“Washington Needs to Follow Your Example:” Morning Joe to NECA Members at Opening General Session

Joe Scarborough set the informal tone of the keynote presentation at Sunday’s General Session by introducing Mika Brzezinski, his co-host on MSNBC’s weekday morning program, Morning Joe.

“NECA, meet Mika.  Mika, meet NECA.”

What followed was a wide-ranging and off-the-cuff discussion between the two ideologically-opposed hosts on a range of topics including media bias, partisan division in Washington, the struggling economy, entitlement reform, and their own personal experiences as a former Congressman (Scarborough) and growing up as the daughter of President Carter’s National Security Advisor (Brzezinski).

Scarborough dominated the session with a comedic touch and by reveling in what he described as a rare opportunity to speak to a management-minded audience.  The hosts teased each other, with Scarborough delivering zingers like, “I was raised in Southern Baptist churches across the South, and she was raised in various Marxist groups in Manhattan.”  He drew laughter when he likened Mitt Romney to “Bob Dole on crack” and admitted, “my parents are so conservative they think Richard Nixon was framed.”

One of the major points of the talk was the need for both political parties to work together more effectively for the American people by putting “America’s best interest above their political interest.”  Brzezinski agreed with Scarborough that working with people of different viewpoints is possible.  “Our family celebrates the friction that makes our country and makes the world go ‘round,” she said.

Scarborough drew on his experience in Congress during the Clinton Administration and offered examples of Republicans and Democrats working together, despite deep philosophical differences.  He specifically cited job creation as a by-product of this cooperation, drawing applause from the crowd of business owners when he said, “We got Washington out of the way of small business and let them create jobs.  Washington doesn’t create jobs.  America creates jobs.”

Scarborough expressed hope that more bipartisan relationships such as those between Newt Gingrich and Bill Clinton in the 1990s, and Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill in the 1980s, could be formed in the future to deal with several impending crises such as the so-called ‘fiscal cliff.’  “We’re missing that in Washington and we have to get it back.  We can work with people we disagree with.”

He offered praise and drew applause from the electrical contractors in the audience when he said, “That’s the wonderful thing about this industry.  You all have a working relationship with the union.  You figured out how to make it work.  Washington needs to follow your example.”