More Liberal than Lieberman

Joe Scarborough, former Republican congressman and current TV talking head, is on the outs with his party because of a reoccurring segment on MSNBC's Scarborough Country entitled "Is Bush an Idiot?" Somehow, he actually gets more than a simple "yes" out of the question.

Anyway, Scarborough gave an interview to Salon in which he did some of the most un-Republican things he could do: admit errors in judgment, credit liberals for their pre-war insights and call the president a lot of synonyms for "dumbass". Here are a few highlights:

Obviously since the things [liberals] were predicting about Iraq have been proven to be accurate, or at least more accurate than what the administration was saying back in 2003, you certainly have to tip your hat to them.

…when [Bob Woodward] asked Bush if he talked to Colin Powell about the invasion of Iraq, and he says, "No, I didn't feel the need to, because I knew how he was going to respond, that he was against the war," which sort of sends a chill up your spine, because those are the people you want the president talking to. You want him asking tough questions of aides who actually disagree with him… The president is a man who's not only politically incurious, but is also a leader who does not like dissent, and I think that's very dangerous.

…I think if the president had asked tougher questions in February of 2003, we wouldn't find ourselves where we are in 2006.

…government spending grew by 3.4 percent annually under Bill Clinton the Marxist. Spending has grown by 10.5 percent under George Bush the fiscal conservative. I always say: Give me that choice, I'll take the Marxist at 3.4 percent any day of the week.

…here we have a Republican administration and a Republican Congress…where staying in power is more important than staying true to the values that put you in power in the first place.

I know this guy was part of Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America" crew and I have dozens of pages of his less-than-stellar quotes, but folks on both sides of the aisle have to admit – the guy makes a lot of sense. Frankly, if more Republicans were talking like Joe Scarborough this election season, Democrats wouldn't stand a chance of picking up seats in either house of Congress.

Thank God he's on TV.