Joe Scarborough, the MSNBC morning show host and former Republican congressman from Florida, loved that Focus on the Family Super Bowl ad. Or at least he loved that CBS chose to run it. He also has nothing wrong with the Defense of Marriage Act, and he’s railing against anyone who criticizes him on Twitter about his position. He’s wrong on all accounts.
Officially, Scarborough backs DOMA because it keeps the federal government out of the marriage business. But as his detractors point out — in real time; Twitter replies (including some of support) are going on as we type this — Scarborough is completely dodging the other side of DOMA. The part that allows federal and state governments to discriminate against gay couples while granting heterosexual couples a whole slew of rights.
While hosting Harold Ford Jr. on his March 2 show (just after Ford dropped out of a Senate run), Scarborough went after everyone who focused on Ford’s gay marriage positions as a reason to keep him from running. (Those positions, of course, include lying about his voting record, flip-flopping on issues when it’s politically convenient, and pointing to Barack Obama as why it’s excusable not to back gay marriage — and remaining in disbelief about how LGBT voters could be furious with him.) Scarborough’s problem is with political wonks — and voters! — only thinking about where elected officials stand on issues like abortion and gay marriage when there are “real” problems to deal with, like jobs and homelessness.
With all those jobs drying up, Scarborough says, “and we’re talking about gay marriage and we’re talking about abortion? Let’s talk about it, but obsess about it to this degree? It’s insanity. … Just so stupid people don’t misread it … seriously, talk about these issues if you want, but I don’t think Washington should be involved in gay marriage … abortion … I think we should focus on jobs … but the obsession over these social issues is corrupt to the national debate.”
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When StopBeck.com’s Angelo S. Carusone tweeted Scarborough, after the segment, “I’m not going to apologize for being angry with people, like you, who prevent me from marrying my boyfriend of 6 years,” the talking head responded, “Dude, marry who you want. That’s above my paygrade. I just don’t want the federal gov’t involved in the bedroom. Keep Congress and the Feds out of gay marriage and OB issues. Let them focus on getting people jobs and protecting us.”
But what Scarborough misses is that marriage equality isn’t a social issue. That’s how conservatives like him have framed it.
The Defense of Marriage Act is a purposeful piece of discriminatory law, affecting real people — and extends into the arenas of jobs and health care. This isn’t some fringe matter to deal with when the economy recovers. It’s a crucial obstacle that must be eliminated because it is wrong, and doing so will help the economy recover.
Mark Alexander
Always thought Scarborough was a douchebag. This confirms it.
Brian En Guarde
DOMA has put the Federal Government IN the marriage definition business, not taken it out, doucheborough. It is an unconstitutional attempt at preventing the operation of the Full Faith and Credit Clause, preventing gays from taking marriage over state lines. If you want to get the Federal Government out of the marriage business, repeal the law, and let the courts apply the bill of rights as the system was designed to do.
Jon
He makes a good point. We Americans agree on so many things and want so many of the same things. Yes LGBT are hated, but there are “bigger issues” that will have many affects on many Americans. I think his point was more D.C. needs to fix the huge problems i.e. $11 trillion in debt and China being soon being able to control the dollar.
Brian NYC
Joe Scarborough is a BAPTIST.
Cam
Fine, if he wants the Federal Government and Congress out of the marriage business could he please explain to me how having the Federal Government and Congress pass a Law that puts restrictions ON marriage does that?
dvlaries
Not sure I could bear to watch him even if he was on our side. Those beady eyes creep me.
Peter
Jon…….The only reason China may have control of the dollar is that Bush destroyed the large surplus that he inherited from Clinton. AND Bush got us into an unwarranted war and promoted the idea that everyone needed to own a home; whether they could afford it or not. And those are just for starters.
Scott
This is why I love being a Canadian.
Marti Abernathey
I knew he was an asshelmet when he called a trans guy who was pregnant, “disgusting”. I had the chance to meet him at the DNCC and I declined. The fact that I shared the same air space made me want to puke.
Tom in Lazybrook
How is Joe’s family life? Isn’t he divorced?
ewe
Just send Max Blumenthal out to attack the Scarborough buffoonery. It was one of the best msnbc highlights watching that right wing nut get so flustered when Max confronted him with facts instead of the usual feelings Scarborough is noted for selling to the standard couch potato. I really find it very upsetting that opinion commentators are being portrayed as journalists. It is such a slide into an abyss of nothing more than loud attacks. Turn the channel.
soul_erosion
You can just tell by looking at him he’s that old frat boy/egocentric football jock type that would call you a fag as soon as you left the room after you helped him with his poly sci term paper so he could get a passing grade. Just like No.9 Marti, he makes me want to puke.
Kieran
Scarborough is sort of a mini-O’Reilly—-without the ratings.
ChicagoLIberal
Mr. Scarborough is mad that he can never hold office again since his morals will be forever questionned like Ted Kennedy’s over the still unexplained dead intern/secretary found in his former congressional offices.
http://www.americanpolitics.com/20010808Klausutis.html
Like Rush and Beck they are quick to defend marriage, jail pot smokers and sing loudly about sobriety and alcohol abstinence they have all been tested on failed miserably on each of these issues. Hey Rush – can I have 1 of your 5 marriages? Hey Rush – how about 1000+ Vicodan from you maid? Hey Glenn Beck – how convenient is recovering alcoholic working with Mormonism?
And finally Mr. Scarborough – what happenend that night in your office. Not saying you killed her but at least admit the affair which ended your first marriage.
Moral hypocrites all!
AlwaysGay
Joe the Jerk can’t stand debates and worse he can’t stand when he loses.
Robert, NYC
I suppose if Scarborough doesn’t want the Federal government involved with marriage, and assuming he’s divorced, he should not remarry. What these right wingers and others refuse to acknowledge, including Obama, is that the government is most definitely involved with marriage when state governments issue secular marriage licenses that confer benefits at both state and federal levels. How can any intelligent person believe that the government isn’t involved? We can’t get those rights without a state license. Why do they think this is a new phenomenon or are they dumber than I thought? Obama shocked me when he made the claim that government should not be involved with marriage. It most certaily is, dumbass! To think he’s a constitutional scholar!
tazz
There’s always a more “important issue” when you look at things in perspective, but we are capable of fighting more than one issue at once.
The only surprising thing about gay marriage is that it’s an issue to begin with.
soul_erosion
@No.14ChicagoLiberal: WoW! thanks for that gripping news story link, I had no idea that had ever happened. I found it odd that the reporter never seemed to bring up the dead girl’s husband in any further reporting. Now I know why it always feels like Scarborough is holding back his true inner feelings and is always squirming when his political guests look at him cross-eyed. A bigger scum bag than I ever thought.