So, NBC hires a “diversity leader” and trades Don Imus in for former GOP congressman Joe Scarborough–who at some point used to be a conservative and then absorbed the MSNBC Kool-Aid into his bloodstream. Scarborough’s idea of incisive radio commentary and enlightened comedy: joking with CQ’s Craig Crawford about whether Sen. Fred Thompson’s wife “works the pole.” You know, the stripper pole. Listen to them cackle (video via The Palmetto Scoop). I suppose it’s an improvement that they didn’t say anything about Mrs. Thompson’s hair:

Scarborough owes Thompson and his wife an apology.

Be a man, Joe. Would you let someone publicly joke about your wife that way?

***

Reader Troy quips: “Scarborough’s lucky it’s 2007 and not 1807.”

Ed Morrissey:

Anyone who has watched Scarborough for any length of time knows that Scarborough can be an ass. What we didn’t know was that he could also be tacky enough to attack someone’s wife in the most personal of terms. Thompson’s wife is beautiful, but that doesn’t make her a whore or a stripper. Perhaps it speaks to Scarborough’s view of women that he immediately associates one with the other.

The counterbuzz around Thompson has started to center on his supposed “trophy wife”, as if he somehow should be blamed for dating beautiful women after his divorce. Thompson remained single for several years before marrying his current wife; he had also dated country singer Lorrie Morgan for a while as well. It’s hardly a scandal, it hardly makes Jeri Thompson a homewrecker or a whore, and it hardly qualifies as unusual.

This is nothing more than character assassination, and especially egregious as it targets someone who isn’t even a political player. Scarborough should be ashamed of himself.

Shame? What’s that?

Allah predicts more to come from the nutroots.