Joe Scarborough: President Obama Made A 'Stupid Political Move' In Deficit Speech (VIDEO)

Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski clashed over President Obama's denunciation of the Republican budget plan.

Obama had very harsh words for the plan, which has been the brainchild of Republican Rep. Paul Ryan, in his speech about the deficit on Wednesday. As the "Morning Joe" crew assessed Obama's speech on Thursday, Scarborough pronounced himself mystified as to why Obama had invited Ryan to sit in the front row during the speech, and then criticized his plan so vehemently.

"I don't understand tactically, why do you invite Paul Ryan to come sit at this speech and insult him?" he said, speculating that it would hurt Obama in negotiations with Ryan down the line. "This was not a smart political play," Scarborough continued. "Let him watch in his office and be insulted."

Brzezinski disagreed. "I don't get it," she said. "I think the Republicans have said some really critical things about the President on camera without him there and that seems actually cowardly." It was courageous of Obama, she said, to say what he though to Obama's face.

"Are you serious?" Scarborough said incredulously, adding that Brzezinski was "spinning" for Obama. The two argued about whether or not Obama had made the right move. Scarborough got the last word, though.

"That was a stupid political move, Mika," he said. "You know it was a stupid political move."

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Comments

[Martampa]

02:23 PM on 04/21/2011

I always make sure to change the channel when Morning Joe is on in the AM. Can't understand how he made any cut.

[Sean Kennedy]

01:01 AM on 04/19/2011

"It was courageous of Obama, she said, to say what he though to Obama's face."

More sloppy writing on this site, doesn't surprise me. I guess this is what happens when you don't pay your writers?

Someone needs to give me a job at Huffington Post, at the very least I would proofread my posts.

[PatWard]

10:04 PM on 04/18/2011

In this instance Joe is wrong. However, he is the best the Republicans could offer to run against the president. I would not vote for him, but he does show a degree of sanity that is missing in all the other wannabes.

[DWSouthern]

07:42 PM on 04/18/2011

Obama did not make a mistake in criticizing Paul Ryan's ridiculous plan in front of the Republican and the world. He wanted to make it plain that he was finally drawing a line in the sand. I only wish Obama has said what he unknowingly said into an open mic. In essence Obama said who is this guy Ryan to talk about deficits and debt when he voted for two wars, a drug benefit for seniors, and a tax cut for the rich without paying for any of it. The blunter truth is preferable to what he said in front of Ryan.

For something peripheral: Ryan reminds me of what Alice Roosevelt Longsworth said about Tom Dewey, whom he described as the little man on the wedding cake. Of course, Ryan doesn't have a mustache.

[Andrew Jones]

07:03 PM on 04/18/2011

paul ryan and his corporate hackery masquerading as some sort of "ideology" deserve a lot worse.

hey, what do you call a libertarian who voted for the $3 trillion war in iraq (off the budget of course) a huge pharma welfare program (unpaid for) TARP, the Bush auto bailouts, the Partriot act, the Bush stimulus, and oh yeah did I mention TARP? You call him a joke, and you call him that often.

[renoman9]

06:30 PM on 04/18/2011

Poor Ryan Wait until a few thousand Seniors Die because of his policy Then Ryan will be hiding in the back row

[KWHOO]

07:17 PM on 04/18/2011

No he won't. He'll be celebrating tax savings with his corporatist masters.

[fwiw methinks]

11:52 PM on 04/17/2011

I remember when Joe loved Palin. I'm not quite sure what changed his mind. It could have been her palm writing. But, he ignored the rumors and truth.

http://politicalgates.blogspot.com/2011/04/shameonyou-julia-omalley-and-anchorage.html

[vgirl1]

09:58 PM on 04/17/2011

Morning Latte just mad because the POTUS got it right.

By the way, he never called the Teas and Repubs unAmerican, he called their plans unAmerican but as usual to Teas and Repubs

...however, interesting and true facts don't matter to the likes of Morning Latte and other Tearepubs.

[kimbanyc]

04:42 PM on 04/17/2011

I suppose there had to ba story here so republicans would know Joe is still on their side, as no one watches that horrible program

[Sirlarek]

04:35 PM on 04/17/2011

I agree with Mika. It takes courage to speak directly to the author. It works to show you aren't going to say anything behind their back that you aren't publicly willing to go on the record as saying. This is as up front as it gets.

It does show though, that republicans aren't up front. At least that's what I am walking away with as Scarborough seems to indicate.

[KidShalleen]

07:05 AM on 04/18/2011

As usual, Rethuglikans cannot abide being called out.
It's that whole lack of responsibility thing, they have.

[DWSouthern]

07:44 PM on 04/18/2011

Yes, they can dish it out, but they can't take it.

[myrtle1909]

11:56 AM on 04/17/2011

I have always been told that if you want to say something bad about someone say it their face don't be a coward an go behind their back to say it. Ryan should have know that Obama did not like his plan and he wanted to make sure that Ryan heard his. If Ryan had been left in his office to watch he could have turned it off and then misconstrued the words Obama said to anyone. this way he had to stick to the facts.

[jmillny]

04:21 PM on 04/25/2011

Obama is as crass as crass could be, he has no redeeming attributes. What he did to RYAN was nothing short of a light weight community organizer. We pay our president to govern, on his best day Obama fails at governing.

[scottymac11]

04:13 AM on 04/17/2011

I have three sons. When they do something very wrong I don't send them an e-mail or hint at why I think they might possibly have been a tenny bit off form. I sit them down face to face and clear ourselves of this problem. Joe thinks I might be 'stupidly afraid' that my sons would get angry. My anger is what my sons fear. Not the other way around.

[FoundersFan]

06:49 PM on 04/16/2011

How could anyone disagree with Mika whose favorite Founding Father is Abe Lincoln. lol

[booker52]

02:49 PM on 04/16/2011

Joe your observation is silly, but then again most of your "insights" are.

[7dr361]

07:33 PM on 04/16/2011

Goood post.............fan ya

[CaptainVideo]

11:40 AM on 04/16/2011

Scarborough is a spokesman for rich country club Republicans who want the additional tax cuts the Ryan plan wants to give them.

That is the one show on MSNBC that people who care about the welfare of working people should boycott.

[jubes]

01:47 PM on 04/16/2011

We've already boycotted Joe's show. We watch it when Joe isn't on.

[Okieborn]

07:31 PM on 04/17/2011

A great Comment !!
Thank You !!!!