dry moron. You have already established that you are stupid and only someone as pathetic as you could possibly think he was clever. Get some self respect and stop humiliating yourself so abjectly.
February 11th, 2009 at 3:16 amOf course Joe really doesn’t know what’s in the Stimulus Package but that didn’t stop him from talking down the bill and President Obama. Nor did it stop his side-kick Mika from kissing his backside and agreeing with him the whole time. Joe also doesn’t know how that beautiful young female assistant showed up dead in his congressional headquarter in Florida which promped his quick exodus from congress. Joe don’t know diddly and neither does blondie.
February 11th, 2009 at 10:38 amWhatever happened to Lori Klausutis Joe?
When you were a Congressman she was found dead in your office.
You then quit – Why?
February 11th, 2009 at 12:41 pmIn case anyone needs reminding, Tom Brokaw doesn’t like our new President. Following Obama’s acceptance speech in Denver, Brokaw referred to the thousands of supporters in the stadium as “besotted.” Once again, before Obama’s election, Brokaw called his supporters “besotted.” Just go away, Mr. Brokaw. You have nothing to contribute.
February 12th, 2009 at 11:55 pmMorning Joe;what a stupid name for a stupid,egotistical,self centered,blow-hard.I thought MSNBC was stuck with him,and Rachel and Keith said to put him on in the morning so they didn’t have to see him at night.Now they should put that other republican phoney from hardball on with him.They both like to hear themselves talk,and don’t leave much room for anybody elses input.Ask rachel she put scarborough in his place and he didn’t like it.The next thing that happens is she has a prime slot,and he’s shifted to the morning.I don’t know how anybody can look at those squinty eyes.I wonder what his rating is?
April 3rd, 2009 at 4:37 am