Joe Scarborough: Senate GOP's Top Goal to Unseat Obama in 2012 'Pathetic'

Ron Brownstein, columnist for the National Journal and President of Atlantic Media, reported that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has, as the GOP's top goal, to unseat President Obama in 2012.

"That is embarrassing!" Scarborough exclaimed. "I want to take control of the Senate so I can worry about an election two years away," he mockingly imitated the Republicans.

Brownstein cast it as a sign of the times. "In a Juan Williams-fired world, everybody is looking to sharpen the divisions, clarify the differences, and fire up the base, and that may be more of what we see over the next two years than in '95-'97," he remarked.

Scarborough, however, was still up in arms. "Can I just say it for the record?" he remarked of the GOP's goal. "That is pathetic."

A full transcript of the segment, which aired on October 25 at 8:17 a.m. EDT, is as follows:

RON BROWNSTEIN, President, Atlantic Media: Mitch McConnell said to Major "Our top goal, though, is to defeat President Obama in 2012," and that will be a counter-force against the natural impulse to find some things that they can work on, because they want contrast as well.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: Mitch McConnell said that?

BROWNSTEIN: Yep. Yes he did. That's in the interview.

SCARBOROUGH: That's his goal?

MAJOR GARRETT, congressional correspondent, National Journal: The number one goal for Republicans is to make Barack Obama a one-term President, and to do everything in Congress that reinforces whatever the message is -

SCARBOROUGH: He admitted that on the record?

RON BROWNSTEIN: It's in the magazine.

SCARBOROUGH: That is embarrassing! "I want to take control of the Senate so I can worry about an election two years away."

BROWNSTEIN: In a Juan Williams-fired world, everybody is looking to sharpen the divisions, clarify the differences, and fire up the base, and that may be more of what we see over the next two years than in '95-'97.

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Ron Brownstein -

SCARBOROUGH: Can I just say it for the record? That is pathetic.

BRZEZINSKI: It sounds like it -

SCARBOROUGH: You want to take over the Senate to worry about a race two years away.