Chris Matthews, Who Previously Whined About Too Much 'Hate' in Politics, Compares GOP to Hamas
On Wednesday's Hardball, Chris Matthews, who previously ranted about too much "hate" in politics, sneeringly compared the House GOP to Hamas. Talking to Jonathan Allen of Politico, Matthews snarled at Barack Obama's congressional opponents: "Who is the President talking to? Is it just a clique of a bunch of right-wingers who don't want to talk to anybody? Are they Hamas?" [See video below. MP3 audio here.]
It was left to Allen, no conservative, to talk Matthews down: "They are not Hamas." It's clear that the cable anchor doesn't listen to himself when he talks. On January 21, he whined about too much partisanship and over-the-top language: "Why can't politics be a matter of belief and honest disagreement, not hatred?" If only the January 21 Matthews could ask the February 20 Matthews this.
However, considering that the anchor has also compared Republicans to Nazis, he obviously isn't worried about too much hate– at least if it's his.
On Sunday's Meet the Press, Matthews raailed against House conservatives for making Congress "undemocratic."
A transcript of Wednesday's exchange is below:
02/20/13
5:20
CHRIS MATTHEWS: It is the hard right. Every time the President– You talk to people at the White House. They say, this president, whatever you think of the politics, doesn't know who to talk to on the hill. There is no Boehner, he's just a front man. Eric Cantor has his got wet finger in the air trying to figure out which way the wind is blowing. Who is the President talking to? Is it just a clique of a bunch of right-wingers who don't want to talk to anybody? Then– Are they Hamas? Who are they out there?
JONATHAN ALLEN: They are not Hamas. But, look, there's nobody that speaks with one voice for the House Republicans. When there is a deal cut, it's always Mitch McConnell and Joe Biden.
...
MATTHEWS: Do you think the right wing people know when they're sitting in their chairs voting no, no, no, bringing one manufactured crisis to bear after another that they're just happy when they pick up the paper and say public confidence going down. That's good for our party.
-- Scott Whitlock is the senior news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
