Chris Matthews on Monday smeared supporters of enforcing America's
immigration laws, linking them to the post-Civil War "back to Africa"
movement for African Americans. After liberal columnist David Corn
insisted that Mitt Romney had boxed himself in, politically, on the issue, Matthews
snarled, "How is this any different than the big boat argument of people when it comes to African Americans after the Civil War?"
Matthews continued, "This idea of 'put them on a boat and send them
back where they came from.'" Finding the worst motives in his political
opponent, Matthews insisted, "You know, he says that in polite
language, but that's what Romney's been saying. 'Get home where you came
from.'" [MP3 audio here .]
Later, Politico journalist John Heilemann pointed out that some older Latinos don't support illegal immigration.
This, apparently deviated too much from Matthews' talking points. He
pounced, "What is the reaction to people that don't like them though?
It's one thing to have a conservative view on the law. What do you do
when you hear there's people in politics who just don't like you because
you're Mexican American?"
The Hardball anchor didn't explain just which GOP politicians are saying, "I don't like Mexicans."
A partial transcript of the June 18 segment can be found below:
DAVID CORN: What Romney has done is put himself into a pair of cement
shoes. He has taken the most extreme position you have. I'm not saying
it's not an unprincipled position. It's a logical, coherent very, very
severely conservative position, which is we're not going to do anything
about the 12 million people here who are undocumented or their kids or
anything like that. Everyone has to go home and that's it, end of story.
He's, you know- It's a consistent position. It just doesn't match
reality. It doesn't match policy reality because it can't work as a
policy and really doesn't match political reality, which is why he's
been so tongue tied ever since the President took offensive on this on
Friday.
CHRIS MATTHEWS: How is this any different than the big boat
argument of people when it comes to African Americans after the Civil
War? This idea of 'put them on a boat and send them back where they came
from.' You know, he says that in polite language, but that's what
Romney's been saying. 'Get home where you came from.' Start all over
again.
...
JOHN HEILEMANN: As for Latinos, look, there is, if you go around focus
groups in the southwest, there are older Hispanics who resent illegal
immigrants as much some, as some white Americans do. So, it's not-
MATTHEWS: What is the reaction to people that don't like them
though? It's one thing to have a conservative view on the law. What do
you do when you hear there's people in politics who just don't like you
because you're Mexican American?
HEILEMANN: Well, look, I think those people, it's very hard to get someone to vote for you if they think- if you think-
MATTHEWS: If you hate them.
HEILEMANN: If you believe, as a voter, think that the politician hates you as an ethnic group.
-- Scott Whitlock is the senior news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
