Last week CNN’s Jake Tapper went on the Hugh Hewitt radio show and dismissed MSNBC “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough as a candidate to take seriously. There was chuckling. The line was delivered, as Tapper himself described, in a glib manner.
Apparently, that didn’t go over too well with Scarborough and there were hard feelings.
Tapper, noting that he knows Scarborough’s speech was “well received” at a GOP forum in New Hampshire over the weekend, returned to Hewitt’s show Monday to explain himself and make nice with Scarborough.
“The reason I would dismiss a Joe Scarborough candidacy because I don’t think he’s going to run,” said Tapper. “And the reason I don’t think he’s going to run is because he seems to be pretty happy where he is. I mean, Morning Joe does really well. Every time I see the show he seems very content, he’s having a great time. I don’t imagine he’s being paid poorly. Why would you give that up to run around the freezing cold of Iowa and New Hampshire and beg for votes? …If he actually runs, then I will put him in the do not dismiss category. But that’s all I meant by it. I certainly did not mean any offense to Joe who I know is a frequent guest on your show and someone [for whom] we both have tremendous regard.”