Scarborough: W Gave Wink 'n Nod for Mean Miers Leak

Hardball/NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

by Mark Finkelstein

April 21, 2006

Advice to any Republican loyalists planning to watch a replay of this evening's Hardball: hide the sharp objects, put the firearms under lock and key, flush any potentially poisonous potions. With beautiful-but-deadly Norah O'Donnell sitting in for Chris Matthews, this might have been the most unrelenting gloom-a-thon since Watergate. Riffing off the latest polls showing W at 33%, it was one guest after another - from Bob Shrum to Kate O'Beirne to a panel of "hotshots" - painting a decidedly unrosy scenario. And just when things couldn't get any more dread, a former Clinton health official came on to predict millions might die from bird flu thanks to government inattention "in recent years."

Before leaping from the nearest ledge, I was able to record one salient segment: the startling allegation from Joe Scarborough that President Bush was behind the recent nasty leak on Harriet Miers.

As will be recalled, after Miers' disastrous foray as a Supreme Court nominee, she returned to her position as White House counsel. However, as per this NY Times article, Miers might be next on new WH Chief of Staff Josh Bolten's hit list. The article cited GOP sources to the effect that Bolten believes Miers "is indecisive, a weak manager and slow in moving vital paperwork through the system." Perhaps she is, and it wouldn't be shocking to learn that's what Bolten believes.

But what is stunning was Joe Scarborough's assertion that Pres. Bush must have been behind the leak. Here's how Joe put it:

"I'll tell you what it screams and I've just got to say, if anybody really believes that Josh Bolten leaked this story to the New York Times without the approval of George Bush, a wink or a nod, then they are too naive to report the national news in Washington, DC."

Norah: "What if he [Bolten] is trying to put presh -- if he's trying to put pressure on the president?"

Scarborough: "In the Bush White House, it doesn't work that way. Josh Bolten is a Bush loyalist, he would never leak without the president knowing he was leaking, and -- or maybe they were talking in a conversation when he came on board and Bush said yeah, maybe it's time for her to go, but gee, she's a close personal friend. What is sad for -- why I feel sorry for Harriet Miers, she's been there for six years, she knows leaks don't happen in the Bush White House, she knows Josh Bolten would never leak without George Bush giving the go-ahead."

Yikes!

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Hardball/NewsBusters ping to Today show list.

[satchmodog9]

Joe should just go over to the dark side to stay.

[stephenjohnbanker]

Yeah, he took the money already.

[Hildy]

Life is aggravating enough...why on Earth would you CHOOSE to watch that show?

[wrathof59]

Joe Scarborough is no longer watchable, he has went off the deep end.

[The South Texan]

Something in the PMSNSC watercooler makes reasonable people like Scarabourgh into DUmmies.

[SE Mom]

Scarborough went to the dark side with eyes wide shut.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

I do so in the same spirit of my tagline regarding the Today show ;-)

[trubluolyguy]

is indecisive, a weak manager and slow in moving vital paperwork through the system

---

Josh Bolton, obvious Bush hater....I wonder what his DU name is?


(If you can't recognize sarcasm, I can't help ya)

[OldFriend]

And we thought Olberwomann was a nutjob. Scarborough is worse.

[appleharvey]

Keith Olberman's anemic ratings are even higher than Hardball's. As Jed Clampett would say, "Pitiful ,Pitiful!"

[caryatid]

... startling allegation from Joe Scarborough that President Bush was behind the recent nasty leak on Harriet Miers.

Does anyone know the substance of the recent nasty leak on Harriet Miers?

[governsleastgovernsbest]

As mentioned in the body of the thread: "The article cited GOP sources to the effect that Bolten believes Miers "is indecisive, a weak manager and slow in moving vital paperwork through the system."

[caryatid]

I read that. So, does this mean that Bush is supposed to have said that Bolten believes, etc......? And, why would he, if he did? Still makes no real sense.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

No, I believe this is supposed to be an expression of Bolten's belief. But Scarborough is saying that Bolten would have never let the leak of his views get out unless W had approved it.

[Fintan]

And just when things couldn't get any more dread, a former Clinton health official came on to predict millions might die from bird flu thanks to government inattention "in recent years."

 

Awww, shucks...

