Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski 'Strongly Disagree' With Pat Buchanan's Exit From MSNBC

"Morning Joe" co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski issued a statement on Friday saying that they "strongly disagree[d]" with Pat Buchanan's exit from MSNBC.

It was announced Thursday that Buchanan would be leaving the network after 10 years. He had not been seen on MSNBC since the October release of his latest book, "Suicide Of A Superpower." The book contained some typically controversial sections, such as a chapter titled "The End Of White America." Gay rights and civil rights groups launched a campaign against Buchanan, calling for him to be fired from MSNBC.

After a months-long absence, MSNBC president Phil Griffin finally said that Buchanan had been kept deliberately off of the air because of the contents of the book. On Thursday, Buchanan wrote a column saying that he had been hounded off the air by left-wing "blacklisters."

In a statement posted to Scarborough's new blog on Politico, he and Brzezinski made clear that Buchanan's departure from the network did not sit well with them:

"Everyone at Morning Joe considers Pat Buchanan to be a friend and a member of the family. Even though we strongly disagree with the contents of Pat's latest book, Mika and I believe those differences should have been debated in public. An open dialogue with Morning Joe regulars like Al Sharpton and Harold Ford, Jr. could have developed into an important debate on the future of race relations in America.

Because we believe that sunlight is the best disinfectant, Mika and I strongly disagree with this outcome. We understand that the parting was amicable. Still, we will miss Pat."

Also on HuffPost:

Some of Pat Buchanan's controversial statements.

• Buchanan calls Obama Al Sharpton's 'boy' on debt deal

• Pat Buchanan: Black people bought 'propaganda' on the 'liberal plantation'

• Pat Buchanan: Sonia Sotomayor an 'affirmative-action appointment,' U.S. 'built basically by white folks'

• Pat Buchanan: Santorum's 'facts are correct' on black people and abortion

• Pat Buchanan defends Geraldine Ferraro's comments that Obama received preferential treatment because he was black

• Pat Buchanan attacks gay marriage, judge who struck down Prop 8

• Buchanan supports limiting Muslim immigration, mosques

• Pat Buchanan tells black MSNBC guest: "You can keep your 14th Amendment rights -- with some modifications."

• Pat Buchanan: There are too many Jews on Supreme Court

  Buchanan complained that <a href="http://www.wnd.com/2010/05/153417/" target="_hplink">there are too many Jewish appointees</a> to the Supreme Court during Elena Kagan's confirmation hearings.

• Pat Buchanan defends Hitler

  Pat Buchanan wrote that <a href="http://buchanan.org/blog/did-hitler-want-war-2068" target="_hplink">he did not believe Hitler was to blame for WWII</a>.

Comments

[Grace Sette]

12:44 PM on 04/03/2012

mika,
what is your problem? now you are mocking ann romneys comments about her husband. it shows all over your face, not leaving a good impression. in my opinion, as of lately, you are looking like a not so wonderful journalist. so disappointing.

[Grace Sette]

08:12 AM on 04/03/2012

mika,
get off your high horse. so obvious you are biased re romney. he earned his wealth, and its not a big deal re car elevators. for once i would like to hear a positive re romney. i am not liking you much these days.

[DandyRandy]

07:51 PM on 03/24/2012

I really agree with Joe and Mika, and I'm no fan of Pat Buchanan, but I prefer discussion. I'm not afraid to hear Buchanan's views. Morning Joe is good forum.

[massjim]

08:38 AM on 03/07/2012

Joe and Mika's comments make sense, and are true to form. Their show is the only one that has reasonable panels, regulars Harold Ford Jr, Al Sharpton, Arianna & Sam Stein from Huffpost, Katrina vanden Heuvel from the Nation .... on and on. We would have benefited from a discussion.

By the way, the chapter title "End of White America" is obviously sensational and provocative, but it's a fact that demographic changes are occurring that will result in Whites no longer being the majority in a decade or 2.

[Fattonecat]

12:21 PM on 02/22/2012

Pat can run his mouth all he wants. Nobody is stopping him from speaking. He's just not going to do it at MSNBC any more. It's their choice.

[Darwinita]

08:05 AM on 02/22/2012

Just because he was their colleague and friend doesn't mean he was a foaming bigot. Happy trails, Pat.

[Darwinita]

08:34 AM on 02/22/2012

*wasn't*

[Redhunteur]

04:34 AM on 02/22/2012

"we believe that sunlight is the best disinfectant"

But Pat would melt away if exposed to the light of day.

[Fattonecat]

12:13 PM on 02/22/2012

He already is melting

[jazzylyn]

04:53 PM on 02/21/2012

Let him have his free speech on faux news Lou Donna stoa seldom onus plenty of places for him and lots of his audience

[roger12345]

11:30 PM on 02/21/2012

Yes, certainly don't allow someone to disagree with the majority viewpoint. We don't ever want that.

[Darwinita]

08:05 AM on 02/22/2012

How many progressives have a job at Faux?

[zolton7620]

09:31 AM on 02/22/2012

This puts to bed anyone ever complaining about Joe McCarthy again. Now MSNBC has done it.

[wa-st-concerned]

03:04 PM on 02/21/2012

Morning Joe belongs on Faux Fundie Noise anyway......

[yeswecanjane]

03:01 PM on 02/21/2012

Joe and Mika could have spoken to Pat about his beliefs before his suspension but chose to let Pat come on the set and state them.

[midwestblues]

01:56 PM on 02/21/2012

Aren't we all enjoying Morning Joe so much this week without Joe and Mika. Yeah!

[Dr Oswald Spengler]

01:50 PM on 02/21/2012

What........... you mean that Obama ISN'T Sharpton's boy ???!!!

Wow.....could've fooled me.

[Marchioness]

11:20 AM on 02/22/2012

Obama isn't anyone's boy

[DaretoCare]

04:42 PM on 02/22/2012

Acts like one to me!!!!!! But, I guess "glory hound" works better...

[kent4620]

01:40 PM on 02/21/2012

Were they put on vacation by MSNBC for defending Pat??

[yeswecanjane]

03:04 PM on 02/21/2012

Fingers crossed:)

[DaretoCare]

04:44 PM on 02/22/2012

If your not a DIE HARD LIBERAL, MSNBC HAS YOU ON THEIR RADAR!! You see how much Joe is so mushy mouth to keep his job...he is a laugh as a republican!!

[enlightened45]

01:39 PM on 02/21/2012

Mika and Joe disagree with the decision on Buchanan? Now we know for sure MSNBC did the right thing.

[Marchioness]

11:20 AM on 02/22/2012

rue that

[enlightened45]

01:38 PM on 02/21/2012

Put Mika in slacks and see how long her contract stays intact. Her major contribution is crossing and uncrossing her legs...

[zolton7620]

09:32 AM on 02/22/2012

How absolutely trivial of you to say.

[DaretoCare]

04:45 PM on 02/22/2012

LOL....AND with those "skinny limbs" thats not even good!!!

[SkyNET sys626]

07:26 AM on 03/16/2012

Mikas got the best legs at msnbc period!