MSNBC's Scarborough: 'Do You Think' Mrs. Fred Thompson 'Works the Pole'?

NewsBusters.org ^ | Ken Shepherd

[SandRat]

Conservative blogs are abuzz with a controversial remark MSNBC's Joe Scarborough made on his Friday "Morning Joe" program about Jeri Thompson, the wife of former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.), who is mulling over a White House bid.

Hot Air has the video.

Here's the relevant transcript:

JOE SCARBOROUGH, host, "Morning Joe": Have you seen, um, have you seen Fred Thompson's wife?

CRAIG CRAWFORD, Congressional Quarterly: Oh, yeah!

SCARBOROUGH: You think she works the pole?

CRAWFORD: That's what Hollywood careers will do for you, I guess.

SCARBOROUGH: [Laughs] What do you mean?

CRAWFORD: You get wives like that.

SCARBOROUGH: I mean, look at that guy. God bless him, I love his voice, but I mean, you know, he ain't Robert Redford in 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.'

CRAWFORD: Well, I'd like to see him get back into politics, 'cause I think he's a lousy actor!

Michelle Malkin is critical of the comments, noting that Scarborough replaced Don Imus, who was canned for his "nappy-headed hos" remark about the Rutgers women's basketball team:

Scarborough owes Thompson and his wife an apology.

Be a man, Joe. Would you let someone publicly joke about your wife that way?

On May 11, NewsBusters contributor Noel Sheppard documented Scarborough's kid glove treatment of Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.):

SCARBOROUGH: There's been such a division in this country. I really do think that people are exhausted, and they're looking for a president who can unite the country. . . And a lot of people who probably said some very nasty things about you in the 1990s, are extraordinarily impressed with the type of leadership you provided since you've been in the Senate, how you have been a unifying force.

Last November, NewsBusters senior editor Rich Noyes noticed that Scarborough, a former Republican congressman from Florida, declared of his pre-election coverage, "I have been bashing my party more than the Democratic Party."

[papasmurf]

Disgusting POS. Crawl back under the rock you came out of.

BTW, joe, your wife is so ugly, makeup is afraid of her.

:O)

P America. Together. Again Fred Thompson/JC Watts in '08

[hole_n_one]

(Although we (the GOP) did lower the bar by bringing oral sex into politics.)

I've tried to compose a response, but, the only word that keeps popping into my head is........

idiot.

[Ancesthntr]

Disgusting beyond belief. Scumborough owes Jeri and Fred Thompson a very public apology.

Fred ought to ask Joe to discuss the problem, man-to-man. Either Joe will immediately need new underwear, or he’ll need a lot more than a bit of make-up to be presentable for TV.

Of course, Fred can’t do that - but I look forward to hearing what he has to say about it. Joe isn’t the only one with a microphone.

[Josh Painter]

Azzurri wrote: “Joe’s just probably worried about the FBI files that Hillary has on him.”

The Hillabeast must know how that dead intern got into Joe’s office.

[Swordfished]

That said, ‘she works the pole’ or ‘does she work the pole?’ are hilarious phrases.

Yeah, the laughter is deafening.

I assume the phrase refers to a stripper's pole. Wouldn't be so funny if it is a euphemism for something more vulgar.

[Thinkin' Gal]

OTOH — I think Fred is going to have an issue with “Trophy Wife” syndrome. Women voters don’t like that at all.

Most of those women would probably vote for Hillary! anyway. Besides, the Thompsons have two small children. Family values and all that. More importantly, what effect will the eye candy have on the male vote?

[Sleeping Beauty]

I find this all hilarious. Trying to find fault with Fred and his wife.

Women voters will have problems with Fred’s wife?

I bet you don't watch the Lifetime channel. Or daytime women's talk shows.

Speaking as an anthropologist -- fasten your seatbelt...

[hole_n_one]

I assume the phrase refers to a stripper's pole. Wouldn't be so funny if it is a euphemism for something more vulgar.

What do you think?

Did you just fall off the turnip truck?

[Plutarch]

Dang, my link didn't work. This should: Charles Dikinson .

[SandRat]

The complete link http://people.colgate.edu/palvarado/famous4.html

[SuziQ]

(Although we (the GOP) did lower the bar by bringing oral sex into politics.)

Nope, x42 did that by entertaining an intern in the Oval Office.

[Sleeping Beauty]

I've tried to compose a response, but, the only word that keeps popping into my head is........

idiot,

Good job. Three syllables!

[SandRat]

Say something l;ike Fred did to Michael Moron?

[RedMonqey]

"What happened to Joe?"

"Too many media cocktail parties."

And he has his price......

......Just like any other good whore

[LimaLimaMikeFoxtrot]

Contact MSNBC now, and tell them that Joe must go!

Thanks for the link. I wrote. Maybe we can get him canned and then get Fred to challenge him to a duel.

Oh wait..Joe is not a gentleman.

[hole_n_one]

You lay the responsibility of oral sex being interjected into politics at the feet of the GOP.

Are you retarded, or what?

[usmcobra]

Has he seen Robert Redford lately?

[Twink]

It’s not. But she’s not black or any other minority so it’s ok.

I never liked him. He annoyed me even when I agreed with something he was saying. I didn’t know he existed until a few months ago and watched his program a couple of times. His voice and delivery turned me off.

I guess it’s ok to treat women or label them as hos bitches, etc. since those terms are used so regularly on tv/movies/music. So now it’s working the pole. The thing is, I could take this kind of comment from a person, man or woman, in casual conversation, but not from a so called journalist or media person where there should be standards. I hope he doesn’t have daughters.

[SuziQ]

I think Fred is going to have an issue with “Trophy Wife” syndrome. Women voters don’t like that at all.

Fred didn't get himself a 'Trophy Wife'. He and his first wife divorced in 1985. He was not married when he went to DC, so was perfectly free to date whoever he wanted. Jeri was a successful lawyer, and, I think, worked for the Republican Party in DC.

Since he didn't dump his first wife for the second one, I can't see why anyone would have a problem with it. His first wife is even willing to campaign for him, so SHE must not have a problem with it.

[Sleeping Beauty]

You lay the responsibility of oral sex being interjected into politics at the feet of the GOP.

< A little birdie tells me that the Dims didn't bring Willie's "johnson" into the public arena -- over and over again. We, the GOP, probably are the ones that jumped this distasteful shark.