Cornyn, Scarborough Battle Over Recruitment Story

Well, this is getting even more interesting. The NRSC is insisting they did not encourage Scarborough to run for the Senate in Florida. Meanwhile, Scarborough appears to be insisting they did. And not everyone backed off, by the way, I didn't. Figures the Beltway press would, they buy most everything that they're told because they've become more a component of DC, than an objective observer of it.

And it worked. Bloggers and journalists took Cornyn’s word, writing that rumors had been “squashed.” National Journal even sent the below email alert:

See the NRSC's response below - and Scarborough's response to that. Perhaps there was some bit of mis-communication. Frankly, while no fan of some of the NRSC's recent actions, I'd probably give them the benefit of the doubt given Scarborough's unwarranted but obvious ego issues, along with his being something of a buffoon. And there's absolutely no reason for him to carpetbag his way to the Senate via New York. It's still a bad idea and I'd really hate to see him anywhere near serious politics, again. He belongs right where he is, at a struggling, mostly disappointing cable news network.

“In his past conversations with Senator Cornyn, Joe Scarborough had express ed an interest in perhaps running for a U.S. Senate seat in New York.  To quote Joe’s own words today, his intent was ‘clear and unambiguous’ and we took him at his word that his interest was, and is, in New York.  So not only did Senator Cornyn not ask him to run for the Senate in Florida, but for a number of reasons it stretches the bounds of credulity to even see why he would be considered a strong, viable candidate in Florida this cycle.  There are already a number of far stronger candidates looking at the Florida Senate race and we are confident that any one of them can beat Bill Nelson in 2012.  But we wish Joe the best of luck in his New York Senate pursuits and we remain fans of his cable show.”

To which Scarborough responded:

“This morning I read that John Cornyn was going to ask me to run for Senate ‘for the third time.’ There is no need. I have no interest in such a campaign. Judging from the NRSC’s bizarre behavior today, his comments obviously upset potential Florida candidates. I too would have preferred that he said nothing about his efforts to have me run for the Senate. I have no desire being part of this story and once again let me state that I have no interest in running for the US Senate.”