Topic: Joe Scarborough

Decoder Wire Gun control: Three ways supporters are carrying on the fight

While gun control proponents may have conceded defeat in the Senate, they insist the war isn’t over. President Obama himself said he saw the defeat as just Round 1.

Decoder Wire Obama's tax rate is 18.4 percent. Is that too low for a millionaire?

The release of President Obama's tax returns last week showed that his tax rate has gone down. Of course, his income went down and he gave a lot to charity, but critics are still chirping. 

Decoder Wire The State of the Union is ... boring?

Tens of millions of Americans are expected to tune in to President Obama's State of the Union address. The dirty little secret surrounding these events is that, for all the anticipation and coverage, they are usually snoozers.

Chapter & Verse Nate Silver's book sales skyrocket post-election

Sales of political statistician Nate Silver's book 'The Signal and the Noise' saw a surge of 850 percent – lifting it to No. 2 on Amazon – after Silver correctly predicted the 2012 election results.

Benghazi terrorist attack follows Obama on the campaign trail

The terrorist attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, continues to follow President Obama as he faces an extremely close reelection bid and the expected onslaught of Hurricane Sandy.

Decoder Wire Mitt Romney's debate challenge: keeping Karl Rove on board (+video)

If Mitt Romney can't turn things around at Wednesday's debate, some observers speculate that he could see an exodus of donors and other supporters – including GOP mastermind Karl Rove.

Obama slips ahead of Romney in key polls. More than a bounce? (+video)

President Obama's post-convention poll bounce appears to be real. Some Romney supporters are worried, but he has two major advantages: an economy that continues to falter under Obama's watch and the ability to raise and spend money on campaign ads.

Decoder Wire 'Morning Joe' host: GOP establishment thinks Mitt Romney will lose to Obama

Mitt Romney's path to the nomination seems secure – but as conservative Joe Scarborough bluntly put it Wednesday, Republicans aren't confident about his chances in the fall.

Backchannels Joe Scarborough implies General Dempsey unfit to lead joint chiefs

The morning talk-show host says Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey's comments that Iran is a rational actor should be a firing offense.

Robert Reich No Democrat should want a Gingrich nomination

The future of America is too important to accept even a small risk of a Gingrich presidency.

The Vote Will GOP step in to prevent a Newt Gingrich nomination?

Newt Gingrich is surging. Mitt Romney, though, is still considered the front-runner. A drawn-out race means a growing possibility of a brokered convention, where party elites choose the nominee.

Opinion: When character counts in choosing a president

'Private sins' usually matter far less than 'public virtues' in presidents. Whether in Iowa or New Hampshire, voters must weigh how Romney, Gingrich, or any other candidate has behaved in public life. Look for the qualities of courage, self-control, wisdom, and justice.

Mark Halperin suspended indefinitely from MSNBC: When language bites

After referring to President Obama with a term that can't appear in a family newspaper, MSNBC commentator Mark Halperin was suspended from the network and issued a warning by Time Magazine, where he is an editor-at-large.

Sarah Palin versus Republican 'blue bloods'

Is the establishment GOP ganging up on Sarah Palin? In the ongoing drama that is Palin’s political reality show, score this past week “Blue bloods 3, Palin zip.”

Rand Paul: Civil Rights Act brouhaha clouds Senate campaign

Rand Paul, a favorite of the 'tea party' movement, won the Republican nomination for US Senate in Kentucky. But he's become embroiled over the landmark Civil Rights Act, which outlawed racial segregation.

Unify the new American ‘tea party’? Good luck with that.

An attempt to solidify the tea party movement with a convention next month in Nashville is now looking like it could backfire. So far, pragmatism, not party politics, has boosted the tea party’s profile.

2020 preview: Oscar winner Barack Obama? Defense Secretary Stephen Colbert?

The once well-defined boundary between politics and the celebrity-media complex is already blurring beyond recognition. 

Obama gets grief for male-only basketball games

President Obama loves basketball. But his failure to include women in the basketball games is getting him criticism.

'Death panel' controversy remains very much alive

Even some conservatives call the issue bogus. Meanwhile, the healthcare debate shifts to 'rationing.'

Sotomayor is sworn in, but the politics are far from over

It’s a dilemma for the GOP, particularly among Hispanic voters. But Democrats could feel a backlash if she’s perceived as too liberal.

Steele doesn't mention Socialists or quitting in big speech

Specter: Reagan's GOP is gone

On Sunday talk shows, he says the 'big tent' party of Reagan and the late Jack Kemp has been replaced by rigid conservatism.

Joe Biden's harrowing helicopter ride

Citizen journalists make new inroads into political reporting

An MSNBC contest will pick two amateur reporters this week to cover the party conventions.

Citizen journalists make new inroads into political reporting

An MSNBC contest will pick two amateur reporters this week to cover the party conventions.