On December 19, Joe Scarborough, co-host of MSNBC's Morning Joe, returned to his “theory” that Democrat Al Franken “can steal” enough votes in the Minnesota race for U.S. Senate to emerge victorious, marking at least the sixth time Scarborough has invoked “steal[ing]” votes since the recount began on November 19. After co-host Mika Brzezinski reported that "[t]here are now just two votes separating Republican incumbent Norm Coleman from Democratic challenger Al Franken in Minnesota's still undecided Senate race," Scarborough asserted: “You can steal that. That's like -- you can keep -- you can [inaudible] steal those votes in the glove compartment.” Moments later, after revealing that political consultant Mandy Grunwald told him to “quit saying Al Franken's stealing votes,” Scarborough declared: “I said I'm not saying that, I'm just having fun with [MSNBC political analyst Pat] Buchanan -- and just saying how easy would it be for Al Franken to steal 150 [votes].” Scarborough added: “I'm like a scientist. This is a theory that I'm trying out there. You know what? And [Morning Joe co-host] Willie [Geist], I think this reminds me once again that Democrats are hostile to science, and that makes me sad.”

As Media Matters for America noted, when Brzezinski reported on December 16 that Franken trailed Coleman by 188 votes in the ongoing recount, Scarborough asked Buchanan, “Buchanan, can you steal 188 out of 1,500? That's easy, right?” Brzezinski then asked, “You can find those in your trunk?” Buchanan replied: “You can get -- find them in your trunk up in the Iron Range. They've been lost up there.” Later, Scarborough said: “Now, I don't think -- and to my good friends at Media Matters -- I don't actually think Al Franken is going to steal votes, I just -- I ask the question.” Brzezinski's and Buchanan's comments about finding votes in “your trunk” was a reference to the widely discredited rumor that 32 absentee ballots from Minneapolis were mishandled in Franken's favor during a pre-recount audit of votes. Indeed, as Media Matters has repeatedly documented, Republican Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has said there was no actual evidence of fraud during the pre-recount audit.

From the December 19 broadcast of MSNBC's Morning Joe:

BRZEZINSKI: There are now just two votes separating Republican incumbent Norm Coleman from Democratic challenger Al Franken in Minnesota's still undecided Senate race -- two votes.

SCARBOROUGH: You can steal that.

BRZEZINSKI: That's not a good day.

SCARBOROUGH: That's like -- you can keep -- you can [inaudible] steal those votes in the glove compartment.

BRZEZINSKI: Stop it. Coleman's lead all but disappeared after the state canvassing board spent a third day ruling on disputed ballots. That process continues today. And with the falling price of crude oil, airlines are seeing drastic cuts in fuel charges, but that doesn't mean they're passing along the savings to travelers. The major carriers are showing no signs of dropping baggage fees that went into effect as fuel prices soared over the summer.

SCARBOROUGH: So I saw Mandy Grunwald last night --

BRZEZINSKI: Yeah. Oh, yeah, I did too.

SCARBOROUGH: -- at the Bradleys' party, Christmas party. She comes up to me, and she says, quit saying Al Franken's stealing votes. You know what I said to her?

BRZEZINSKI: What'd you say?

SCARBOROUGH: You know what I said to her?

BRZEZINSKI: What'd you say?

SCARBOROUGH: I said, all the flacking I did for my girlfriend this past year, and that's your welcome to me?

BRZEZINSKI: That's a little rough.

SCARBOROUGH: And then she said, well, thank you so much for being the --

BRZEZINSKI: Well, that's good. And then did she --

SCARBOROUGH: -- the fair --

BRZEZINSKI: -- again sock it to you?

SCARBOROUGH: and then she said, stop -- yeah. And I said I'm not saying that, I'm just having fun with Buchanan --

BRZEZINSKI: It's a lovely party.

SCARBOROUGH: -- and just saying how easy would it be for Al Franken to steal 150.

BRZEZINSKI: OK.

SCARBOROUGH: I'm like a scientist.

BRZEZINSKI: All right.

SCARBOROUGH: This is a theory that I'm trying out there.

GEIST: Theoretically. Yeah.

SCARBOROUGH: You know what?

GEIST: Hey, Joe, what --

SCARBOROUGH: And Willie, I think this reminds --

BRZEZINSKI: Good of you.

SCARBOROUGH: -- me once again that Democrats are hostile to science, and that makes me sad.