Him, the mother of his children. When it comes to marriage, a man doesnt want to come home from a hard day of work and looking at a sexy wife lying on the couch saying yes, he does. You know who made up hes lines . No. Ugly girls mothers. Wow. Joan rivers passed away at the age of 81 yesterday. And it is still like you cant stop discovering new things about her, when you look at her body of work. Oh, i know. You go back and a lot of people just look at joan rivers and what she has done, the snarky comments she has made on red carpets and as the New York Times described so well, she has a career that should never be eclipsed by that. She was a trail blazer. You go back and read what the New York Times wrote about her
in 1965. Shes a pretty basically sounded like shes a pretty little lady and its surprising because shes a young woman and shes pretty. She still gets laughs, but she doesnt get much of a future. The times morning was talking about maybe they read that wrong. There was a movie came out a couple of years ago, joan rivers, a piece of work. We will have the executive producer and director of that movie on next hour. That movie, everybody should see. It really does show you a side of her, usually you get a movie that kind of shows one angle of a person youve never seen before. Woe. This was an amazing woman. Sometimes i was very turned off by her, but she took risks like nobody else. Put her heart out there and then you see in this documentary what drove her and theres a rawness to her and a realness to her and a sadness to her. A calendar that is unfilled . Yeah. I cried at times throughout that movie at very inappropriate times. Frank bruni is here and frank is a huge fan of joan rivers. We are going to be talking about this in just one minute. Sam stein is here. His appearance, he wasnt each born when joan rivers comedy career began but we will teach him. Trail blazer. First, for me, at least, for a lot of people, sad news, saddening to a pathetic story in virginia. Not just for you. Its a really sad store. If you have brain and a heart this is a sad story and if youre human, you might relate in some way. Virginia governor bob mcdonnem mcdonnell and his wife maureen have been found guilty. The first states governor ever
to be charged let alone convict. They rejected a plea deal early on that could have spared his wife and reduced his felony count to just one. But as the jury read each guilty verdict in court, 11 times for him, nine for her, the mcdonnell and their children wept openly in the court. The New York Times reports his head dropped and wept at the table. They took 177,000 in loans from Jonnie Williams they say to help support a nutritional supplement. He depicted his wife in court as harsh and unstable. He even tried to demonstrate she had a crush on williams all to prove it was impossible. The first couple colluded but it simply did not work. This is a difficult and disappointing day for the commonwealth when public
officials turn to financial gain in exchange for official acts, we have little choice but to prosecute the case. Anything to say for all of the virginians watching out there . All i can say is my trust remains in the lord. The couple plans to appeal but faces decades in federal prison when sentencing begins next year. I want to bring in political reporter for the richard times dispatch, olympia meal who has been in the court the entire trial. Olympia, first of all, set the scene for us in terms of what the reaction was inside the courtroom when the verdict came down. Well, thanks for having me. I think you kind of nailed it. It was a sad day yesterday, and certainly it was a difficult scene in the courtroom. As the verdicts were read, the governor, over time, just seemed to kind of dissolve at the able in tears and he kept his head and his hands for most of the time, just shoulders shaking. His children, who were in the
row behind him and the former first lady, he and the former first lady, just openly sobbed and they kind of just crouched down to console one another, and as more and more of the guilty verdicts were read, the cries seemed to get louder. So i think it was certainly a difficult scene in the courtroom and, you know, as you just heard, i think by most accounts, it was a sad day overall for the state with even the u. S. Attorney and the district saying it was a difficult day for the commonwealth. Olympia, thank you. I dont agree with anything they did. I mean, i completely understand the difference between right and wrong here, but, my god, this family, what they did to themselves to try and i dont know. Im not going to be popular on this. Ive said enough rightwingers
over the past couple of weeks and let me defend some leftwingers now. Go. I think its absolutely outrageous that the government brought these charges. I say as a politician people sit you doin and say this is what you can do and this is what you cant do. Here are the lines you cross, here are the lines you dont cross. Now listen. There is right and wrong. And i see these exchange of gifts as morally indefensible. I look at them and i roll my eyes and say, how in the world could they do it . That is dead wrong. But you know what . I do a lot of things that are dead wrong every day. Politicians in washington do a lot of things that are dead wrong every day. And, yet, im not going to federal prison and politicians arent going to federal prison. You have an ethics code in virginia that allowed this to happen. When they took these gifts, they
