During the January 26 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe, Congressional Quarterly columnist Craig Crawford responded to host Joe Scarborough's assertion that former President Bill Clinton is “divisive” by stating, “I really think the evidence-free bias against the Clintons in the media borders on mental illness.” Crawford went on to state, “I mean, we've gotten into a situation where if you try to be fair to the Clintons, if you try to be objective, if you try to say, 'Well, where's the evidence of racism in the Clinton campaign?' you're accused of being a naïve shill for the Clintons.” He later added: “I really think it's a problem.”

Crawford's statement came after co-host Mika Brzezinski aired a video clip in which Clinton said: "[T]hey have systematically polarized the country, the right-wing Republican faction has. They first took over the Republican Party. And then they performed reverse plastic surgery on all the Democrats, right? ... And it worked for them every single time, except with me." After the clip of Clinton's remark, Scarborough asserted that “it's amazing how divisive he is compared to [Democratic presidential candidate] Barack Obama, who asks Republicans and independents to vote for him. And here's Bill Clinton fighting the right-wing Republicans. It's just like 1998 all over again, isn't it?” Crawford then stated:

CRAWFORD: You know, I have sat down here in Florida for the last month. And I have watched the coverage, and I really think the evidence-free bias against the Clintons in the media borders on mental illness. I mean, I think when Dr. Phil gets done with Britney [Spears], he ought to go to Washington and stage an intervention at the National Press Club. I mean, we've gotten into a situation where if you try to be fair to the Clintons, if you try to be objective, if you try to say, “Well, where's the evidence of racism in the Clinton campaign?” you're accused of being a naïve shill for the Clintons. I mean, I think if somebody came out today and said that Bill Clinton -- if the town drunk in Columbia [South Carolina] came out and said, “Bill Clinton last night was poisoning the drinking water in Obama precincts,” the media would say, “Ah, there goes Clinton again. You can't trust him.” I really think it's a problem. You know what? You guys make him stronger with this bashing. This actually is what makes the Clintons stronger.

Crawford previously stated on the January 19 edition of Morning Joe that “many of us in the media tend to gang up on the Clintons.”

From the January 26 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe:

BRZEZINSKI: Well, [Mike] Barnicle and then Craig, we want you to chime in. Here's Bill Clinton on the campaign trail yesterday talking about whether or not his wife is a polarizing figure, and the word “race” does come up as well. Take a listen.

CLINTON [video clip]: The only people that she's a polarizing figure around are people that don't know her. I mean, the reason I think she's the most electable Democrat has nothing to do with race or gender. It is that they have systematically polarized the country, the right-wing Republican faction has. They first took over the Republican Party. And then they performed reverse plastic surgery on all the Democrats, right? Starting with President Carter in 1980 -- really, starting in the late '70s. And it worked for them every single time, except with me.

BRZEZINSKI: Wow.

SCARBOROUGH: You know the thing is -- and Craig Crawford, race aside, it's amazing how divisive he is compared to Barack Obama, who asks Republicans and independents to vote for him. And here's Bill Clinton fighting the right-wing Republicans. It's just like 1998 all over again, isn't it?

CRAWFORD: You know, I have sat down here in Florida for the last month. And I have watched the coverage, and I really think the evidence-free bias against the Clintons in the media borders on mental illness. I mean, I think when Dr. Phil gets done with Britney, he ought to go to Washington and stage an intervention at the National Press Club. I mean, we've gotten into a situation where if you try to be fair to the Clintons, if you try to be objective, if you try to say, “Well, where's the evidence of racism in the Clinton campaign?” you're accused of being a naïve shill for the Clintons. I mean, I think if somebody came out today and said that Bill Clinton -- if the town drunk in Columbia came out and said, “Bill Clinton last night was poisoning the drinking water in Obama precincts,” the media would say, “Ah, there goes Clinton again. You can't trust him.” I really think it's a problem. You know what? You guys make him stronger with this bashing. This actually is what makes the Clintons stronger.