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Joe Scarborough To Republicans: 'Do You Ever Want To Be In The White House Again?' (VIDEO)

WATCH: Scarborough Tears Into Republicans

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Joe Scarborough tore into the GOP on Tuesday's "Morning Joe," asking Republicans if they "ever want to be in the White House again."

The MSNBC host was discussing GOP strategist Mike Murphy's work on pro-gun control ads for New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. Murphy has defended himself against right-wing critics, or "'traitor' howlers" as he called them, over the ads, saying that he supported background checks like the NRA did in 1999.

Scarborough praised Murphy as someone who would help the GOP "get the middle of America back," and speculated that the strategist would be "hounded for the rest of his political life by extreme members of the NRA."

He then turned to the "howlers" who have called him a "RINO" or "Republican in name only," saying:

According to these "howlers" on the far right, they are such a minority. Sure, you know, 12 of them go out and they vote in these Congressional primary races -- never enough to win presidential races. So, the party just has to decide: do you ever want to be in the White House again or not? It's very simple.

I like winning, I’m different. I definitely am a RINO in that respect, my dear howling friends. I like to win. In fact, I do win. That’s just what I do. I go out -- I don’t know if you knew this or not -- the idea in elections is to get more votes than the other side.

Scarborough is frequently the target of right-wing critics who call him a RINO. He has addressed those critics on air before, going off on right-wing bloggers during the Republican primary election and once telling them to "shut the hell up."

(h/t Real Clear Politics)

