Rat of the Week

Howard Kurtz sets the scene:

Two weeks ago, MSNBC talk show host Joe Scarborough introduced a guest, attorney Mike Papantonio, to point a finger at the "Rat of the Week."

Papantonio slammed a wood-preserving company called Osmose, saying it makes a dangerous product used in playground equipment and has "figured out how to poison our children and make a profit in the meantime."

What Scarborough didn't say is that Papantonio is his law partner, and that their firm has filed a lawsuit against Osmose. Instead, he urged viewers to demand that the government recall the company's product.

After being called on it, Scarborough admitted he "made a mistake" and named himself the "Rat of the Week." That's a start, but he should also give up the stipend that he receives from the law firm, and never again book his law partners as his guests. MSNBC might also be starting to suspect that there's something fishy in Scarborough Country:

[MSNBC vice president Phil] Griffin said he had not known about Scarborough's continuing compensation from the firm. Asked if that would continue, he said: "NBC News is examining every aspect of this."

There is nothing in the tradition of right-wing hack television that would lead you to believe that self-interest wouldn't be involved, but this might just a little too blatant even for the SCLM.