Should we rely on the conjectures of people who still refer to Russia as “the Soviet Union”?

When in the market for political prognostication, I always like to rely on the conjectures of ad men who still refer to Russia as “the Soviet Union.”

On today’s Morning Joe, Donny Deutsch labeled President Trump a “sleazy businessman,” and said that “financial wrongdoings with the Soviet Union” will “bring this presidency down.”

For good measure, Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough got into a [made-for-TV?] squabble over the significance of the hiring of a lawyer by Vice-president Pence. Joe cast hiring a lawyer as nothing more than a sensible move, even by people who are aren’t “close to being guilty.”

But an agitated Mika insisted that we shouldn’t “pretend this is normal. The Vice-president hired a lawyer!” Looking for support, she turned to a panelist: “Mark Halperin, please!!”

Shot back Scarborough: “No, no, no, no, no. See, that’s the shrillness.”

Oh, to be a fly on the wall at dinner between this engaged couple.

DONNY DEUTSCH: Donald Trump, historically, is known as a sleazy businessman. When you dial back the reality that he could not borrow money from US banks, when you dial back the reality that his sons have said what they have said. Follow the money. What will bring this presidency down is not tampering in this election, it will be financial wrongdoings with the Soviet Union. I’m saying that with restraint. JOE SCARBOROUGH: [facetiously] Thank you very much for being so restrained. MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Oh well: we’ll take that. JOE: “Bringing this presidency down” is Donny restrained. I mean, come on. . . . JOE: We said several weeks ago, anybody in this cabinet, anybody in this White House, anybody who was on the campaign for a long time, should be smart and should hire a lawyer. Everybody in Washington, DC. that’s been through this process, that wasn’t close to being guilty, hired a lawyer. It’s what you do. So when people see this, media shouldn’t report this as if this is the beginning of the end, and everything’s crumbling. MIKA: Well, we also shouldn’t pretend this is normal. Just saying. The Vice-president hired a lawyer! Mark Halperin, please!! JOE: No, no, no, no, no, no no, no! See, that’s the shrillness. MIKA: No, actually I’m trying to level you out. You’re acting like you just scratched yourself. I mean, it’s not like, eh, he got a lawyer, let’s move on. In other news, flowers grow. I mean, come on! JOE: I said this several weeks ago. MIKA: I know! It doesn’t make you prescient. JOE: If you’re in the White House, you need to get a lawyer. MIKA: It makes you knowledgeable about how bad this situation is.



