Some cross-network love for Jake Tapper on Morning Joe today, as MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski expressed respect for ABC’s Jake Tapper, and disappointment that ABC News had not chosen him as permanent host of its Sunday talk show, This Week.  Instead of elevating its home-grown talent, ABC has brought in Christiane Amanpour, late of CNN, to fill the vacancy created by George Stephanopoulos’ move to Good Morning America.

Joe and Mika made their comments after rolling tape of Tapper asking Bill Clinton, in an interview aired yesterday, whether he should have been considered to fill the impending Supreme Court vacancy.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: Jake Tapper is great.

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: I think he’s a huge talent.

SCARBOROUGH: I’m really surprised he did not get that slot over at This Week. He is a –

BRZEZINSKI: That’s who–that certainly would have made sense.

SCARBOROUGH: He will, eventually. He’s a great guy.

BRZEZINSKI: I love Christiane Amanpour, but –I don’t know why they didn’t. I just don’t know why they — I don’t know why they didn’t give him like a good six months [as provisional This Week host].  It reminds me of another scenario that we won’t mention.

WILLIE GEIST: He’s good.

My two cents say ‘right on.’  Perhaps more than anyone else in the White House press corps, Tapper has been consistently willing to ask the tough questions, and to persist over time when answers have not been forthcoming.

ABC might have thought Amanpour provided more star power. But Jake is the rising light, and Amanpour also comes with a strong whiff of liberal bias that is sure to turn off a good chunk of ABC’s potential audience.