Morning Joe 7/27/2011 -- What would Edmund Burke do?

On Morning Joe today Scarborough is channelling his inner-Edmund Burke. Oh, you know that Scarborough is a "small" government conservative, but when the heat is on and the status quo is threatened, you have to get your Burke-funk on and make a deal -- face reality and do what's necessary. Yessir, Scarborough had his true colors flying this morning. Surprisingly, there were three Republicans sitting around the table first thing this morning, with Michael Steele and Pat Buchanan joining Scarborough and all deciding it's time to make a deal. Boehner's trying to make a deal, and he's now negotiating with his own party. The Democrats and the President are on the sidelines watching Republicans squirm as the media does their job framing Republicans as extremists obstructing a compromise.

Steny Hoyer came on later and performed his duty by reminding everyone that the Tea Party conservatives are radical, and that Democrats simply want to do what is best for the country. Bob Woodward then showed up and said Obama tried for the Grand Bargain but couldn't get it through, and that Obama might be frustrated because he can't just make things happen. Woodward basically contradicted himself, as did Scarborough, by saying that Obama is basically a centrist, but then later said  that Obama wants to make decisions on his own, that Obama has tried to compromise and has also been political and partisan by trashing Republicans. They are just talking to be talking now.

What appears to have happened is that weeks ago the leaders of both parties -- the establishment professional politicians - decided they would attempt to manipulate the Tea Party representatives and box them in to agreeing to a watered down compromise at the last minute which does nothing to cut spending, nothing to deal with entitlements, nothing to change the statist system, but does raise the debt limit. Now the professional politicians are waiting, and Boehner has become the fall guy. There have been pundits who've said that Democrats control the Senate and the Presidency, so they have the upper hand, and they ought to be able to guide the negotiations -- well, they have guided the whole process. Neither the Senate nor the President have put forth anything, so they can avoid blame when our economy blows up and interest rates rise because we've been downgraded by the credit rating agencies. Boehner and the Tea Party will get the blame because they're the only ones acting by putting forth proposals to deal with the debt crisis.

This is DC -- this is the work of professional politicians -- the Tea Party conservatives address the fundamental problems, and they are excoriated and framed as extremists -- the professional politicans manipulate and hide from responsibility, and they are exonerated as moderate, grown-up, realist, compromisers. Scarborough called the party leaders grown-ups and said they would pass a clean bill to raise the debt limit if they could -- and this is responsible, according to Scarborough. Scarborough said it's time to act like Edmund Burke. Scarborough went down memory lane back when he was a hot-headed Reagan revolutionary, and how he now understands the difference between standing on principle and compromising when reality comes calling. Scarborough is full of it. It's hilarious -- yes, Scarborough missed his calling as a professional clown. MSNMC picked the right Republican, if their intention was to make Republicans look ridiculous.