Scarborough for Senate?

By Rick Moran

"Morning Joe's" Joe Scarborough has angered many conservatives over the last few years with this attacks on birthers and other players on the right like Rush Limbaugh.

But evidently, the Republican Senate Campaign Committee thinks he would be ideal as a candidate to challenge Democrat Bill Nelson next year in the Florida senate race.

The Hill:

Republicans in Washington are trying to recruit Joe Scarborough to run against Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) next year.
Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), who heads the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), told The Hill on Thursday that he has talked to Scarborough a couple times about a Senate bid. And he indicated he's still working on persuading the MSNBC host to run for the upper chamber.

"I'd be delighted to talk to him a third time," Cornyn said.
In 2005, Republican campaign operatives tried to get Scarborough to challenge Rep. Katherine Harris (R-Fla.) in the Senate GOP primary. Scarborough passed, and Nelson subsequently trounced Harris in the midterm elections.

Cornyn noted on Thursday that Scarborough's name ID is higher now than it was back then. Scarborough has been with MSNBC for the past eight years, initially hosting "Scarborough Country" and now "Morning Joe."

Scarborough is happy with what he is doing, Cornyn stressed. But Cornyn also made it clear that he thinks there is a chance Scarborough could run.

Joe is no Rubio Republican, that's for sure. But he is a fiscal hawk, and a small government conservative. His book, "The Last Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and America's Promise," was praised by some conservatives and damned by others, but not because of his ideas about how to shrink government.

Yes, there is probably going to be someone more to the base's liking in the Florida GOP primary. But if Scarborough decides to run, there are many who would think that the GOP could do a lot worse in a state wide race.