Newsbusters reports that Morning Joe brought on Terry Jones, the Gainseville, Florida pastor now famous for the Koran burning hubbub, so that he could be lectured on Christianity by departing Newsweek editor Jon Meacham. So far this is all SOP at MSNBC. Then, in what will strike most of you as a surreal (and perhaps unprecedented) occurrence that ought to go down in MSNBC lore, Jones’s feed is cut off before he gets in a single word.
From the Newsbusters write up:
In what had to be the ultimate in condescension and elitism, MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” brought Pastor Terry Jones on the show merely to lecture him on Christianity, cutting him off before he could even respond. Co-host Mika Brzezinski explained to him “we don’t really need to hear anything else, so thanks.” Newsbusters’ Mark Finkelstein first briefly reported on this segment this morning.
Panel member Jon Meacham, the departing editor of Newsweek, briefly preached to Pastor Jones on Jesus’ New Testament message of love and forgiveness and then appealed to him “as a fellow Christian” to not follow through with his threats to burn the Koran. Then, before Pastor Jones responded, his live feed was cut and co-host Mika Brzezinski continued with the show, saying that they did not need to listen to Pastor Jones.
Now all radio and television shows have to cut off a guest from time to time due to time constraints, etc., but it’s not every day you see a guest invited on, talked at, then cut off, all before he has a chance to utter even a greeting, much less a defense. What’s more, Brzezinski emphatically explained MSNBC’s treatment of their guest by stating, “we don’t really need to hear anything else.”
You know MSNBC has sunk pretty low if they can make the nutty Pastor Jones seem like a sympathetic figure, even if for just a brief moment.
And given MSNBC staff’s history of lying to get people to appear on their programming, it certainly makes one wonder if he was aware this television appearance would not be an interview.
Transcript:
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: We’ve really been debating whether or not to do this. Joe says “no,” he doesn’t think it’s a good idea at all. He might be right. The Florida pastor, threatening to burn copies of the Koran tomorrow, is now saying his plans are “on hold,” after a local Imam told him that the proposed New York Islamic center near Ground Zero would be moved. And joining us now from Gainesville, Florida, is pastor Terry Jones. And the reason we’re doing this is my worry is that the pastor’s going to have blood on his hands if he goes forward with this plan. So Jon Meacham just has a quick message for you, sir. Jon?
JON MEACHAM, Editor, Newsweek: Pastor, I just wanted to – this is Jon Meachem. I just wanted to suggest that Jesus said the night before he was handed over to suffering and death that he ordered his disciples to love one another as he had loved them. That was his central commandment, and as he died, he said that “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” The central message of the New Testament is forgiveness, and to put oneself in the place of another. And so I would simply appeal to you, as a fellow Christian, that the course you suggested is going to be incredibly dangerous, and would ask you to desist in the name of New Testament theology.
(Cut Live Feed)
BRZEZINSKI: Alright, well said Jon Meachem, and Pastor Terry Jones we appeal to you to listen to that. And we don’t really need to hear anything else, so thanks. Alright, moving on. Donnie, you disagreed. You wanted to talk to him.
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