MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough broke with his fellow panelists Tuesday morning over whether it was “reckless” and “destructive” for 47 Republican senators to send Tehran a letter warning that any nuclear deal struck with the White House without congressional approval may not be honored by the next U.S. president, saying instead that the letter was merely imprudent.
“Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski first suggested that, much like the Republican-controlled House’s invite to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the GOP’s letter to Tehran is a “reckless” attempt to undermine President Obama’s foreign policy.
“You keep saying reckless. You keep saying reckless and destructive,” Scarborough said, interrupting Brzezinski.
“Guess what … the republic lives. The republic stands. You sound like all those Republicans that every time Barack Obama passes a bill, they go to the House floor and go: ‘Tonight democracy died,’ ” he added in a comical voice. “Democracy didn’t die. This isn’t destructive. They sent a piece of paper to lunatics in Tehran.”
Brzezinski challenged his characterization of the GOP’s recent actions with Tehran, stating flatly that Scarborough, himself a former congressman, would not have signed on to the Republicans’ letter to Iran.
“I most likely would not sign that letter,” he admitted. “But if my colleagues did sign that letter, I wouldn’t go over to them and say, ‘This was destructive!’ I would go, ‘Really? Really, guys?’ That would be my reaction.”
Elsewhere on Tuesday, the New York Daily News — which has so far this year censored the controversial Charlie Hebdo cartoons, dredged up former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s failed marriages in response to his suggestion that President Obama doesn’t love the U.S. and attacked actor William Shatner for honoring a commitment to attend a charitable event rather than attend services for the late Leonard Nimoy — used the occasion of the Tehran letter to accuse GOP leadership of being “traitors” to their country.
Scarborough again disagreed with characterizations the GOP is trying to stir chaos with its letter to Tehran.
“It’s not destructive, and they are not traitors. It may not have been the smartest political move,” he said.
