Greta: Pres. Obama's choice of Sharpton as a 'liaison' in Ferguson is a poke in the eye to many Americans

Greta: Obama picked 'divider' in Sharpton for Ferguson

'Off the Record,' 8/27/14: The president picking The Rev. Al Sharpton as his 'liaison' in Ferguson was a poke in the eye to many Americans. We need a uniter

By Greta Van Susteren

Let's go "Off the Record." Let's talk about President Obama picking Reverend Al Sharpton as his "liaison" in Ferguson. Now that's what "Politico" is calling it. Maureen Dowd of the New York Times, she's calling it something else. She says President Obama deputized Sharpton, and from the tone of her column, she is scandalized.

Let's face it, picking Sharpton is poke in the eye of many Americans. Sharpton has no interest in healing, he divides people, he just picks sides. Let's not forget, he has done some really cockamamie things. That Tawana Brawley case was awful, hawking a false rape accusation.

But that's hardly all. According to Maureen Dowd, Sharpton whipped up anti-Semitic feelings in New York in 1991 by denouncing Jews. Whipping up anti-Semitic feelings is awful, it's stirring up hate. And did you know Sharpton is a tax scofflaw? According to The New York Post, Sharpton and his organization owe $4.7 million in unpaid taxes. All this and more makes it perplexing that President Obama uses Sharpton as his go-to outreach guy. It's a rotten message to send to the nation.

I don't get it. President Obama has lots of choices, why didn't he pick someone well-respected with a record of helping, not deciding? He could have picked New Jersey Senator Cory Booker - he was a very popular mayor of Newark, now a Democratic senator who has a history of reaching across the political aisle. Why not pick him to help?

Maybe President Obama is afraid Senator Booker will show him up by having success. And that's my "Off the Record" comment tonight.