What happened to the "BIG" Matthews story?

[LibraLiz1973]

The other day there was a post on here from someone at Raw Story saying there would be a big news story about Chris Matthews coming out yesterday. I just went and looked at the RS home page- nothing.

Do they just say stuff is coming & then dump it? Not the first time that's happened, which is why I am asking.

[Warren Stupidity]

1. Oh you missed it

Chris is leaving Hardnutz to replace 'Edgar' on '24'. His job is to eat donuts and bloat out until the end of the season.

[LibraLiz1973]

5. well, the bloating is definately happening

lol

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. It's seasoning.

We need to confirm how much money Tweety took from the conservatives for speaking arrangements. And we need to confirm if those speaking fees are allowed at MSNBC.

[Fridays Child]

3. He speaks to consevative groups, possibly for large speaking fees.

That was the story. I think it sucks for journalists to do that and NBC has a policy against it but, from what I read, his fees couldn't be confirmed. If nothing else, it shows a pro-conservative bias, as there were no records of him speaking to liberal groups.

[Lefty48197]

4. Here's a link to the story:

Someone posted something about this a couple of hours ago. People kept saying it was a non-story, but I think there's something to it.

http://rawstory.com/news/2006/Report_posits_that_Chris_...


"A new report advanced to RAW STORY Thursday suggests that Chris Matthews, the star of the MSNBC's daily talk show Hardball, has accepted hefty speaking fees from an array of conservative trade associations."

"Matthews has given speeches to at least ten major conservative trade associations since 2001. The report's author, Dave Johnson, who blogs at Seeing The Forest and is also a fellow at the progressive Commonweal Institute, could find no records indicating that Matthews has spoken before any Democratic-leaning organizations. The report is not a product of the Commonweal Institute."

"Why is Matthews speaking at so many events with Republican-associated trade organizations?" Johnson asks. "What is NBC policy on speaking engagements and why does NBC keep it hidden? Are these trade associations paying Matthews to purchase influence?"

C'mon do they really expect us to believe that the Republicans would pay "journalists" to publish stories that promote their causes? (end of sarcasm)

[LibraLiz1973]

9. The ? I have is this

Is the problem that speaking engagements shouldn't be allowed by talking heads?



Because if Scarborough, Carlson, O'Reilly etc. spoke, it would be very obvious that they would speak to conservatives, because they basically SAY they are conservative. So is the problem with Matthews that he doesn't actually SAY he's conservative??? (even though it is so obvious)

Anyway, I think MSNBCs take on it would be that Matthews is a pundit, as opposed to being a reporter. Therefore, he can show a "bias"


I would bet money that Matthews has huge skeletons in his closet - but this aint it. Keep digging though!! He cant be off the air soon enough for me.

[Lefty48197]

15. I just think Matthews is on the GOP payroll.

He's pretty much Armstrong Williams with blond hair.

[Garbo 2004]

17. I find his MC-ing for an Abramoff rip off "charity" event a tad more

interesting. I don't doubt that at some level if it's all connected, as in hopping aboard the RW gravy train.

[OKNancy]

11. I'll wait for the actual author's post

on Seeing the Forest and then decide.

[NMDemDist2]

6. seriously, it came out the Tweety has made a ton of $$$$

going talks to conservative groups

lots of $$$$$$$$$

[ewagner]

7. It was sort of anti-climatic

it was an expose' by an independent researcher that showed that Tweety is represented by two separate speaker's bureaus and had made a lot of speeches to business and other conservative sounding groups....

there was some question as to whether MSNBC allows their hosts under contract to receive fees but nothing definitive came out of it

So the bottom line is that Tweety gets big $$$$$ to speak to business groups....we sort of already knew that....

[havocmom]

8. Chris makes $$ addressing winger groups

http://rawstory.com/news/2006/Report_posits_that_Chris_...

It was a big banner yesterday. I saw it even after no sleep due to being in the ER all night.It has been up for a couple days now. It is lower on the page today. Guess you don't check that page real well?

[LibraLiz1973]

10. I went top to bottom on the page

must have missed it


I was HOPING for something huge. Chris Matthews is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

[havocmom]

12. Hmm, nailing him to a chalkboard might be fun though!

Wanna help me

[LibraLiz1973]

14. You have no idea

He makes my blood boil

[DanCa]

13. Ah well I never watched Tweety to begin with.

While I can't tell people what to watch or listen too I'll never understand the right wing allure.

[daleo]

16. Tweety's blustering may be causing geysers on a moon of Saturn

I think that was the big story that was promised.

[H2O Man]

18. It shit the bed.

It was about as shocking as a report that McDonalds sells burgers and fries.