President Barack Obama must be either bored or out of touch to have launched a partisan attack on Republicans as the shooting at Washington's Navy Yard was unfolding, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough said Tuesday.
"You would like to think he would have said to himself, 'Guys, let's do this tomorrow,'" Scarborough asked. "As the leader of the country, you would think that."
Obama delivered a speech Monday commemorating the fifth anniversary of the economic crash. He opened with comments about the Navy Yard shooting, then launched into an attack on Republicans over current budget debates.
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Scarborough took issue with Obama delivering the fiercely partisan attack on Republicans while the buildings at the Navy Yard were still on lockdown and the details were sill emerging.
"Right now this president seems bored or disconnected or out of touch or something," Scarborough said on "Morning Joe."
"It was a harsh, harsh speech from the president of the United States on any day. But, you know what? While people were hiding, while people were bleeding, while people were dying, while the nation was locked in on this, he's talking about harsh partisanship and Republicans wanting to hurt people.
"What is more partisan than not being able to put aside one of these stupid Washington battles? . . . If you believe Jay Carney, (postponing the speech) never came under consideration. It's unbelievable," Scarborough said.
White House press secretary Jay Carney said Monday no consideration was given to rescheduling the president's speech, and said addressing budget issues was "entirely appropriate."
Scarborough questioned the decision making of presidential aides, who may not have cautioned Obama about changing his speech in light of the shooting.
"There's not one person in the White House who said, 'Right down the block, people are dying right now. And there's a gunman on the loose. And there's local schools on shutdown, and the Capitol is on shutdown, and there may be a second or third gunman and, you know what? Maybe we'll just give the speech tomorrow.'"
Scarborough questioned why Obama did not make the call to delay his remarks about Republicans and budget issues.
"He's president of the United States. He should be smart enough," Scarborough said.
The media would have had a different response if the same thing had happened under a Republican president, Scarborough maintained.
"You can imagine if a similar thing had happened under George W. Bush? A lot of people would be outraged that he did not stop and just focus specifically on the tragedy that was happening yesterday.
"Everybody on this network would be killing George W. Everybody at The New York Times would be killing George W. Every journalist in Washington, D.C., would be killing George W.," Scarborough said.
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