So much for civility, right? For the second day in a row, someone on MSNBC has compared the tactics of the Republican Party in the debt ceiling fight to those of terrorists.
On Wednesday’s “Morning Joe” on MSNBC, also for the second day in a row it was network contributor Pat Buchanan taking on the rest of the panel, but this time the cast included Newsweek and The Daily Beast editor-in-chief Tina Brown, “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski and MSNBC’s Mike Barnicle. (Newsweek photoshops Kate Middleton, late Princess Diana together on magazine cover)
In response to a question from Brzezinski as to who was the hostage taker and who was the hostage in this debate, Buchanan explained congressional Republicans were not likely to give in to President Barack Obama’s push to raise taxes on the wealthy. However, he inspired a curious response from Brown.
Transcript as follows:
BUCHANAN: The situation is that the President of the United States can get an increase in the debt ceiling and will get one from the Republican House. And he will get cuts in spending from the Republican House. What they’re saying is we don’t believe in tax increases. We don’t think they’ll work. They’re against our principles. They’re against our commitments. They’re off the table, Mr. President. Now be an adult and realize you’re not getting tax increases.
BRZEZINKSKI: I think that’s my answer.
BUCHANAN: You’re getting spending cuts and you’re getting your debt ceiling. And you’re going to have to veto the increase in your debt ceiling and shut down the government yourself.
BROWN: But Pat, what’s accommodating about that? I mean, if the president has accommodated them, they should be accommodating him. I mean –
BUCHANAN: They’re accommodating him on the spending cuts. They’re going to go – I’m sure Obama has got in there spending cuts that Republicans like – maybe in defense, maybe in things like that. They’ll go along with spending cuts, compromise on that. But they say this is the wrong way to go. We don’t believe in it. We’ve committed against it. We can’t do it. Mr. President, you’re asking us to break our word and do something we think is not going to work and we’re not going to do it, sir.
BROWN: I think frankly the president would have no credibility if he did not demand some –
BUCHANAN: He’s going to demand it, but he’s not going to get it.
BRZEZINSKI: How is that — so I think the, what was the answer to my question that who the hostage take is, Willie [Geist]?
GEIST: Sounds like Pat’s boys. Pat’s boys are holding the hostage.
BROWN: I think they’re the suicide bombers in all of this.
BRZEZINSKI: Oh my.
BUCHANAN: I think they’re standing on principle. They’re doing what they believe is right.
BARNICLE: They are just not serious people on both sides.