Scarborough Claims He Didn't Criticize DHS Report, But He Did (VIDEO)

It looks as if I may have missed out on making an important point about Joe Scarborough's comments from today's Morning Joe on the DHS report, warning about the dangers of right-wing extremism. This morning, Scarborough said:

SCARBOROUGH: Of course, the point that Krugman misses is the fact that what upset most of us -- that we're talking about that report around this table -- was the fact not that they were targeting right-wingers, it's that they were targeting veterans, saying, watch out, these people are going to come home and -- but it is -- I mean, it is sort of sad and pathetic that this is being exploited.

But, regardless of the concern expressed over veterans, what Scarborough is suggesting here simply isn't true. If you cast your mind back to April 15, 2009, Scarborough was plenty upset that this DHS report targeted "right-wingers." He went so far as to imagine the Obama administration riding on Salt Lake City, rounding up extremists (like the Hipster Grifter, maybe?). And, of course, the whole group continues to wonder aloud about what would happen if the DHS had released a similar report on left-wing groups. It seems to have escaped their attention that they had actually done that, in January.

Naturally, I'll have to confirm with a roomful of comedy writers before definitely stating that this is not actually all some big sarcastic joke about cappuccino.

[WATCH]

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Comments

[poaster]

Unwatchability at its finest.

[ndnd]

calling him out on his...em..­."inaccura­te recollection" is fun, but I think that, really, his original claims were silly all on their own. One could argue that conservatives are more prone to radical activity against the government seeing as they are no fans of "big government", are fans of guns, and are not very pluralistic. Regardless, radicalization of the left can absolutely be as crazy and as dangerous, and had it occured during the bush years, I would have considered the DHS remiss had it not monitored that situation carefully. But it simply did not happen, or at least it never manifested itself in a way that was as alarming as the current trend (by the way - yeah, joe, a party targeting its political opponents would be a bad thing, except that's not what happened. no one told DHS to write a report "targeting" conservatives - they wrote it upon the accumulation of data).
Finally, wasn't there an issue with infiltration of anti-war groups during the bush years? Why is joe talking about it as if it is a wild hypothetical scenario?

[Okieborn]

I Would not waste my electricity watching this guy and No Way would I waste my money on his book !!!

[bogues]

Joe probably doesn't remember a lot of what he says when he gets hot under the collar as he often does. He has been making the rounds in recent days, telling the GOP to stop talking about social issues and try to be more approachable. He can forget trying to give the impression that the Republican party has decided to rejoin main stream society . The GOP crawled into bed with the extremists in this country in order to get their votes and now the GOP wants the country to believe that they have nothing to do with the violence and hate that is being committed by those extremists.

[Dbos]

You have been punked. We have recordings.

[maxfax]

Selected memory? Or something else?

[swanie]

Joe, a typical Republican, does not know the difference between the truth and a LIE ! !

They will NEVER understand . . . .
.

[maggienash65]

Very well spoken!!!!

[Mortimer2]

It would be a better show if it was called "Morning Mika".

[beautifuldisaster]

Mika is no better...

[Okieborn]

Amen !!!

[myersms]

Considering whom Mika's dad is,and how she tows the Scarborrough line,its truly embarrassing for her,and her family.The last time her dad was on he handed JOE his head on a plate,and did it by stating the obvious,on how Joe is in no position to question or provide insight into domestic nor geopolitical events around the world,due to lack of knowledge and logical reasoning.

[Okieborn]

Sorry can't agree !!
This Ladies Dad has it together !!!

[illinoisan]

She would need somebody there with whom to agree.

[Mij13]

Jason, Joe says a lot of things that are patently false. It's what he does. Most people just give him a pass. Thanks for calling him out for a change!

[afgail]

A better choice of words would have been angry "marginalized" white men instead of "lesser white men"

[MyMindSpray]

Just lost any last bit of respect I had for Mike Barnicle for caving in to Scarborough. What a tool.

[RJPasadena]

The only people who spew night after night are the faux news nut cases. The rethug right wing are always stepping on the veterans to further their themselves. Yet they deny nor do anything to make veterans lives easier.

[arcanepsyche]

The difference between calling out the crazy right-wingers and calling our the crazy left-wingers is that the crazy right-wingers are DANGEROUS!! They shoot people and blow up buildings!

I'd be more afraid if there WASN'T a report out about our home-grown terrorists.

[damilitantone]

It's ridiculous that these folks can lie so easily even with video of them saying just the opposite. How's the saying go "Scratch a liar, find a thief."

[quiltinglady]

Morning Joe has become a monologue platform for Joe. No one else gets a chance to say anything. And everything Joe says begins with the words "when I was in Congress" or Ronald Reagan". What a broken record!
Another male, pale, stale republican.

When I hear him talk, i just feel sorry for his wife.

[lincheryl]

Is anyone else getting tired of seeing him on every show, hawking his book? MSNBC especially has had him everywhere. I only watch for the guests, and would love to see two intelligent hosts, one from each side who can talk rationally and not hog and talk over everyone else.