Matthews: Buzzed Out (by Chris Matthews)

[MarkInLA]

I argue politics for a living. In the years after 9/11 there emerged a vulnerability in this country, exploited by some, to any criticism of government policy. Dissent made people nervous, even suspicious. This jumpiness inspired a mob-like attack on anyone who said anything that contains even a jolt of novelty, a spark of evidence that a mind somewhere might be getting out of line. Every week, it seemed, there was someone - Bill Maher, the Dixie Chicks - who had said something you’re not supposed to say.

How about this for a thought: arguing politics, arguing about the politics of foreign policy, especially, and, yes, whether the decision was right to invade and occupy Iraq was a smart move or not, whether it’s right to keep our forces there now, whether the whole “mindset” of this war is good for our country, is a matter of legitimate debate. Arguing what’s good for this country isn’t unpatriotic, speaking up and caring about what we’re doing in the world can be the very essence of patriotism. Trying to silence criticism is the very opposite of democracy.

http://hardblogger.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/05/19/1041446.aspx

[grasswire]

1. said by the man who shouts down his guests...

...to allow his own opinion to prevail.

[MarkInLA]

3. I'm afraid I have to agree

He is a bit like Bill O'Reilly sometimes, isn't he...

[tularetom]

2. Sounds good but I don't trust this moran as far as he can drool

He and others like him have been a large part of why people are afraid of speaking out. He's been mocking dissent and slobbering over boosh for seen plus years and he's finally awakened to tha fact that his hero has completely fucked the dog. It's way too late for matthews to salvage any credibility. He should go back to ogling the boy kings sock filled space suit.

[4_TN_TITANS]

10. I'm with you...

Where have these fine words been for the last 7 years? He is just now waking up to see that he's squarely on the losing side. For someone who supposedly values opinion, he sure squashes a lot of it on Lowball.

[creeksneakers2]

4. A great piece

Sometimes Matthews does some good things.

[Phred42]

5. This, from Mr. "we're ALL Neocons now"

and "wouldn't you rather sit down and have a beer with Bush, than with Gore - you couldn't just have a beer and talk with Gore could you?"

Tweety was, is, and always will be a Reich-wing Stooge. Don't trust him.

[UpInArms]

6. Matthews is the ultimate whore

and he is despicable

Chief among the cheerleaders was MSNBC's Chris Matthews. On the May 1, 2003, edition of Hardball, Matthews was joined in his effusive praise of Bush by right-wing pundit Ann Coulter and "Democrat" Pat Caddell. Former U.S. Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-CA) also appeared on the program.:

MATTHEWS: What's the importance of the president's amazing display of leadership tonight?

<...>

MATTHEWS: What do you make of the actual visual that people will see on TV and probably, as you know, as well as I, will remember a lot longer than words spoken tonight? And that's the president looking very much like a jet, you know, a high-flying jet star. A guy who is a jet pilot. Has been in the past when he was younger, obviously. What does that image mean to the American people, a guy who can actually get into a supersonic plane and actually fly in an unpressurized cabin like an actual jet pilot?

<...>

MATTHEWS: Do you think this role, and I want to talk politically <...>, the president deserves everything he's doing tonight in terms of his leadership. He won the war. He was an effective commander. Everybody recognizes that, I believe, except a few critics. Do you think he is defining the office of the presidency, at least for this time, as basically that of commander in chief? That <...> if you're going to run against him, you'd better be ready to take away from him.

<...>

MATTHEWS: Let me ask you, Bob Dornan, you were a congressman all those years. Here's a president who's really nonverbal. He's like Eisenhower. He looks great in a military uniform. He looks great in that cowboy costume he wears when he goes West. I remember him standing at that fence with Colin Powell. Was the best picture in the 2000 campaign?

<...>

MATTHEWS: Ann Coulter, you're the first to speak tonight on the buzz. The president's performance tonight, redolent of the best of Reagan -- what do you think?

COULTER: It's stunning. It's amazing. I think it's huge. I mean, he's landing on a boat at 150 miles per hour. It's tremendous. It's hard to imagine any Democrat being able to do that. And it doesn't matter if Democrats try to ridicule it. It's stunning, and it speaks for itself.

MATTHEWS: Pat Caddell, the president's performance tonight on television, his arrival on ship?

CADDELL: Well, first of all, Chris, the -- I think that -- you know, I was -- when I first heard about it, I was kind of annoyed. It sounded like the kind of PR stunt that Bill Clinton would pull. But and then I saw it. And you know, there's a real -- there's a real affection between him and the troops.

<...>

MATTHEWS: The president there -- look at this guy! We're watching him. He looks like he flew the plane. He only flew it as a passenger, but he's flown --

CADDELL: He looks like a fighter pilot.

MATTHEWS: He looks for real. What is it about the commander in chief role, the hat that he does wear, that makes him -- I mean, he seems like -- he didn't fight in a war, but he looks like he does.

...more to :puke: to:

[quiet.american]

7. Hmn. I'll say this, his "...what *did* he do!"-whooping of Kevin James is a thing of beauty.

These sentiments he's expressing now are a little late, but welcome.

[nashville_brook]

8. tweety has been waking up -- the clip of him and the "appeasement" guy is priceless!

[samsingh]

9. is matthews mocking us? he's a gop stooge that

OCCASIONALLY does the right thing, raises our expectations, only to find him lying for the GOP again.

[vivalarevolucion77]

11. I will support Matthews when he runs for PA senator as a Democrat against Arlen Specter

The possibility of the host of MSNBC's "Hardball" Christopher Matthews, running against Senator Specter of Pennsylvania, a Republican, for Mr. Specter's senate seat in Pennsylvania is intensifying.

--New York Sun, 4-28-2008

http://www2.nysun.com/opinion/hardball-senator/

[Forrest Greene]

12. Seven Years Too Late

But I guess seven years is about average for testicular descent, innit?