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Morning Joe Producer Offered "Friendly Place" For Sanford To Tell Story

We've made it through all 570 pages of those emails sent from and to Mark Sanford's office in the period just before, during, and after his disappearance.

Earlier we highlighted how big name TV journalists like David Gregory, George Stephanopoulos, and John King aggressively wooed the South Carolina governor's press secretary in an effort to get the governor to come on their shows. But here are a few of the other interesting finds -- mostly press related -- from our search:

• Ann Edelberg, a producer at MSNBC, wrote to Sanford press secretary Joel Sawyer to say: "Of course the Gov has an open invite to a friendly place here at MJ, if he would like to speak out." MJ refers to Morning Joe, the MSNBC show hosted by former GOP congressman Joe Scarborough, and also frequently featuring hardcore right-winger Pat Buchanan.

Politico's Jonathan Martin, after making a few inquiries to Sawyer, wrote sycophantically: "Jakie causing you guys problem?" That's a reference to state Sen. Jake Knotts, who had first raised questions about the governor's whereabouts.

• A woman named Jessica Gibadlo -- this seems like her -- wrote in an email to Sawyer that MSNBC anchor Contessa Brewer was suggesting Sanford could come on her network to spin the story favorably. Wrote Gibadlo:

As you know I'm close to Contessa who has been in my ear on this. She said that the tone in the news room is that Mark could spin this favorably if he talks it up as the outdoors man in the woods etc. For all we know he's contemplating the last year of his term and thinking through his priorities before he goes on his family vacation.

As you know, she's close to Contessa.

• A barely literate Fox News producer and Sanford fan wrote: "Where is he...we LOVE to governor he is okay right?" Hey, who doesn't love to governor?

• The Wall Street Journal's Brendan Miniter -- who we already told you had dissed his own paper's reporting on the saga in an effort to suck up to the governor's office -- doubled down on that effort, writing to Sawyer that that he "wanted verification that the WSJ story was BS." Now there's some team spirit!

• Stewart Moore, the anchor for local South Carolina news station WIS-TV, showed great news judgment, writing:

Off the record, I think this whole thing is ridiculous. Sounds like slow news day stuff.

On the record; for the sake of good journalism, is there any way we can get the governor on for a phoner @ 6:30am? I think that will end the crazy situation we both find ourselves, more so you, in.

Thanks dude.

• And John O'Connor of The State, the paper that led the reporting on this story throughout, and would the next day bust Sanford at the airport upon his return from Argentina, bombarded the hapless Sawyer with a litany of pointed questions, including
"will the governor publicly discuss the trip?," "what was the governor going to write?,"
"why did it take so long to get an answer about where the governor was?," "where did he plan to travel?," "how far did he plan to hike? with whom?," "are their (sic) issues in the Sanford marriage?," and, "can we see his passport?"

Sawyer's reply: "AHHHHH!"


20 Comments

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You're peeling back a very large scab. Great job. Is there any doubt remaining as to what ails the media? These guys govern themselves as well as the banksters. Fourth Estate, my ass.

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Kurtz's sum up on the main page was very good. This is *not* limited in any way to morning Joe; it's the whole please-come-on-our-program-we'll-give-you-a-fair shake crowd of them, from Meet the Press on.

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If anyone is surprised by this "news," they haven't listened to "Morning Joe" for a good long time. Mika, Joe and Pat Buchanan need to move lock, stock and barrel over to Fox.

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I really like my morning coffee, but more often than not I almost spew it out trying to listen to Morning Joe. I won't buy Starbucks coffee either. Mika and Joe are sycophants and Pat is just a wigged out crazy old man who just shouts getting spittle on his ties.

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This Mika development is a significant part of it. She's 100% Fox (she wasn't always on this show), and so Joe gets to be the voice of reason at times, left of her. It comes out, yeah, like what Fox must be like (cause I never watch or listen except may catch what's on 100 seconds here).

This way MSNBC can say, see, we're not lefty, we got this Mika going off with Joe.

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No, surprise; move on folks, nothing to see here.

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Unbelievable. A man who is as fake and the total opposite of everything he says he is, gets full support by the MSM to continue his charade. And remember, this is the guy that was the most prominent critic of the President of the United States. He was the epitome of opposition to the Democratic Party.

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Gregory To Sanford Aide: My Show Lets You 'Frame The Convo As You Really Want'

Shorter David Gregory: Ohhhhhh. Do me.

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Yep.

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The circular logic of the press willing to promise a back rub because Sanford was a "big get" even though they were all positive that "this whole thing is ridiculous" is quite a puzzler. In other words, willing to do anything to get what they saw as a non-story.

I think they really did want to believe the lies and the kiss up campaign was all about reserving their space in line for the 2012 tire swing, southern division.

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Say it ain't so Joe.

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There seems to be a bidding war going on between MSM "journalists" to see who can score an interview with Sanford by planting the biggest kiss on his ass.

Maybe this spectacle is why Kronkite died.

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Cronkite. Accuracy mattered in his day; it should matter now.

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This is, I think, the result of the trend from the 80s of the news media (news industry) being seen by the networks as entertainment. It used to be that there was a serious public interest aspect to news. With ratings and profits at stake, that went away. Now the ratings and profits are all that matter.

Maybe it's too late to reframe news as public service, at least for the large distribution media, but the "new media", like TPM, can go a long way to bringing back some reality to news. That trend will probably accelerate as the traditional media implodes in its rush to self destruction by this kind of behavior.

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This is just repulsive however, it says more about the so-called "press" than it does us. These people are clowns who couldn't figure out a rubik's cube much less follow a big story never mind, investigate one.

As for Scarborough, nothing he says or does surprises me---after all, didn't he defend Sanford and give him a ringing endorsement to his character? Scarborough is as moral as Sanford and Ensign---they all come from the same septic tank.

Interesting tidbit--Scarborough isn't happy unless he is belittling those of us who live on the East coast--he always is very nasty about people who live in DC, the Upper East side or West Side of New York, Nantucket, or Maine. Guess where he's vacationing....Nantucket.....aren't we lucky?

Message to Joe--go screw yourself sideways.

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I've never been able to figure out Rubik's cube either.

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I'd imagine MJ would love Sanford to come onto his show so he can oil him down and give him a rub down and free happy ending.

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These guys are as straightforward as a..Recoleta taxi driver.

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I'd like to stress that amidst all the negatives here, the one positive should stand out stronger than it seems to:

And John O'Connor of The State, the paper that led the reporting on this story throughout, and would the next day bust Sanford at the airport upon his return from Argentina, bombarded the hapless Sawyer with a litany of pointed question…

I think we should all let The State know how much we appreciate that there's still at least one journalist out there.

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MSM work for corporate profits.
If they can make money selling the truth - they will.
If they can make more money telling lies - they will.
They don't give a shit about America or Democracy.

God Bless Amy Goodman.

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