Morning Joe Hails Hillary, Still Hoping for Her Political Comeback

On Tuesday, MSNBC’s Morning Joe swooned over failed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as co-host Mika Brzezinski excitedly announced the 2016 sore loser would getting a “Lifetime Achievement Award” for “advancing the cause of women and fighting for gender equity” at an International Women’s Day summit in March. As part of the celebrations, she announced with delight that Clinton was going to be her interview.

After playing a soundbite of Clinton declaring “human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights” during a 1995 speech at a United Nations women’s conference in Beijing, Brzezinski hailed: “It’s with brave moments like that in mind I am thrilled to announce that former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will headline the next month 30/50 Summit in Abu Dhabi.”

The host explained that the summit was “The inaugural global event from Forbes, in partnership with my Know Your Value platform” in order to mark International Women’s Day. The host then exclaimed: “And exactly one month from today, I will interview Secretary Clinton as she receives the Forbes International Women’s Day Lifetime Achievement Award to honor her leadership and influential voice on the global stage in advancing the cause of women and fighting for gender equity.”

Brzezinski’s husband and fellow co-host Joe Scarborough cheered, “what an exciting announcement,”Before you turn to USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page and marveling over Clinton’s 1995 address: “…it was one of those rare speeches that really had a profound impact on the debate. I think about Bobby Kennedy’s speech in South Africa, in Cape Town, South Africa, speaking out against apartheid….this speech in ’95 was such an extraordinarily important speech…”

Page promptly agreed and melodramatically argued: “…it’s remarkable to think, a quarter century ago, it was controversial to say that women’s rights were human rights and human rights were women’s rights.”

Scarborough was praised by Adrienne Elrod (ex-Clinton campaign assistant):

You have had the great fortune to be able to collaborate with her ….Talk about her 2016 campaign. If you go back, you can see the debates and the warnings that she sent to the world. The warning she gave to Americans about what was coming in the next four to 5 years proved correct. She has always been at the forefront of technology for many decades.

Elrod repeatedly praised Clinton’s “character” and concluded: “I’m so grateful and so excited that she is going to be receiving this very prestigious honor because she certainly deserves it.” Brzezinski chimed in: “And also, at the same time, Joe, she’ll be able to really send a message to the world on an international stage, one in which she has a lot of experience with, traveling to hundreds of countries as secretary of state and also running for president.”

Page suggested that Brzezinski might lob Clinton with a softball query. “…we’re curious about…what Hillary Clinton’s next chapter will be since the 2016 – that stunning loss….I wonder if this signals a more public stance that she will begin to take in public life again. And, Mika, I look forward to your interview with questions about that.”Brzezinski smiled and gladly accepted the talk point. “I gotcha. Thank you, good tip.”  

Scarborough expressed hope that Clinton would make a comeback as the segment ended. “There has been more talk, more chatter, especially in Washington, about Hillary Clinton looking at 2024 again.” Page admitted to being “a skeptic that she will run for president again,” but clearly longed for Clinton to be active in politics:

…that doesn’t mean she could not Emerge as a major force within the Democratic Party, the nation and in our discussionWe move ahead. And that’s what I’ll be looking for. I’ll be watching for what her plans areIf she is willing to take a step in the public eye. I think even this award may be a sign that she is ready to do something a little different from what she’s done in the past five years.

Of course Clinton’s horrendous treatment of her husband Bill Clinton’s sexual harassment victims over the years was never mentioned as the panel applauded Hillary being a supposed champion of women.

Meanwhile, Brzezinski’s treatment of Clinton in their upcoming interview can be expected to be about as harsh as teenage girls gossiping at a slumber party.

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Below is the transcript for the segment on February 9, 2009.

8.50 am ET

HILLARY CLINTON [SEPTEMBER 5, 1995, BEIJING]: I feel that it is now, on the edge of the new millennium. It is time to stop the silence. It is time for us to say here in Beijing and for the world to hear that it is no longer acceptable to discuss women’s rights as separate from human rights. If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights, once and for all.

MIKA BRZEZINSKI – Part of a 1995 speech that then-First Lady Hillary Clinton gave at a United Nations conference in Beijing on women. This speech had lasting impact on empowerment of girls and women around the globe.

