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'Morning Joe' Panel Rips Obama for Partisan Attacks During Navy Yard Shootings

'He's president of the United States, he should be smart enough'

September 17, 2013

MSNBC's Morning Joe panel ripped President Obama for launching partisan attacks at the GOP during the Navy Yard shootings Tuesday on CNN.

Joe Scarborough excoriated the president and White House Press Secretary Jay Carney for what he deemed as poor judgment by not delaying his speech for at least a day.

The MSNBC host went on to decry the lack of media outrage at President Obama, noting if former President George W. Bush had done something similar "every journalist in Washington D.C." would be "killing" the former president:

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: That's exactly -- Willie, I was distracted by the people behind him that looked very excited to be there.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: Well, he brought his props along, and he had this political speech and it was -- it was a harsh partisan speech from the president of the United States op any day. But you know what, this president is frustrated and there is -- he certainly has every right to do that, but on the day while people were hiding, while people were bleeding, while people were dying, while the nation was locked down, he's talking about harsh partisanship, and Republicans wanting to hurt people. Mike, what is more partisan than not being able to put aside one of these stupid Washington battles, postponing it for a day?

MIKE BARNICLE: Postponing it?

JOW SCARBOROUGH:  Never came under consideration. "We never considered it." There's not one person in the White House that said, you know, right down the block people are dying right now and there's a gunman on the loose and there's local schools that are on shutdown and the Capitol is on shutdown and there may be a second or third gunman? And you know what, maybe we'll just give this speech tomorrow. Really? Nobody even -- nobody ever considered that? If you believe Jay Carney --

MIEK BARNCILE: Never came under consideration.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: Unbelievable.

[...]

JOE SCARBOROUGH: I just can't imagine if any other president had did this, the ramifications. George W.? George W.? Can you imagine what certain people at this network in 2006 --

JOHN HEILEMANN: At this table.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: -- In 2008 would have done, in 2008?

JOHN HEILEMANN: Can you imagine the way Mika would have reacted?

JOE SCARBOROUGH: Mika would be killing George W., everybody here on this network would be killing George W., every journalist in Washington D.C. would be killing George W., it's unbelievable.

Published under: Barack Obama , Video