Joe Scarborough’s bad habit is riding verbal hobbyhorses into a rut. As we’ve often documented, as here and here, once Joe gets what he thinks is a catchy phrase into his noggin, he repeats it—ad nauseam
Scarborough’s hobby horse of the morning today Morning JoeWas accusing Republicans “standing in front of the schoolhouse doors,” and made explicit references to George WallaceFamously, he blocked the implementation of desegregation.
Scarborough repeated his “schoolhouse doors” line seven times. Al Sharpton added an eighth.Edition.
Scarborough was furious that Mitch McConnell and the Republicans blocked the votes to raise the debt ceiling and on the Dems’ “voting right” bill.
Scarborough did not mention Republican objections to Scarborough’s bill. This would have federalized election and placed fraud-prone measures such as same day registration.
The irony is that when it comes to George Wallace, Today’s segregationists are liberalsThis includes everything, from college courses to segregated dormitories to graduation exercises to even rock climbing walls at Cornell!
Note: Analogizing Republicans to George Wallace—who was, of course, a Democrat—is a time-honored MSNBC tradition. Here are Al Hunt and Joy Reid indulging that fantasy.
Morning Joe eight times analogizing Republicans to George Wallace “standing in the schoolhouse door” was sponsored in part by Liberty Mutual, Cadillac, IHOP, and Rocket Mortgage.
You can find the transcription here.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
10.2.1/21
6:11 am EDTMIKA BRZEZINSKI It included provisions such as automatic registration and same-day voting and no-excuse postal voting. Election Day would be declared a holiday.
JOE SCARBOROUGH
MIKA: No!
SCARBOROUGH . . Republicans have elevated obstruction to new heights. . They were unable to vote. They blocked it. The situation was akin to a schoolhouse entrance. The two men looked like George Wallace. They stood by the doorwayIt also prevented citizens from going in to vote, which would have increased voting rights for all Americans.
. .
It is an unrepentant Republican Congress. This congress does not just vote against expanded voting rights. They are standing at the door of the schoolhouse. Block anyone else from voting
. .
The fact that Republicans opposed raising the debt limit was not enough. They stood outside the schoolhouse doors.He also prevented anybody from entering the chambers to vote for raising the debt ceiling.
. .
Here we are, in the Trump age. There isn’t a Republican that will support it. This is not all. They’re at the schoolhouse doors.
. .
AL SHARPTON – Yesterday, there was not one Republican senator–not one!- -no, not one!–that voted to even allow the bill to move forward for debate. The bill was not even mentioned! The bill was there, but we will not allow you to debate it. You can say, “Stand in front of the schoolhouse doors.”
SCARBOROUGH – Stopping people. Stand in front of the schoolhouse doors.
. .
We can’t make any mistake about it. It’s all the Mitt Romneys and Ben Sasses. And it’s all the John Thunes. People that I have loved and respected throughout my adult life are the ones that matter to me. Standing at the door of the schoolhouseOr in this example, Steering in the Senate entranceThey have stopped the debate on voting rights bills.