were following the laws of the state where he was governor. And the federal government comes in, for the first time, for the first time and they decide they are going to make an example of Bob Mcdonnell and his wife . Again, please. Nobody say, hey, joe, but what they did is wrong. I know its wrong. I talked to some of their closest political allies yesterday and they were very sad. They said, got, but how could they have done that . I say how could they have done that . But, at the same time, to go to jail this long to put your family through this. We dont know yet. When the federal government decides for the first time that they are going to prosecute a governor who lived within the confines of the ethical rules of his state, if you got a problem with this, as i said from the very beginning, go to virginia. Let the Virginia Legislature clean their act up. But to send this guy to the federal prison forever. Just so you know, they could get years. Up to 30 years. They will have its not going to end up being 30 years. Obviously, they are going to appeal this and a chance he gets a lot of these charges overturned on appeal. Under virginia law, you get up to a certain limit, the problem do you do anything in exchange for those gifts . And, clearly, a jury decided that he had done favors for this guy in exchange for those gifts. You can argue all you want about whether the punishment fits the crime. But, you know, the federal prosecutors made a derms thatten that it did and they, obviously, wanted to use this as a example to compel the Virginia Legislature to do the Ethics Reform that you talked about. Why is the United States attorney getting involved with governors . Does the United States attorney not have enough federal officials to go after . Does the United States attorney sure. Not have enough terrorists to try to convict . Does the United States i mean, i want to know whether the United States government decided to get involved in a states business. I dont understand. In this case, what was so i mean, a guy that was leaving office, what was so compelling that eric holder and the Justice Department said, hey, you know what . Because were kind of bored. We dont have a lot of to do here. We dont have a lot going. Why dont we go into virginia and try to figure out if we cant convict this guy. I dont think there is a role to play why hasnt it gone before . Didnt they go after Rod Blagojevich . Under this . For a different role, id have to look. I think a role the federal government has to go to going after this type of virginia. Why didnt virginia do it . They can. They didnt. I think for the course of the next few days, tons of news programs will look at this and will look at all of the different charges and look at the horrific things they it and talk about that. I just think you would know i would know from our world view and the way we grew up, the impact of these jobs of being in a position of power, of being an elected official, and the pressure on families, and im not saying i dont judge. I do. I think what they did was in some ways, incredibly stupid, and they are paying a terrible price as a complete family. When you go to virginia wachlt or you have a job like this, youre running a state and a country, if your family doesnt have the Strongest Foundation and the tight relationships, you do get cracked up. I can say there is also
money. There is also money concern too. Absolutely. Frank, i had thats part of it. People would come see where i lived, you know, after i got divorced, i lived in it was literally a shack. My boys loved it, though. We lived they absolutely loved it. By the river. It was awful down by the river it was awful but i dont care. Because i dont care. We had a great time and had a lot of time and id invite people over to my house and they expect to see this big southern mansion and it was a little shack and we called it cockroach hotel. But, frank, there were some other people, though, who had kids that were going into college. I remember Bob Livingston when he lived in new orleans. Talk about modest. Yet, people sending two, three, four kids to college. I will say one of the more maddening frustrating things is
when somebody would come to me and ask for some help moving a map this way or that way so they could do a development and make, like, 20 million off of it, and, i mean, its a tough business when your family is struggling. I was going to say, youve been in the game. How hard is it for politicians who do not come from its your entire life. Its your entire existence. How hard is it for politicians who do not have money and are raising funds from people and constantly, you know, in communication with and mingling people who have a lot of money how frustrating does that get and how much can that work a person . You know, ive seen it warping people. I wasnt in politic long enough. I was in there seven or eight years, but i have seen politicians through the years that went in without a lot of money, left without a lot of money. Michael steele, i think over decades, they start thinking,
wait a second, im making all of these clowns millions of dollars by passing tax cuts and by doing favors for them, you know, and i have seen some people get bitter and i always wondered if that got them in trouble at the end of the day. Its like why is everybody else getting rich and, gee, what is the problem if they give me, you know, 5,000 trip to hawaii or Something Like that . Well, i think mika hit it right. There is that economic financial and personal pressure, and some cant wait for the gratification at the end as we just saw recently with former congressman eric cantor who landed a big, fat paycheck on wall street. Some cant wait for that payday after that, quote, Public Service is over. They do find the loopholes and they do find the ways within the system to feather the nest while
they are there. The problem in this case and both unfortunately, both you and sam are right, the laws of virginia allowed the governor to do what the governor did. But the federal prosecutors also wanted to make an example of this type of, quote, unethical behavior. The blagojevich case was different because that involved a federal office, so it does raise the spectrum why the federal government would find its way into this type of a case, but, you know, given the pressure that we have seen, joe, in recent years with politicians and big money and wall street, it makes sense. You hang out with billionaires. When Hillary Clinton said im rich but im not really rich. You understood . Yeah. Wait, no. Yardstick changes. I understand how the clintons look at it yes, we make 250,000 when we go make a speech. These people we hang out with, they make 145 million when they
