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"If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog." That's how Harry Truman downplayed the importance of friendships in politics. But at a certain point, do poor personal relations impede a president's ability to get things done? On today's Morning Joe, after rolling a clip in which Donald Trump called Ted Cruz a disliked and "very nasty guy" who can't make deals, a discussion ensued as to whether Cruz's personality would be an impediment to his effectiveness as president. Joe Scarborough was particularly harsh in his assessement, saying "it's one thing being an outsider; it's another thing being a...

Is the Hillary camp sensing mortal political danger over her role as "bully" [to use Maureen Dowd's term] toward Bill's women? The question arises given the agitation, defensiveness and anger displayed by the normally mild-mannered Harold Ford, Jr., a Hillary fan, on today's Morning Joe. Ford warning Joe Scarborough not to raise his voice to him? Ford defensively rejecting comparisons between Bill Clinton and Bill Cosby? Ford angrily rejecting Scarborough's suggestion that he's taking James Carville talking points in defending Hillary? Something's going on. Scarborough clearly hit a sore spot. Does Ford's defensiveness reflect shakiness across Hillary world? View the...

Joe Scarborough blew the whistle on the MSM this morning regarding its unwillingess to say publicly what people in major newsrooms have incessantly discussed--Bill Clinton's mistresses and the lurid tales involving Jeffrey Epstein, he of Orgy Island infamy, and Clinton. But if the MSM won't "go there," on today's Morning Joe Scarborough said that Donald Trump indubitably will: "That's what makes Donald Trump more dangerous than any person out there. He will bring up stuff that nobody else will bring up and anybody thinking in the Clinton campaign that they're going to get a break because it's Donald Trump doing...

Someone remind me: isn't there a term for people with this sort of fixation? Joe Scarborough just can't stop looking at and talking about Marco Rubio's footwear, ever since a photo recently appeared of Rubio sporting a pair of boots. On today's Morning Joe, Scarborough repeatedly circled back to the subject, managing to work it into a number of conversations. For example, when Mika Brzezinski cited a report that Rubio has shifted his message from optimism to "doom," Scarborough jumped in: "what? Did he break a heel?" View the video here.

MSNBC host Joe Scarborough railed against presidential candidate and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) after Scarborough's name appeared in a Rubio campaign fundraising email. Scarborough was mentioned in the email after remarks last week that were critical of the Rubio campaign's ads, which he described as "nativist." In the ad, Rubio said the election revolved around people who "feel out of touch in their own country." "Elitist members of the media, like MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, are claiming Marco's remarks are 'nativist,' saying he's trying to pander," Rubio campaign manager Terry Sullivan wrote in an email to supporters on Monday. Scarborough charged...

In the past, Joe Scarborough hasn't exactly hidden his disdain for Marco Rubio, saying he reminds him of an eager student government candidate and questioning his integrity. But things have now escalated to open warfare between the two. Scarborough, responding to an ad in which Rubio speaks of feeling "out of place in our own country," tweeted an attack accusing Rubio of playing a "crass, offensive, nativist" [read xenophobic/borderline racist] card. Rubio has fired back, putting out a fundraising message in which he slams Scarborough as an "elitist." View the video here.

Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol appears on Thursday's Morning Joe to talk about the Republican presidential primary race and candidate Donald Trump. Kristol said Trump supporters don't "think about the implications" of what the candidate is saying. "People I respect think Trump has peaked, that a lot of people are intrigued by Trump," Kristol said causing host Joe Scarborough to break out in laughter. "You can laugh," Kristol told Scarborough. "He's not going to win Iowa. He'll run third."

It's rare when a politician says something surprising, or doesn't succumb to a feel-good suggestion. Which made Rick Santorum's response to Joe Scarborough this morning doubly remarkable. On today's Morning Joe, Scarborough had teed Santorum up to agree with his suggestion that we need to "reach out aggressively to let Muslim Americans know that they are every bit a part of the American dream as you or me." But Santorum turned the tables, saying "I would ask that in reverse: what are they going to do to reach out to make sure they are confronting --" Scarborough broke in: "no,...

Trump Brushes Off Putin’s Alleged Killing Of Journalists Zeke J Miller @ZekeJMiller Dec. 18, 2015 Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump brushed off well-documented allegations that Russian President Vladimir Putin has had political opponents and journalists killed, following praise from the Russian leader for his presidential campaign. In an interview with “Morning Joe” Friday, Trump said he was pleased to be praised by Putin. “Sure, when people call you brilliant it’s always good, especially when the person heads up Russia,” he said.” Putin had called Trump “bright and talented” and all-but-endorsed his campaign this week. But when host Joe Scarborough raised...

Joe Scarborough prefaced his remarks this morning by saying "this is the sort of thing that right-wing bloggers get very angry about." So let's oblige him . . . On Morning Joe, Scarborough said "I am shocked by how many Republicans, that have always voted Republican, that have said they're going to vote for Hillary if it's Cruz or Trump running against Hillary. I'm talking Deep South, Southern Baptist. I asked people who I expect to say yes, Cruz, go "hell no. No. I will never vote for Ted Cruz or Donald Trump. I will vote for Hillary Clinton." View...

GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz said Thursday that the Middle East was more secure when key dictators were still in power, and said too many Democrats and Republicans have supported toppling Middle Eastern governments to the benefit of the United States' enemies."Was the world, in fact, in the Middle East, a more secure place when Saddam Hussein was in power, when Moammar Gadhafi was in power, and when [Bashar] Assad wasn't fighting for his life in Syria?" asked MSNBC's Joe Scarborough."Of course it was," Cruz answered. "That's not even a close call."Cruz said Gadhafi did bad things but had worked...

Fed up with the Republican front-runner’s attempts to commandeer an interview for his own talking points, MSNBC “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough simply dumped Trump and went to commercial break Tuesday. This followed a Monday-night declaration by Huffington Post editor-in-chief Arianna Huffington that “we are no longer entertained” by Trump’s candidacy. She suggested HuffPo will toughen its coverage of the real estate mogul going forward.

From the woman who brought you Benghazi, the Russian reset, the bungling of the Arab Spring, and the disregard for national security that compromised classified email material . . . Yet, incredibly, Joe Scarborough today extolled Hillary's foreign policy credentials, claiming--not a typo--"what an amazing brand she would have to offer the American people right now. Even Republicans that are in search of a unifying, strong leader against ISIS." Scarborough did so after citing Trent Lott and David Petraeus' praise of Hillary's hard work and knowledgeability as a senator. That might be. But how can anyone possibly look at Hillary,...

Here at NewsBusters, we usually reserve popcorn-popping for times when Democrats are scrapping among themselves. But in this strange political season, it looks like we could be in for some Orville Redenbacher moments among Republicans, too. On today's Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough mentioned having watched some of Megyn Kelly's Fox News show last night and that Kelly was "vicious" in going after Donald Trump. In the unkindest cut of all, Scarborough said Kelly "sounded like Rachel Maddow." View the video of Scarborough's statement, followed by clips from last night's Kelly File. You'll see that Megyn doesn't crack the slightest smile...

Death of a Salesman's Willy Loman was a guy "out there in the blue riding on a smile and a shoeshine." President Obama sees ISIS as Willy's bad mirror image, dismissing the terror group as guys with "conventional weapons and good social media." On today's Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough blasted Obama's dangerous insouciance, calling it "staggering to our allies. It is staggering to people like Frank Bruni, a liberal columnist. It is staggering to Diane Feinstein, liberal Democrats. It is staggering to the world. The president's in a bubble by himself, saying that these are just bad guys with guns...

Suggestion for John Kerry: if traveling makes you so tired that you say things undermining the war against radical Islamic terrorism, stay home on Nantucket and conduct your diplomacy by Skype . . . On today's Morning Joe, here's how Mark Halperin explained Kerry's despicable statement about the "legitimacy" and "rationale" of the Charlie Hebdo attacks: "Secretary Kerry has a history when he's tired in particular after he hurtles around the world of speaking imprecisely." Was Kerry speaking "imprecisely"—or did he let the truth slip of precisely how he and President Obama really feel? View the video here.

Silence spoke powerfully today on Morning Joe. After a clip rolled of a listless President Obama speaking about the Paris attacks, Joe Scarborough asked Mika Brzezinski what amounted to a rhetorical question: "does he look like he is engaged and understands the level of threat?" When after a few seconds Mika failed to reply, Scarborough tried rephrasing the question, but still elicited no response. Her silence was so telling, so excruciating, that Mike Barnicle--ever the good sycophant--piped up to slavishly assert "I think he looks fully engaged." View the video here.

News flash: Eugene Robinson has just been named Dean of the Alice In Wonderland School of Journalism. Where "who, what, when" etc. is replaced by "who cares?", and when it comes to crimes against political correctness, verdict first, trial later. On today's Morning Joe, WaPo columnist Robinson expressed surprising indifference to his unawareness of the causes that led Mizzou President Tim Wolfe to be driven from office. Asked by Joe Scarborough as to the reasons for the prez's departure, Robinson replied "I haven't been on campus; I don't know . . . I don't know what those specifics are." When...

On today's Morning Joe, an incensed Joe Scarborough told Hugh Hewitt he was "full of it," and that "you owe me an apology." Scarborough was steamed that Hewitt seemed to suggest that Joe was part of the "Manhattan-DC Beltway elite" that refused to cover Hillary's scandals. Scarborough said "I put my neck on the line every day here," covering Hillary and criticizing media bias. View the video here.

Joe Scarborough and Nicolle Wallace went on an animated tag-team attack against Ben Carson on today's Morning Joe, accusing him of "one lie after another" and "bald-faced lies," respectively. And Scarborough emphatically denied that there is any media bias behind the current inquiry into Carson's biography. Scarborough, Wallace and Mika Brzezinski also criticized panelist Mark Halperin for not buying into the Carson-is-lying line, with Mika sarcastically implying that Halperin had backed off Carson in anticipation of an interview with him. Denying that the current Carson kerfuffle reflects media bias. Joe cast himself as an equal-opportunity truth teller, pointing out that...