For Murphy, Morning Joe yields great opportunity

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Recruiting speakers for breakfast receptions can be a hectic activity for the chair of the Maryland delegation to the Republican National Convention, but the man with the job said he has it down to a science.

"We didn't have Governor Pawlenty until 45 minutes - maybe an hour ago," said Don Murphy, just moments after Pawlenty (R- Minn.) spoke at Wednesday's breakfast.

Murphy and a small group of delegates headed over to watch Morning Joe - MSNBC's morning show which is being shot in St. Paul - at about 4:45am. While there, they ran into Pawlenty. "We invited him to come on over," said Murphy, and the governor did.

Murphy encouraged the other delegates to join in on Thursday, when he said he was making a second appearance at Morning Joe.

"I think you're gonna want to come tomorrow," he told the delegation.

Murphy did let on that the Morning Joe experience didn't go perfectly.

"The other day I said don't embarrass your parents and your great grandchildren...I failed to keep my own word," Murphy told the crowd. "There I was on Morning Joe -- on national TV -- and my cell phone rings and it's my mother. And she say's ‘you're in doors. Take off your hat."