Scarborough took a swipe at Soros

On the June 14 edition of MSNBC's Scarborough Country, host Joe Scarborough said, "George Bush supporters would say" of financier, philanthropist, and political activist George Soros "that there's a wacky billionaire ... who is throwing some money around."

In discussing the new documentary film The Hunting of the President, Gene Lyons -- co-author of the New York Times best-selling book upon which the movie is based -- contrasted Democrats who are working to prevent President George W. Bush's reelection with what the film calls the "10-year campaign to systematically destroy the political legacy of the Clintons." Scarborough responded by attempting to draw a parallel between those activities and the activities of Soros, who is one of the largest donors to progressive organizations including America Coming Together, MoveOn.org, and Campaign for a Progressive Future.

From the June 14 broadcast of Scarborough Country:

LYONS: George Bush arouses very strong feelings. And I don't think there's any doubt that a lot of Democrats are furious with him and want more than anything else to see him defeated. But you don't see the kinds of organized political activities against him. ... And you don't see private detectives sponsored by wacky billionaires running around waving big checks under women that might have had a drink with George Bush 20 years ago.

SCARBOROUGH: All right, we'll have to leave it there. Of course, George Bush supporters would say that there's a wacky billionaire named George Soros who is throwing some money around. But, obviously, Clinton supporters would say it's a completely different thing.

Scarborough, a former Republican member of Congress from Florida, counts himself among Bush supporters. On the April 26, 2004, edition of Scarborough Country, while discussing the 2004 presidential campaign, Scarborough told John Hurley, the national director of Vietnam Veterans for John Kerry: "I support Bush."

—N.C.