Matthews: Breaking the law may be "part of the job" of president

[kpete]

Matthews: Breaking the law may be "part of the job" of president

Summary: MSNBC's Hardball host Chris Matthews asserted that illegally spying on Americans in an effort to track down terrorists was "maybe ... part of the job" of the president of the United States.

On the January 12 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, host Chris Matthews asserted that wiretapping Americans in an effort to track down terrorists -- which his guest asserted would be "breaking the law" -- was "maybe ... part of the job" of the president of the United States. During a discussion with Russell Tice, a former National Security Agency (NSA) employee who has stated he is one of the sources for the December 16 New York Times article that revealed a secret domestic spying program under which the NSA reportedly eavesdrops on the communications of people within the United States without court approval, Matthews stated:

MATTHEWS: We're under attack on 9-11. A couple of days after that, if I were president of the United States and somebody said we had the ability to check on all the conversations going on between here and Hamburg, Germany, where all the Al Qaeda people are, or somewhere in Saudi , where they came from and their parents are, and we could mine some of that information by just looking for some key words like "World Trade Center" or "Pentagon," I'd do it.

When Tice responded that "you'd be breaking the law," Matthews replied: "Yeah. Well, maybe that's part of the job."

From the January 12 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews

http://mediamatters.org/items/200601130004

[Julius Civitatus]

1. Chris Matthews is an utter idiot

Must take a lot of work for the make-up department to clean all the drool from his idiotic face.

[DS1]

2. I think the GOP has been watching too much 24

[seeminer21]

28. Ha ha

Don't tell me Jack Bauer is a Republican!

[yourout]

3. WTF?......you need to be a felon to be Prezinet?

What a whore.

[CottonBear]

4. It's time for Tweety to leave his MSM perch and fly away...forever. n/t

[myrna minx]

5. I swear to gad, I think this has been one of the most surreal

weeks I've ever lived through. Yeah Chris, breaking the law is part of the President's job. :eyes: :puke:

[Jawja]

33. Yes, I was thinking last night

that to believe that * will overreach and that will be end of him is false hope. I feel that he is overreaching and should be in the storm of impeachment at this moment.

But to see the MSM's effort to make the violation of the 4th Amendment and his Oath of Office into a "ho hum" it's "nitpicking," with the "people support it," we have to "get the terrorists," and NOW, the President "has to break the law" is to realize that the MSM is indeed PRAVDA and don't look to THEM to act in the interest of the public. Ever. No matter WHAT the crime by our GOP government might be.

[myrna minx]

34. Exactly.

I never in my wildest dreams would believe that the press corpse would cheer on a President to commit crimes. I know that I have posted "We are through the Looking Glass" before, but the blatant law violations and Pravda enablers are truly shocking. I have never in my life been this afraid. :scared: :cry:

[Jawja]

35. Me, too.

I really and honestly believed that when his criminality became evident to the public, he would finally face the wrath of the corporate media and the "powers that be" would work to bring him down.

But it is clear to me now that it's not gonna happen. Ever wonder where those unaccounted for billion$ of taxpayer money went? It's obvious that the same machine that bought Congress has also bought the Fourth Estate. The corruption is wide and deep.

And while pretty faces of the media sit in front of cameras and excuse the ruling cabal's crimes, the ruling cabal is quickly putting measures in place to make protest and demonstration a crime against the ruler.

on edit: I never READ before posting!

[Loonman]

6. What a crumb bum...

In the 1930s, Tweetybird would have supported Hitler because he was "tough on communism".

[seabeyond]

7. may be part of a job as a parent to steal that loaf of bread

because your children are hungry. they still send them to jail for breaking the law

[Proud2BAmurkin]

26. GOOD POINT nt

nt

[Proud2BAmurkin]

27. Chris Matthews is a Brownshirt Pantywaist

nt

[Deep13]

8. "...preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States..."

What part of that involves breaking laws created pursuant to that Constitution?

[Warren Stupidity]

9. Yesterday's news.

Todays headline: Tweety is a GOP Operative.

[MADem]

16. I always wondered if he were a member of a three letter agency

...no Viet Nam service, but he did time in the Peace Corps...the only thing is, he doesn't seem smart enough. He also seems like he benefits from medication, but isn't always compliant.

Tip O'Neill has to be spinning in his grave. When I heard him make that "law breaking" remark, I couldn't believe it was coming out of his snarky mouth--it was probably the STUPIDEST thing he has ever said.

[Boojatta]

10. This is good news! This way Nader won't want the job next time!

[TheFarseer]

11. does he have stock in a wire-tapping company?

For God's sake Chris, take it easy! What is up this guy's ass that he is so gung-ho for his own government spying on him?

[Boojatta]

12. Where was Chris Matthews when Nixon needed him? Maybe too young.

[Chiyo-chichi]

13. Maybe acting as an apoligist for a corrupt administration

is part of a news/talk show host's job.

[madokie]

He's a tool and a fool for not knowing it

[malaise]

14. I heard him and screamed

these are the same fools who talk about rule of law and democracy when it suits them.

Sp.

[Loonman]

15. Chris is a "good German"

Jawohl!

