David Axelrod's Mustache Is Stepping Down

It's difficult to overstate the enormity the White House's upcoming loss, but President Barack Obama will be losing one of his greatest strategists and advisors next Friday, December 7th.

I speak, of course, of the facial hair that currently resides upon David Axelrod's upper lip…

Last month, Earlier Axelrod said he would shave if one of [MSNBC's Joe] Scarborough's election predictions came true: That Republican Mitt Romney would carry either Pennsylvania, Michigan or Minnesota. Obama won all three.

Axelrod also said he would submit to a shave if Scarborough and co-host Mika Brzezinski raised more than $1 million for Axelrod's charity, Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy — and they did.

No word yet whether the mustache will be replaced with a Van Dyke style beard or, perhaps, some thick mutton chop sideburns. Or maybe just a face full of unkempt stubble. Really we're all just speculating at this point. All we really do know is that whatever form of facial hair takes up the gauntlet from the iconic mustache will have some pretty big shoes to fill.

David Axelrod — the mustache's host — is also stepping out of the political arena to begin working with the University of Chicago for whatever that's worth.

Photo by Doug Mills/AFP/Getty Images

Tags: David Axelrod, Joe Scarborough

From the Pork Barrel: 2016 Problems but a Mitt Ain't One

* According to the latest estimates, seven Republicans are not running for president in 2016. (And three of them are Mitt Romney.)

* If you're hoping that Sarah Palin will jump into the race, you're not alone.

* Joe Scarborough is about as good at making apologies as he is at understanding math.

* According to Pat Robertson, the atheists are coming to steal Christmas. Bummer. I hope they let us keep Thanksgiving, though. I already have my turkey brining.

* Hey, so, what's it take to get a spot on the House Science Committee? I mean, besides a complete lack of understanding of science?

* Even more proof that beer is the solution to all of life's problems.

* Download our free iPhone and iPad app Indecision Election Companion and join the the Peanut Gallery — our liveblog/instant reaction arena — to watch and respond as documentarian Ken Burns joins MSNBC's Meet the Press this Sunday at 10:30 am.

Photo by Royce Bair/Flickr/Getty Images

Tags: 2016, Atheists, Christmas, Climate Change, House of Representatives, Joe Scarborough, Sarah Palin, Science & Technology, War on Christmas

David Axelrod's Mustache Hangs in Election's Balance

Politicians on both sides have told us this is the most important election in a generation. Way more important than the one four years ago that was the most important one in a generation.

I didn't think the stakes could get any higher than "most important," but they just did: David Axelrod and Joe Scarborough have placed a facial-hair related bet on the election…

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Tags: Barack Obama, David Axelrod, Joe Scarborough, Mitt Romney

Watch Stephen Colbert Discuss Open Marriages on Morning Joe

From The CC Insider…

This afternoon, Stephen Colbert appeared at a rally in South Carolina with Herman Cain, but earlier this morning, he met up with another Republican with an unsettling smile: Joe Scarborough. As you can see in the complete interview below, Stephen covered everything from his position on open marriages to using jungle animals to fight crime.

Watch Stephen promote today's rally on last night's Report by dueting with James Taylor on "Carolina in My Mind," and you can also see Joe Scarborough's last appearance on the show right here.

The Colbert Report airs Monday through Thursday at 11:30/10:30c.

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Tags: Joe Scarborough, Marriage, Morning Joe, MSNBC, Newt Gingrich, Sex, South Carolina, Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report, Video

Rick Perry's Problem Apparently Was That He Was Way Too Sober

As Ilya noted briefly earlier today, Rick Perry — who's been sliding further and further down in the polls since he made the possibly unwise decision to start talking — decided on Friday to forgo many the normal tropes of presidential campaign speeches: seriousness, solemnity, sobriety.

The good folks over on MSNBC's Morning Joe seemed duly confused by the Texas governor's comical mugging and bizarre behaviors. All except for the National Review's Robert Costa, who saw in this Perry something populist, something presidential, something spin-worthy…

It's fun to watch Costa squirm as everyone around the table makes not very veiled jokes about whatever "cocktail" Perry's on, but here's the most important nugget from the clip…

"I had two thoughts after watching that clip. One, it reminded me of Will Ferrel doing George W. Bush on Saturday Night Live. But, two, this is the Rick Perry who I saw in Waterloo, Iowa when he entered this race: athletic, energetic, connecting with voters. It's a little probably too humorous to continue at this level, but Rick Perry, if he can continue to have this kind of energy, he could connect in Iowa and see some momentum. Because this is the Perry that did connect in Texas and that could connect in the early primary states. We haven't seen it in his stiff personal throughout these debates."

Aha! So, all that the Perry campaign needs to do to right this upending campaign vessel is invest in, I don't know, a half dozen or so crates of Johnny Walker Black.

And maybe a couple vials of Vicodin.

Tags: Alcohol, Joe Scarborough, Morning Joe, MSNBC, National Review, New Hampshire, Primaries, Republicans, Rick Perry