It’s with brave moments like that in mind I am thrilled to announce that former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will headline the next month 30/50 Summit in Abu Dhabi. The inaugural global event from Forbes, in partnership with my Know Your Value platform, will bring together generations of women to mark International Women’s Day. And exactly one month from today, I will interview Secretary Clinton as she receives the Forbes International Women’s Day Lifetime Achievement Award to honor her leadership and influential voice on the global stage in advancing the cause of women and fighting for gender equity.

Randall Lane, chief content officer at Forbes and editor for Forbes is joining us. Adrienne Elrod is also joining us. She was an aide senior to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Susan Page, Washington bureau chief at USA Today. And Joe, a month from now, we’ll be in Abu Dhabi and that interview will take place live on Morning Joe.

JOE SCARBOROUGH : That’s an amazing announcement. Susan Page, however, wanted me to return and discuss that speech from 1995 because it was one those rare speeches which really made a difference in the debate. I think about Bobby Kennedy’s speech in South Africa, in Cape Town, South Africa, speaking out against apartheid. But this speech in ’95 was such an extraordinarily important speech, I really look forward to her following up and talking about it a month from now.

SUSAN PAGE [USA TODAY WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF]: And you’ll remember that it was controversial when she agreed to go deliver that speech in China. There was some debate about whether or not this speech was appropriate. The speech she gave, the statement that she made was enough to silence her critics. And you know, it’s remarkable to think, a quarter century ago, it was controversial to say that women’s rights were human rights and human rights were women’s rights. Because of speeches and other stances, that statement is no longer controversial.

JOE SCARBOROUGH : Adrienne Elrod and I have had the privilege of working with you. We could also talk about the 1995 speech. You could also talk about the things she did as Secretary of States. We could talk – actually also talk about her campaign in 2016. Look back at her warnings to the world and at the deliberations. The warning she gave to Americans about what was coming in the next four to 5 years proved correct. She has always been at the forefront of technology for many decades.

ADRIENNE ELROOD [DCCC FMR. CHIEF OF STAFF]: Yeah. And, Joe, you know, we could sit here and talk about all of the incredible things that she’s done from a public posture her entire career, going back to her Wellesley commencement speech in 1969, where she dedicated a large portion of her speech to women. But let’s also talk about some of the incredible work that she’s done behind the scenes. She was the New York senator for many years and spent a lot time helping women.

And most recently, Joe, something that hasn’t gotten a lot of headlines but to me is a testament to who Hillary Clinton is and her character, is she was working diligently behind the scenes to evacuate women and children from Afghanistan. You know, getting – procuring planes, you know, working with NGOs and other organizations to try to get as many people as she could out of Afghanistan. So to me it’s just a testament to her character. And I’m so grateful and so excited that she is going to be receiving this very prestigious honor because she certainly deserves it.

BRZEZINSKI: And also, at the same time, Joe, she’ll be able to really send a message to the world on an international stage, one in which she has a lot of experience with, traveling to hundreds of countries as secretary of state and also running for president.

SCARBOROUGH, Susan Page: We talked again about Susan Page’s warnings during campaign and during debates. She was criticized for going to China. She’s now going into a region that, again, is a region that has had real challenges with women’s rights and some countries are trying to make more progress than others. It’s going to be another message. This will be, quite simply, like Billy Graham traveling to the Soviet Union. Not everybody’s going to be receptive to the message, but it needs to be said.

BRZEZINSKI: It’s gonna be fascinating.

PAGE: Yes. This is an area with which the United States have long-standing and complex ties. And you know, it’s also, I think, a moment when we’re curious about whether Hillary – what Hillary Clinton’s next chapter will be since the 2016 – that stunning loss. She retreated a little. That’s certainly understandable. She wrote a book and worked in the background. However, I am curious if she is now taking a publicer stance and will be able to accept public life once again.

Mika! I am looking forward to your interview and any questions.

BRZEZINSKI : You got it. Good tip, thank you.

(…)

8.59 am ET

SCARBOROUGH: And Susan Page, really quickly, just again, the political person in me, I can’t help but go back to what you were saying. More talk and more conversation has occurred, especially in Washington about Hillary Clinton revisiting 2024. Let’s talk about it.

PAGE: Well, I am myself a skeptic that she will run for president again, but that doesn’t mean she could not emerge as a significant force in the Democratic Party, in the nation, in the nation, in our debate as we move forward. And that’s what I’ll be looking for. I’ll be watching for what her plans are and whether she is ready to kind of step out in a more public area. I think even this award may be a sign that she is ready to do something a little different from what she’s done in the past five years.

(…)