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

And we thought Olberwomann was a nutjob. Scarborough is worse.

But Olbermann has pertier eyebrows.

[Baynative]

I've only suffered through "OddBall" a few times. But, each time I have I've been able to pick out and verify complete lies, misquotes or hypothetical liberal fantasies.

[demkicker]

I'd rather wipe my face a dozen times with Chrissy's spitballs than watch Joe Scarborough for 10 seconds. At least Chrissy doesn't pretend to have ever been a conservative. Joe Scarborough has clearly gone to the dark side and has sold his soul. He may has well be wearing a sticker on his forehead that says POLITICAL WHORE.

[smoothsailing]

Norah O'Donnell? Something about her looks vaguely familiar. Was she a Clinton intern? Used to wear a beret?

[caryatid]

I do not want to open up the festering wound of the Harriet Miers nomination, but I do believe that it was the beginning of Bush's downward spiral that nothing seems to cure. His arrogance in telling us we had to "trust him" over something so obviously flawed caused an awful lot of people I respect to [figuratively] wash their hands of Bush and declare his presidency "finished".

[Howlin]

BS.

And he didn't say Bush did, he said Bush

must have

[TruthFactor]

Joe used to be one of us, a regular guy. Now he travels in the DC/NY cocktail circuit circles with all the drive-by-media liberals. I used to like him. But, he has become a clymer. "Big Time"!

[Suzy Quzy]

Joe went over to the DARK side when they found that dead girl's body in his office. Or maybe it was when his best friend Condidit "got rid" of his girlfriend. I can barely watch him.

[crazyhorse691]

a former Clinton health official came on to predict millions might die from bird flu thanks to government inattention "in recent years."

---

Hey, I thought it was SARS that was supposed to kill millions. I can't keep straight what the PC disease of the week/month/year/decade is.

[PeskyOne]

I didn't see the program, but will watch the rerun tonight. Joe Scarborough hasn't a clue as to what the President thinks. He went to Congress in 1994 and left in 2001 when George Bush came into office! Six years in Congress does not make him an expert. While in Congress, Scarborough, along with Joe Kennedy, Joe Moakley, and Tim Roemer, introduced legislation to rename the Justice Department building after Robert. F. Kennedy. Working with Democrats to honor a Democrat speaks volumes about his loyalty to Republicans.

I can't stand his program...he has a canned response to all his guests: "Very much appreciate your being here etc." It seems he could change and say, "Thank you for your participation", or "I appreciate your being here etc.", but it's the same thing each time..."very much appreciate".

With Republicans like Joe Scarborough, who needs enemies? If his ratings continue to drop, he'll be off television soon.

[therut]

I think his main problem is he is not very smart.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Joe Scarborough is an idiot who crossed over to the dark side long ago. And the Bow tie that appeared with him calls himself a conservative? A laughable fool is more apt for Tucker Carlson.

[beyond the sea]

Joe's a little nuts.

Joe had his own intern problem, didn't he?

[operation clinton cleanup]

[smoothsailing]

LOL! And I thought I was bad!

Always read the small print! :D

[governsleastgovernsbest]

What is the difference between "must have" and "did"?

[Poincare]

Bush and Miers are a lot alike. They don't think in words--their verbal skills are excruciating to people (like David Frum) who do. Meirs and Bush think structurally and mathematically. She would have been a fabulous addition to the SCOTUS as a detail and structure person, IMO of course. Unfortuately she was a bad candidate and Bush did not see it.

[meema]

...but I do believe that it was the beginning of Bush's downward spiral that nothing seems to cure. His arrogance in telling us we had to "trust him" over something so obviously flawed...

Unfortunately, I have to agree with you.

[meema]

...but I do believe that it was the beginning of Bush's downward spiral that nothing seems to cure. His arrogance in telling us we had to "trust him" over something so obviously flawed...

Unfortunately, I have to agree with you.

[subterfuge]

"The article cited GOP sources to the effect that Bolten believes Miers "is indecisive, a weak manager and slow in moving vital paperwork through the system."

At the rate the government is spending, this might not be a bad thing.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

LOL. Just don't do something - stand there ;-)

[subterfuge]

Hey, I was suprised that "Hildy" didn't know you watch the Today Show for us.