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Before You Go

Joe Scarborough Through The Years
PRINT ORIGINAL--12/6/94--GOP LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE--Freshmen(01 of26)
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UNITED STATES - DECEMBER 06: GOP LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE--Freshmen representatives James Longley, R-Maine, Joe Scarborough, R-Fla., and Sam Brownback, R-Kan., talk to reporters. (Photo by Kathleen R. Beall/Congressional Quarterly/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
PRINT ORIGINAL--2/1/96--George Radanovich, R-Calif., left, a(02 of26)
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UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 01: George Radanovich, R-Calif., left, and Joe Scarborough, R-Fla., after Radanovich was elected president of the freshman class. (Photo by Scott J. Ferrell/Congressional Quarterly/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Joe Scarborough(03 of26)
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UNITED STATES - MARCH 29: Senator Joe Scarborough, R-FL, (Photo By Jeff Wolfram/Roll Call/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
US House Representative Joe Scarborough, R-Fla, re(04 of26)
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PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 2: US House Representative Joe Scarborough, R-Fla, rehearses with his band Regular Joe for his performance at the 2000 Republican National Convention at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 02 August, 2000. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO Steve JAFFE (Photo credit should read STEVE JAFFE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
US Comedy Arts Festival 2005 - "Wag the Debate" Center for American Progress(05 of26)
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Joe Scarborough, Janeane Garofalo and Laura Ingraham (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic) (credit:Getty Images)
Republican Presidential Debate(06 of26)
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REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE -- Pictured: MSNBC's Joe Scarborough prior to the debate on May 3, 2007 -- Photo by: Paul Drinkwater/NBC NewsWire (credit:Getty Images)
2008 Moves Power Women Awards(07 of26)
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MSNBC's Morning Joe Host Joe Scarborough attends the 2008 Moves Power Women event at The Carlton on September 23, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic) (credit:Getty Images)
11th Annual Nantucket Film Festival - NBC Universal Screenwriters Tribute to Steve Martin - June 18, 2005(08 of26)
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Joe Scarborough and guest during 11th Annual Nantucket Film Festival - NBC Universal Screenwriters Tribute to Steve Martin - June 18, 2005 at Sconset Casino in Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States. (Photo by Gail Oskin/WireImage) (credit:Getty Images)
Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World - Inside(09 of26)
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NEW YORK - MAY 08: Joe Scarborough (R) attends Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center on May 8, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/WireImage) (credit:Getty Images)
2008 Moves Power Women Event(10 of26)
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NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 23: MSNBC's Morning Joe Host Joe Scarborough and Co-Host Mika Brzezinski attend the 2008 Moves Power Women event at The Carlton on September 23, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic) (credit:Getty Images)
Morning Joe(11 of26)
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MORNING JOE -- Pictured: (l-r) Mika Brzezinski, Joe Scarborough, Vice President Joe Biden -- Vice President Joe Biden talks to MSNBC's Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski on 'Morning Joe' about the ongoing struggle to get the health care reform bill passed (Photo by Stephen J. Boitano/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Meet The Press(12 of26)
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MEET THE PRESS -- Air Date 05/03/2009 -- Pictured: Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' (Photo by William B. Plowman/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Meet The Press : Smiley, Scarborough(13 of26)
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MEET THE PRESS -- Airdate 08/23/2009 --Pictured: Tavis Smiley, host of PRI's 'The Tavis Smiley Show' left, and Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' right, appear on 'Meet the Press' with moderator David Gregory in Washington, D.C., Sunday August 23, 2009. (Photo by William B. Plowman/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
BuzzFoto Celebrity Sightings In New York - June 22, 2010(14 of26)
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NEW YORK CITY - JUNE 22: (L-R) Joe Scarborough and Mika Brezinski sighting on June 22, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Christopher Peterson/BuzzFoto/FilmMagic) (credit:Getty Images)
Morning Show Luncheon(15 of26)
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MORNING SHOW LUNCHEON -- Pictured: (l-r) Morning Joe hosts: Mika Brzezinski, Joe Scarborough at NBC's Morning Show Luncheon on September 23, 2010 (Photo by Peter Kramer/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Morning Joe(16 of26)
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MEET THE PRESS -- Pictured: Mika Brzezinski, co host, left, and host Joe Scarborough, right, appear on 'Morning Joe' for the Morning Joe Bipartisan Health Challenge in Washington, D.C., Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010. (Photo by William B. Plowman/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Zac Efron, Chris Colfer And Alicia Keys Visit "Spider-Man: Turn On The Dark" On Broadway - February 6, 2011(17 of26)
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Host of MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' Joe Scarborough (R) and family pose with Reeve Carney (2nd R) backstage at the hit musical 'Spider-Man:Turn on the Dark' at The Foxwoods Theater on February 6, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic) (credit:Getty Images)
Celebrities Visit Broadway - February 6, 2011(18 of26)
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NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 06: Host of MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' Joe Scarborough poses backstage at the hit musical 'Spider-Man:Turn on the Dark' at The Foxwoods Theater on February 6, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic) (credit:Getty Images)
2011 WICT Leadership Conference And Touchstones Luncheon(19 of26)
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NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 03: MSNBC's Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough speaks at 2011 WICT Leadership Conference and Touchstones Luncheon at New York Hilton and Towers on October 3, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Imagesfor WICT) (credit:Getty Images)
ABC's "The View" - Season 15(20 of26)
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THE VIEW - (9.8.11) Joe Scarborough (host, 'Morning Joe') sang and played acoustic guitar for a song that he wrote about 9/11 live today on 'The View.' 'The View' airs Monday-Friday (11:00 am-12:00 pm, ET) on the ABC Television Network. (Photo by Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty Images)JOE SCARBOROUGH (credit:Getty Images)
2012 Winter TCA Tour - Day 4(21 of26)
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PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 07: Host Joe Scarborough speaks onstage during the 'Morning Joe' panel during the NBCUniversal portion of the 2012 Winter TCA Tour at The Langham Huntington Hotel and Spa on January 7, 2012 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Meet the Press: Scarborough(22 of26)
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MEET THE PRESS -- Pictured: Joe Scarborough, Host, MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' appears on 'Meet the Press' in Washington, D.C., Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. (Photo by William B. Plowman/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
The Hollywood Reporter Celebrates "The 35 Most Powerful People In Media" - Arrivals(23 of26)
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NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 11: Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough attend the Hollywood Reporter celebration of 'The 35 Most Powerful People in Media' at the Four Season Grill Room on April 11, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Ralph Lauren Celebrates The Publication Of "The Hamptons: Food, Family and History" By Ricky Lauren(24 of26)
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NEW YORK, NY - MAY 22: Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough attend the Ralph Lauren celebration for the publication of 'The Hamptons: Food, Family and History' by Ricky Lauren at the Ralph Lauren Women's Boutique on May 22, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Von Holden/Getty Images for Ralph Lauren) (credit:Getty Images)
2012 Republican National Convention Delayed By Tropical Storm Isaac(25 of26)
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TAMPA, FL - AUGUST 27: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (L) talks with Joe Scarborough (C) of MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' on the floor before the start of the abbreviated first day of the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on August 27, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. The RNC is scheduled to convene today, but will hold its first full session tomorrow after being delayed due to Tropical Storm Isaac. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
2012 Republican National Convention Delayed By Tropical Storm Isaac(26 of26)
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TAMPA, FL - AUGUST 27: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (C) stands with Joe Scarborough of MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' on the floor before the start of the abbreviated first day of the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on August 27, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. The RNC is scheduled to convene today, but will hold its first full session tomorrow after being delayed due to Tropical Storm Isaac. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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