[Beetwasher]

17. You Can Do That WITHOUT BREAKING THE LAW

FISA give you 3 days to retroactively get a warrant. There is NO EXCUSE for not using that mechanism. Tap anyone you fucking want, immediately and get the warrant later. Chimpy didn't care and broke the law when it wasn't even necessary.

Tweety is a fucking idiot.

[HughBeaumont]

18. Tweety Bushpologist needs to shut da fuck UP.

MAN this guy pisses me off. NO president is above the law, least of all this corrupt piece of steaming cow sundae. In any other country, these guys would be led in shackles through the squares.

[Tesla]

20. At least in our country they should be recognized

for the fascists they are!!!

[Fox Mulder]

19. Where's Sylvester when you need him?

[Ksec]

21. Ever since Matthews was boning it up with bush at that

function they attended , Tweety has had a crush on bush. Hes like a giddy schoolgirl , fawning all over some boy band member. Its really sickening to watch this display of power envy . Id bet he fantisizes about showering with his hero.

[Arkansas Granny]

22. National security had nothing to do with why Bush broke the law.

He broke the law because of his ego maniacal personality. He does these things because he can and his lapdog, Republican Congress allows him to get away with it.

His job, as he has sworn to do, is to uphold the Constitution, not do his damnedest to make it into a "goddamn piece of paper".

[mattomjoe]

23. People have lost their fucking minds over 9/11.

I certainly don't mean to be callous to anyone who personally suffered loss from that day, but I'm feeling more and more desensitized to the magnitude of the attacks of that day. Day after day after day after day we hear about 9/11 changing everything.

9/11.

9/11.

9/11.

9/11.....

While I'll never lose the feeling of shock and horror that I felt that day, I feel that this country has lost all sense of perspective ever since then. Again, I do not mean to diminish the loss suffered, but if tearing up the Constitution is how we're going to react, we really need to get over it. 9/11 was bad enough -- but tearing down this country's foundation to prevent another one is even worse.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

24. Chris is like many who

long for, hope for, wish for easy answers to complex problems. So is the man living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Thus we have a man who breaks the law because it is expedient, and another who supports such activity. No wonder we're in such a mess..........:shrug:

[kenny blankenship]

25. part of the job description --for a Fascist Dictator.

I don't remember Matthews taking this kind of line when Clinton was President. Did he say this sort thing, that the President is above the law back then?

[Marthe48]

29. too bad *hole didn't break the law before Sept 11th

when the FBI field people were trying like crazy to see what was going on and nobody bothered to seize computers or wire tap the suspects.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

30. My email to tweety:

Dear Mr. Mathews--

I'm very concerned that you would put the idea out there that it may be
"part of the job" of the president to break the law in the process of
protecting the country. Small minded people are already all too
comfortable with the law breaking ways of the current administration.
They don't need their ignorance and blind devotion validated by the
corporate media. The President takes an oath to "...preserve, protect
and defend the Constitution of the United States..." and nowhere in that
oath does it remotely suggest that he can pick and choose which parts of
the constitution he wishes to observe. This was an excellent
opportunity for you to help clarify that Bush has had all the tools he's
needed via a very compliant FISA court and there was no reason that
stands up to the slightest scrutiny for him to circumvent it-- but you
chose not to do that.

I hope you will show much better judgement in the future.

Thank you.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

36. Excellent letter.

I'd like to think that he will read it, but who knows. But he is already aware of all the facts that you point out, and still comes up with that idiotic statement. If he was standing right here, I would like to ask him why the FISA court has no merit in his observation.

[Jersey Devil]

31. Yep, saw that an broke the record for changing channels on the remote

I thought I was going to puke.

[Loonman]

32. Tweety the super-douche had a problem with Clinton

When he was forced to lie about the blowjobs.

[ProfessorGAC]

37. The JOB Is CHIEF LAW ENFORCMENT OFFICER, Chris!

The job isn't to break the law. It's to ENFORCE it! What a dimwit!
The Professor

[KnowerOfLogic]

38. People like Matthews don't deserve civil rights. They freeload off

of the patriots and freedom-fighters who did all the work and made all the sacrifices that got these cry-babies the rights they are so willing to throw away.

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

41. Well, I wouldn't go as far as to say Tweety doesn't deserve

civil rights, but I agree with the rest of your statement 100%.

Maybe Tweets should walk himself over to the Mall in DC and take a good long look at the WWII Memorial and the Vietnam Wall. He then might, and I do mean "might", recognize the fact that those men and women "walked the walk" instead of "talked the talk".

[Nikki Stone 1]

39. This is an anti-democratic sentiment if there ever was one

recommended

[izzybeans]

40. ...And Propaganda is "Yeah.Well, maybe that's part of the job" for you

Isn't it Chris?

[AZBlue]

42. Thank God he's not on SCOTUS

[Ksec]

44. He will be if Scalito gets in. Same difference...nt

[Kickin_Donkey]

43. What a *ucking media whore ...

The thing is, only Republican presidents (and governors -- hello, Arnie) are allowed to be above the law. If you're a Democrat, and you "lie" to cover up a blowjob, it's high crimes and misdemeanors.