‘I Have Been…Against This Bullsh*t War From The Beginning’

September 21, 2006

Since I have been known, on occasion, to criticize MSNBC’s [tag]Chris Matthews[/tag], I thought it only fair to offer him some praise for his comments this morning on Imus. For a guy who has, just recently, blamed Clinton for 9/11, kissed up to Tom DeLay, and compared war critics to terrorists, Matthews seems to have woken up.

* On the media’s war coverage: “It is like we are at war — we have killed 15,000 people that died over there in that war, we still get guys knocked off every couple of days, a couple more guys are killed — and yet it is not on the tube. It’s like, are we bored with the war now? Is that the new thing? We don’t cover a war guys are fighting? And I watch the news, I don’t see the war any more. It has been taken off television, and Bush must love it. Certainly Karl Rove loves the fact that the Iraq War has gotten boring for the American people.”

* Asked if he was part of the media that went along with the administration on the war, Matthews said: “No. no. no. no. Don. Dono. You can check everything. Get your Nexis-Lexis out. Get your google out. Every column I have written from the day they started talking about Iraq has been against it. Now you are chuckling because you know damn well you’ve pulled my chain here. I have been a voice out there against this bullshit war from the beginning.”

* On the White House’s political strategy: “The amazing thing is the President is winning now with a hand with nothing in it. They were wrong about the WMD, wrong about the connection to 9/11. Cheney said he didn’t even know there was going to be a war when we went in there. He was totally wrong, and yet he talks like god on television, and we are supposed to believe every word.”

I’m glad Matthews has come around. I’m not quite sure about that against-the-war-from-the-beginning line — Matthews did say less than a year ago that if Bush’s Middle East policy pays off, “he belongs on Mount Rushmore” — but why quibble?

Don’t confuse the “Chris Matthews” who sometimes says reasonable things on Imus with the other “Chris Matthews” who would never say things this frankly on the television machine.

Remember the breathless, almost weepy, exasperated “Chris Matthews” who called into Imus to complain that ~you can’t trust the Bush administration to tell the truth on anything.~ (I think this was featured on Crooks & Liars?)

Man, did he sound angry. But, did he follow that up on the following Sunday? Of course not…

While it’s certainly true that the “Chris Matthews, the Reasonable” was one of the few media people who publicly opposed the Iraq War, “Chris Matthews, the Celebrity Pundit” is willing to perpetuate all manner of media stereotypes, particularly against liberals.

So, I don’t think he’s “woken up” unfortunately. He’s just doing what he always does… Playing both sides of the issues depending on the audience.

(Sorry about the lack of formatting, I can’t figure out the right HTML tags)

  • Methinks that “Chrissie” is feeling the heat right about now. Being a schmooze-peddler for Herr Bush is slowly becoming a very unpopular job classification, and people like Matthews are now finding themselves scrambling for the shrunken numbers of kool-aid quaffers—it’s like watching a bunch of half-starved cats fighting over an empty sardine-tin.

    Matthews is the type of “fractional journalist” who knows that he’s ridden high on the ratings, and that the only way to stay near the top is to change his “message.” The proof? Watch for Herr Bush’s “October Surprise”—and Matthews’ commentaries if our little tyrant pulls it off….

  • I do remember hearing him on the Imus program before the war started with a lot of good arguments against the war.

    I was surprised that he became later such a bootlicking lackey of the administration.

  • Rove’s October Surprise!!!
    Bush on Mt. Rushmore… with yet another prime time moment, with unveiling ceremonies to be broadcast live by Chris Matthews in a special edition of Hardball. when our Great Leader assumes the title of Eternal President.

  • I get so fed up with these commentators, who should know more about what’s happening than the average Joe, spouting the admin’s lies. Are they being paid to do so by the corporations they represent? Are they afraid of being fired if they don’t? Going with the flow to remain “popular”? But now speaking out because the preznit and his party are in trouble?

    I am reminded of a comment by Tucker Carlson (man, that guy so CANNOT dance and was promptly cut from Dancing with the Stars) after the 2004 election. It was along the lines of ‘Bush isn’t very smart and I don’t know any journalists who voted for him.’