do a deal in an afternoon and have g5s, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. So its all around a lot of money. But, any way, we need to move on. I do want to say this because i want to be really clear and get back to that issue. At the end of the day, though, i do have to say this. Even without laws, ill go to the other side now. This is just behavior. Their lines they should have never should have taken the deal. Should have i can also tell you too when youre sitting there in that office you know what the laws are. And i think i was helped because i was an attorney first and you have a trust account and ed moore who was my mentor came to me said, you never do this and never touch this and you learn early on, there are red lines and you not only dont cross them, you dont even go up to them. We have a complete report on this coming up as well so we are going to certainly go back at different angles of the story. Other news. Heavy fighting overnight in
ukraine is creating new doubts about a potential ceasefire agreement between ukraine and russia. Ukraine forces come under heavy fire from pro russian rebels. The rebels and other european officials plan to hold talks on ending the crisis. President obama is scheduled to hold a News Conference later today before returning from the nato summit in wales. He met with ukraines president and other top european leaders in a show of support for kiev in its conflict with moscow. Lets go to nbc senior White House CorrespondentChris Jansing who is traveling with the president this morning in wales. What is the plan, chris . Reporter there is a major shift in focus and gone what with we going to do with vladimir and that is still very much on the front burner, but the talk is about what happens next with isis . We are getting a sense that that plan is really very much in the
development phases. I talked to ben rhodes yesterday asking him whether boots on the ground would be necessary in syria to deal with isis and he said nothing has been ruled out. John kerry today said that key nato members are going to Form Coalition and not involve boots on the ground but they expect to have a plan in place before they head to the u. N. General assembly that starts on september 23rd. Over the time we have been here, there is skaescalating concern. The president met with the french president so i think we will hear more coming out of this and certainly at the president s press conference what is next in terms of the fight against isis. Chris jansing, thank you very much. Still ahead here on morning joe, we have a lot to talk about with senator claire
mccaskill. She will be joining us on set live at the top of the hour at 8 00. Also, we will answer one of lifes biggest mysteries. What happens to your socks when they go missing . Okay. Then dirty dancing. A principal cancels her schools dance and miley cyrus is the reason for that . We will play the best moments of the 50 years of joan riverss life. Youre watching morning joe. We will be right back. You dont hate me, do you . I dont hate you. Personally, i hate your type. What is it about my type you dont like . Thin, pretty, blond, great eyes, screw you im sorry i like do you know what i mean . Youre good looking and youre smart. You got the package. Really . Are you christian . You got it all. Shes got it all my mother made the best toffee in the world. Its delicious. So now weve turned her toffee into a business. My goal was to take an idea and make it happen. Im janet long and i formed my Toffee Company through legalzoom. I never really thought i would make money doing what i love. We created legalzoom to help people start their business and launch their dreams. Go to legalzoom. Com today and make your business dream a reality. At legalzoom. Com we put the law on your side. Create a better website at squarespace. Com start your free trial today. Welcome back to morning
joe. Its time to take a look at the papers. Im going to do it this morning with two hot shots that get invited to the u. S. Open. What . You were invited. Ed forrest wanted you to go. Who doesnt fit at this table . Who else came along . Gale king. You know what im doing . Im sitting in the office shining mikas shoes. You were invited but you couldnt. That federer match last night was just stunning. Youre looking at the morning papers. Here is the usa today talking about joan rivers. The dailiy news also talking how tough she was. Lets get on to more of the morning papers. We will be following up on joans life throughout the show today. Bp faces up to 18 billion in civil penels after a federal judge decided the company. That is in addition to last years 4 billion settlement over criminal charges in its 2012 trial with victims. It claimed the lives of 11 workers. We get this from the rut land herald. The administrators at a Vermont High School are blaming miley cyrus for their decision to cancel a homecoming dance. The Officials Say their controversial dance move twerking left some students feeling uncomfortable and unsafe prompting them to cancel the event. Do we need to call kevin bacon to go up there and teach them that dancing is okay . In a letter to the local paper said since miley cyrus took the stage twerking at the
vmas in between our students dancing behavior has crossed the line of what we can condone as appropriate behavior at a school. They were asking what twerking was and nobody could explain it to him. You and thomas showed it . No i tried to get him to but he wouldnt. Yeah, no. They were they didnt understand what it was. Something like thomas, please. The administrators letter says twerking is dancing to popular music in a sexually provocative manner. I wish we had had this to explain the other day. A low squatting dance and thrusting movements. Students do not face one another or remain with the same person for the length of the song and if you hadnt seen twerking i would encourage you to research this online. No. Dont research this on line. Now you know. That encouraged yesterday. Remember, the guy said go to google. We said youtube it. We a