On the March 19 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe, co-host Joe Scarborough criticized Sen. Barack Obama for the following remark Obama made during a March 18 speech on race and politics: “I can no more disown [former Trinity United Church of Christ pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright] than I can my white grandmother -- a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.” Scarborough said of Obama's comments, “I really wonder why anybody, why any man, would throw his grandmother under the bus during a political speech regardless of the point he was trying to make.” But on the March 14 edition of Morning Joe -- a nationally broadcast cable news show -- while discussing Obama's relationship with Wright, Scarborough said that “we all have people that we love dearly who are crazy.” He added, “Do not hold me accountable for things that my father has said in the past ... or for emails ... that my mother sends me,” and concluded, “And again, Mom and Dad, I love you. I'm just making a bigger point.”

Prior to airing the portion of Obama's speech that he criticized on the March 19 Morning Joe, Scarborough asserted that “a progressive journalist that we all know,” had “emailed me during the middle of the speech saying, 'I cannot believe he just threw his grandmother under the bus to make a political point.' ”

During a later segment, after co-host Mika Brzezinski noted that Scarborough “had some concerns” about Obama “invoking his grandmother,” Scarborough said, “I just don't know that I'd throw my grandmom under the bus under any circumstances.” Brzezinski responded, “You know what? My grandmother had similar fears, and made comments that would not be --.” Scarborough interrupted, saying “I would ask you not to throw your grandmother under the bus.” Brzezinski replied, “I love my grandmother,” adding, “I'm telling you that these are generations that develop over time, and I don't know, I don't really have an issue with it.”

From the March 19 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe:

SCARBOROUGH: So let's listen to him. At this point, and this is, I must tell you, there was actually a progressive journalist that we all know, a very important journalist who emailed me during the middle of the speech saying, “I cannot believe he just threw his grandmother under the bus to make a political point.” I'm going to show you this clip, and where he says he can't disown Reverend Wright any more than he can disown his grandmother.

OBAMA [video clip]: Not once in my conversations with him have I heard him talk about any ethnic group in derogatory terms, or treat whites with whom he interacted with anything but courtesy and respect. He contains within him the contradictions -- the good and the bad -- of the community that he has served diligently for so many years. I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can disown my white grandmother -- a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who pass her by on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe. These people are part of me. And they are part of America, this country that I love.

SCARBOROUGH: OK, first of all, his grandmother being afraid of African-American men walking near her on the street? That's just what [Rev.] Jesse Jackson said in the past, and got in trouble for saying that. There's his grandmother, the woman that helped raise him, I really wonder why anybody, why any man, would throw his grandmother under the bus during a political speech, regardless of the point he was trying to make. We can all talk about our grandparents, but I think we probably wouldn't.

[...]

BRZEZINSKI: Tim [Russert], what did you think about him invoking his grandmother? Joe had some concerns about that. Sort of engaging -- talking about their diversity, literally, between the races, but also their diverse fears between the races.

SCARBOROUGH: I just don't know that I'd throw my grandmom under the bus under any circumstances.

BRZEZINSKI: You know what? My grandmother had similar fears and made comments that would not be --

SCARBOROUGH: I would ask you not to throw your grandmother under the bus.

BRZEZINSKI: I love my grandmother.

SCARBOROUGH: OK.

BRZEZINSKI: I'm telling you that these are generations that develop over time, and I don't know, I didn't have an issue with it.

From the March 14 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe:

BRZEZINSKI: And I think it's OK for Barack Obama to have a relationship with somebody in the religious community or in the foreign policy community and not completely agree with them.

[crosstalk]

SCARBOROUGH: Right.

TUCKER CARLSON (MSNBC senior campaign correspondent): That's fair.

SCARBOROUGH: I do, too.

BRZEZINSKI: So I think the question will be exactly how they proceed from here.

SCARBOROUGH: But see, Tucker, that's a problem.

BRZEZINSKI: It will be fascinating to me.

SCARBOROUGH: That's a problem, Tucker, though, isn't it? That, we all, we all have people that we love dearly who are crazy.

CARLSON: Yes. I do.

SCARBOROUGH: And who have said crazy-- please do --

BRZEZINSKI: Yup. That is for sure.

SCARBOROUGH: Do not hold me accountable for things that my father has said in the past --

CARLSON: Of course.

BRZEZINSKI: My co-host.

SCARBOROUGH: -- or for emails --

CARLSON: I agree completely.

SCARBOROUGH: -- that my mother sends me. However, I would not put my mother or father on the head of a steering committee regarding --

CARLSON: No, but how about this?

SCARBOROUGH: And again, Mom and Dad, I love you. I'm just making a bigger point.

BRZEZINSKI: OK. Don't bring your mother into this.

CARLSON: No, but here's the thing -- here's the thing, Joe --

SCARBOROUGH: I love them so much.