If you watch “Morning Joe” you may already know this, but Mika Brzezinski is obsessed. Now she’s written a book — her third — about one particular obsession: America’s food addiction, and her own.

Brzezinski was feted at a book launch event last evening overlooking Central Park, where her morning partner Joe Scarborough described the root of Mika’s obsession: “If you know the Brzezinski family, you know why she has the issues she has,” Scarborough joked. “They are crazy, brilliant, and always striving for perfection.”

In “Obsessed” Brzezinski describes her history of food obsession, distorted body image and her struggle to be thin. It is dedicated to her two teenage daughters, Emilie and Carlie. “Girls, this book is for you,” Brzezinski said in her remarks as she asked them to “get off Snapchat and come forward.”

“I don’t want it to take 30 years for you to realize what it has taken me to realize.”

In the crowed, we spotted NBC’s Willie Geist, iVillage’s Kelly Wallace, CBS’s Leslie Stahl, MSNBC President Phil Griffin and CBS News chairman Jeff Fager. The “Morning Joe” crew was there including EP Alex Korson and former EP, now CBS News VP of programming Chris Licht. Also, Donny Deutsch, Joy Behar, Tina Brown and Sir Harold Evans.

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Mika Brzezinski, MSNBC president Phil Griffin and the UAE’s Ambassador to the U.S. Yousef Al Otaiba threw a 50th birthday bash for Joe Scarborough last night in Washington, DC.

According to Politico, Scarborough thought they were coming to D.C. for a speech, instead, on the rooftop of 101 Constitution Ave., Scarborough was treated to a “this is your life” with friends and family. “We have your life covered here completely, from Boston to Los Angeles to Florida to New York to Washington. Everybody is here,” said Brzezinski.

“You can sit back and relax and just hang with your family because, actually, we are going to talk tonight — and you’re not going to say a word.”

Among the guests: NBC/MSNBC’s Willie Geist, David Gregory, Luke Russert, Mike Barnicle, Andrea Mitchell, Kelly O’Donnell and Lawrence O’Donnell. “Morning Joe” EP Alex Korson and former EP Chris Licht and Licht’s boss’s boss at CBS, Jeff Fager. Also, Walter Isaacson, Dan Senor, Nicolle Wallace, Bob Woodward and more.

(h/t Playbook)

With Kentucky’s 67-59 win over Kansas last night, March Madness has officially come to an end. That also means that it is time to declare a winner in TVNewser’s 2012 March Madness bracket challenge.

Your 2012 TVNewser bracket challenge winner is…

Fox Business Network stocks editor Liz MacDonald!

“It was great fun going up against really tough competition,” MacDonald says. “I am honored and thrilled to be this year’s champion.”

It was a close match this year, with CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux and Kyra Phillips very close behind MacDonald in the standings. This is the second straight year that a competitor for one of the business news networks won. Last year’s winner was Bloomberg TV’s Dominic Chu. Chu also had a good showing this year, placing ninth.

In last place, tragically, was your humble TVNewser editor, who clearly needs to reevaluate his college basketball picking skills. My strategy of picking teams who had cool mascots (Blue Devils? Awesome!) may not have been the most sound.

A big “Thank You!” to all of this year’s participants.

The final standings are below.
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Spring is in the air, and that can only mean two things: March Madness and TVNewser’s 2012 bracket challenge.

Every March we have TV news talent, executives and producers fill out their brackets and make their picks, with the winner receiving the ultimate prize: bragging rights.

Last year’s champion–Bloomberg TV’s Dominic Chu–is back to defend his crown, but there is some steep competition from across the TV news spectrum.

Game on.

Here is your 2012 TVNewser March Madness lineup:

Team Bloomberg TV:

Returning champ: Dominic Chu, markets reporter, Bloomberg TV

Cory Johnson, editor-at-large, Bloomberg TV

Stephanie Ruhle, correspondent, Bloomberg TV

Team Fox News/Fox Business Network:

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Following the announcement this morning that “Morning Joe” EP Chris Licht will be joining CBS News, MSNBC has announced the new management team on the morning program.

Alex Korson has been named EP of “Morning Joe,” while Ann Edelberg has been named senior supervising producer.

“Alex and Ann have been driving forces for the show’s success and I’m confident that they will continue to make “Morning Joe” the most talked about morning news program,” said MSNBC president Phil Griffin in a note to staff this morning.

In the email, Griffin also thanked Licht for his service at the network:

“I also want to take this opportunity to thank Chris Licht for his leadership. Chris has had an impressive career at MSNBC – as the executive producer of both “Scarborough Country” and “Morning Joe.” I wish him good luck with his new role at CBS.”

The full email from Griffin, after the jump.

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