Joe Scarborough

Joe Scarborough

Charles Joseph Scarborough (born April 9, 1963) is the host of the program Scarborough Country on MSNBC and has served in the United States House of Representatives, from 1995 to 2001, as a Republican from Florida.

Early life and education

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Scarborough graduated from Pensacola Catholic High School in Pensacola, Florida. He graduated from the University of Alabama in 1985 and from the University of Florida law school in 1990.

Congressional career

After working as a lawyer in Pensacola, in 1994 he was elected to the US House of Representatives. Scarborough, who signed the Contract with America, was part of the 1994 Republican takeover of the House, led by Newt Gingrich. Scarborough served on the Armed Services Committee, the Judiciary Committee, Government Reform and Oversight Committee, and the Education Committee. In 1998, he was named Chairman of the Civil Service Committee.

Scarborough was one of a group of about 40 GOP freshmen legislators who dubbed themselves the "New Federalists" after the Federalist Papers. The New Federalists called for sweeping cuts in the US government, including elimination of the Departments of Commerce, Education, Energy and the Housing and Urban Development, and the legislators were veryt successful in forcing the debate to focus on the size of government. It culminated in State of the Union address where then-President Bill Clinton declared "the era of Big Government is over.". Scarborough also sponsored a bill to force the US to withdraw from the United Nations and voted to privatize the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, to cut the growth of Medicare by $270 billion over 10 years, and against raising the minimum wage to $5.15. [1] Scarborough had a conservative voting record on economic issues but was seen as moderate on environmental issues and human rights causes, according to the 2000 Alamanac of American Politics.

Near the end of Scarborough's Congressional term, Lori Klausutis, one of his aides, died at her desk in the congressman's Fort Walton Beach, Florida office. [2] Although no evidence of foul play was found, Michael Moore accused Scarborough of murdering her. Moore, who in 2004 registered the domain JoeScarboroughKilledHisIntern.com, never apologized or retracted the accusation and the domain is no longer valid.

Committee memberships

• 104th Congress^[3]
  • Committee on Government Reform and Oversight
  • Committee on National Security
• 104th Congress^[4]
  • Committee on National Security
  • Committee on Government Reform and Oversight
  • Committee on Education and the Workforce
• 106th Congres^[5]
  • Committee on Armed Services
  • Committee on Government Reform
  • Committee on the Judiciary
• 107th Congress^[6]
  • Committee on Government Reform
  • Committee on the Judiciary

Career shift to journalism

In late May, 2001, Scarborough announced his resignation from Congress on September 6 to spend more time with his children. In his announcement, Scarborough also speculated about possible future presidential appointments and legal and television work. ^[7] Multiple news outlets reported on rumors that his resignation was also motivated by other factors in his personal life. ^[8]

After resigning, he joined the law firm of prominent Florida attorney Fred Levin. He currently practices law with the firm Beggs and Lane [9], the oldest firm in Florida. He was appointed to the President's Council on the 21st Century Workforce in 2002. [10]

His MSNBC show Scarborough Country debuted in April 2003.

Scarborough is the author of the book Rome Wasn't Burnt in a Day (ISBN 0060749849), published in 2004. In the book, Scarborough reflects on his experiences as a young congressman attempting to reduce government spending during the cooperative Clinton administration years. Scarborough criticizes both political parties for irresponsible spending and giving in to special interests.

Scarborough is a contributing blogger at The Huffington Post, Arianna Huffington's group weblog, though he has not posted since May 2005.

In August 2005, Scarborough confirmed reports that he had been asked to consider a challenge to U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris for the Republican nomination to challenge Senator Nelson's re-election bid. He announced later that month that he would be renewing his contract with NBC.

Family

In 1986, Scarborough married Melanie Hinton. They divorced in 1999 after having two children, Joey and Andrew. Andrew was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. While interviewing Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., in June, 2005, Scarborough expressed concerns about the possibilty one of his sons may have suffered vaccine damage, perhaps attributable to the sharp increase during the 1980s in the amount of thimerosal injected into infants, "My son, born in 1991, has a slight form of autism called Asperger's. When I was practicing law and also when I was in Congress, parents would constantly come to me and they would bring me videotapes of their children, and they were all around the age of my son or younger. So, something happened in 1989." [11]

Scarborough married his current wife, Susan, in October, 2001. They live in Pensacola with their daughter Kate and his two sons from his previous marriage.

Trivia

• Scarborough has written over 300 songs and has been recording music since he was 13. He performed at the 2000 Republican National Convention.

• Scarborough's MSNBC TV program is often broadcast from the local PBS affiliate - WSRE - located in Pensacola, Florida.

References

1. ^ Designating Majority Membership on Certain Standing Committees of the House (House of Representatives - January 04, 1995)
2. ^ Election of Majority Members to Certain Standing Committees of the House (House of Representatives - January 07, 1997); Election of Majority Members to Certain Standing Committees of the House (House of Representatives - January 09, 1997); Election of Majority Members to Certain Standing Committees of the House (House of Representatives - January 21, 1997)
3. ^ Election of Majority Members to Certain Standing Committees of the House -- (House of Representatives - January 06, 1999); Election of Majority Members to Certain Standing Committees of the House -- (House of Representatives - March 11, 1999)
4. ^ Election of Members to Certain Standing Committees of the House -- (House of Representatives - January 06, 2001)
5. ^ Lisa Osburn, "U.S. Rep. Joe Scarborough Trading House for Home: Congressman ready to be a full-time dad", Pensacola News Journal, May 26, 2001.
6. ^ "It Was Time", Pensacola News Journal, May 26, 2001; James Wolcott, "MSNBC's fox hunt: management and marketing strategies", Vanity Fair 518 (Oct 2003): 140(5); Denis Wright and Chris George, "A Death in the Congressman's Office", American Political Journal, August 8, 2001.

External links

• RegularJoe.Org - 'Regular Joe: From the Pub' (Joe Scarborough's official site)
• JoeBlog.msnbc - 'Congressman Joe' (Joe Scarborough's MSNBC Weblog)
• MSNBC.msn.com - 'Scarborough Country', MSNBC
• MSNBC.msn.com - 'A coverup for a cause of Autism? RFK Jr. explans how ingredient in vaccines may have contributed to spread' (transcript of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. interview by Joe Scarborough), MSNBC (June 22, 2005)