    These guys (and gals) should be ashamed of themselves.

  • CB, I can’t believe you are sticking up for this guy when you hear the kinds of things he says every day. You sound like the kid in elementary school who is friends with some kid even though he goes along & laughs along with the bullies when they steal your lunch money every day, because he still wants to hang out with you one day a week on the weekend, and gosh, all those other kids sure look cool, don’t they?

    Stop sticking up for guys like this.

  • Those of us, who regard Chris Matthews with contempt because of his tendency to apologize for Bush and the Plutocracy, when he is not simply being incredibly lazy and ignorant, have difficulty seeing that he has, in fact, opposed the Iraq War from day one.

    He did not wake up yesterday on the Iraq War. He was awake from the beginning, and absolutely adamant about it.

    The Daily Howler, who is no friend to Matthews, has noted several times the tendency of the Left to not notice Matthews’ clear-eyed opposition to the Iraq War, because it is not consistent with our view of him.

    Maybe it is we, who should question our preconceptions a bit.

  • Bruce,

    Right there with ya… Except that I don’t think “our” preconceptions about Matthews are all that far off…

    It is his inconsistency which, as Somerby likes to remind us, makes him such a “strange creature.”

    It seems hard to deny that Matthews plays it both ways. (I see that Atrios has made a similar comment today, also).

    And that he plays it both ways depending on the audience. But, he’s clever about it. He’ll say he’s against the war on T.V. but that’s about it. As if that is all he needs to do to keep being referred to as a “liberal” but largely non-partisan pundit.

    I agree that “we” often get it wrong by saying that Matthew’s has recently seen the light. But, I also think it is pretty understandable to have missed his early opposition to the Iraq War amidst his penchant for Bush fawning.

  • Bruce,

    The inconsistency lies with Matthews; at almost other every turn he shills for the Rethugs–reliably. And the Rethug list of bad policies is too damn long and hurtful to the nation to cut Matthews a break. Matthews is just “a ratings whore” anyway.

  • He opposed the war — in a print column that hasn’t run in almost four years.

    On television, on his show, it’s fluff-fluff-fluff for Junta Boy.

    He’s playing both ends against the middle, and a third dside , should one appear….

  • It’s good to have him on the anti-war side, but Matthews is full of crap.

    Observe…

    from http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2842

    “We’re all neo-cons now.”
    (MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, 4/9/03)

    “We’re proud of our president. Americans love having a guy as president, a guy who has a little swagger, who’s physical, who’s not a complicated guy like Clinton or even like Dukakis or Mondale, all those guys, McGovern. They want a guy who’s president. Women like a guy who’s president. Check it out. The women like this war. I think we like having a hero as our president. It’s simple. We’re not like the Brits.”
    (MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, 5/1/03)

    “Why don’t the damn Democrats give the president his day? He won today. He did well today.”
    (MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, 4/9/03)

    “What’s he going to talk about a year from now, the fact that the war went too well and it’s over? I mean, don’t these things sort of lose their–Isn’t there a fresh date on some of these debate points?”
    (MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, speaking about Howard Dean–4/9/03)

  • Typical Bush enabler: He’s willing to say anything to get himself out of a jam or to appear to be on the “right side of history,” but when push comes to shove he’ll defend Bush and smear the nearest Dem he can find.

  • Good job with the quotes Racerx. Matthews asking for a google search on him reminds me of Gary Hart’s ‘go ahead and follow me’….look where that led him.

    I cannot handle Matthews at all. He is an absolute enemy to any kind of intelligent discussion on any pertinent issue, which in my mind, makes him a Republican.

  • I have been watching Mathews lately because he is on before Oberman and he does seem to have turned down the rhetoric for Bush. I think he has said some disgusting things in the past and he is no friend to the progressives, but perhaps he has seen the light. I think it is more likely that the networks have seen the light or rather the polls, and they are asking for the pro-Bush, partisan rhetoric to be softened. He is probably just following orders.

  • ***…when our Great Leader assumes the title of Eternal President.***
    —————————————-kali

    Blast it all, kali—you had the chance for a perfect Freudian slip—by simply changing that to read “infernal resident….”

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