Matthews compared Bush press conference to Churchill, again touted Giuliani as "the perfect candidate" to replace Bush, told Bilbray, "You're the best"
On MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews compared President Bush's post-Iraq visit speech earlier that day to "[former New York City Mayor Rudy ] Giuliani at his best at 9-11," adding that the president "spoke a lot like the best of [former British Prime Minister Sir Winston] Churchill." Matthews also noted that Giuliani would be the "perfect" candidate to replace Bush in 2008, and praised newly elected Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-CA) for his stance on immigration. Matthews made these comments during a show in which he conducted solo interviews of three Republicans, but no solo interviews of Democrats or progressives.
On the June 14 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews again gushed over Republican politicians, comparing President Bush's performance at a recent press conference to that of Sir Winston Churchill, touting former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani as the "perfect candidate" for president in 2008, and stating that he is "signing up" with newly elected Rep. Brain Bilbray (R-CA) because Bilbray is "the best," and "the clearest voice" on the issue of illegal immigration. Matthews's statements came during a show in which he conducted solo interviews of three Republicans but no solo interviews of Democrats or progressives.
During a solo interview with National Review Washington editor Kate O'Beirne, Matthews stated that at a press conference earlier that day, Bush "spoke a lot like the best of Churchill" by giving "facts, bad [unpleasant] information, complete information." Matthews also likened Bush's performance to "Giuliani at his best at 9-11," adding that this "convinces me again that Giuliani is the guy ... who may well be the perfect candidate to replace [Bush]."
Media Matters for America has previously noted numerous examples of Matthews gushing over Bush, including his comparison of Bush's performance at a May 25 press conference to Abraham Lincoln. Media Matters has also noted several instances of Matthews touting Giuliani as a candidate for president or vice president in 2008.
Later, Matthews gushed over Bilbray during a solo interview with the newly elected congressman. Matthews asked Bilbray whether there was a "dirty deal" between the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the "Chamber of Commerce," and the Democratic Party, to prevent the establishment of a national identification card system that would discourage the hiring of illegal immigrants. When Bilbray responded that these three groups "want to undercut" a national ID card system, Matthews stated: "I'm with you. I'm signing up. You're the best. You're the clearest voice I've heard on this issue. Thank you very much, I see why you won [your race]."
Matthews also conducted a solo interview of White House communications director Nicolle Wallace on the program but conducted no solo interviews of Democrats or progressives. He hosted separate panel discussions with Dave "Mudcat" Saunders, senior adviser to the campaign of former Navy Secretary Jim Webb, Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate from Virginia, and Dick Wadhams, campaign manager for the re-election campaign of Sen. George Allen (R-VA) and with reporters Mike Allen of Time and Richard Wolffe of Newsweek.
From the June 14 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:
MATTHEWS: Did he shift the image today from the notion you and I probably share -- which is U.S. GIs over there fighting, walking through the streets with heavy weapons, automatic weapons, trying to look for bad guys -- to an image of an American ally over there, the new prime minister of Iraq, in that democratically elected government, that we're now going to be helping? In other words, the focus in our brains now -- thanks to the last couple days -- is a government over there led by an actual person who looks normal. OK, and we're trying to help him. In other words, the burden's on his back now.
O'BEIRNE: Well, they've done a certain amount of that all along, Chris. Remember the incredible attention paid to those elections in Iraq.
MATTHEWS: Yeah, but those are processes.
O'BEIRNE: Right.
MATTHEWS: Now we have a person. That's my argument.
O'BEIRNE: Well, you have a full compliment of the cabinet.
MATTHEWS: Right.
O'BEIRNE: And we've always understood -- he's always made the case that ultimately the fate of Iraq is in the hands of the Iraqis.
MATTHEWS: He made it today.
O'BEIRNE: He's always said that because in fighting an insurgency, you've got to get the politics right. And he's telling us now he thinks this new cabinet is capable of doing that. They're reconciling with the Sunnis, a key piece -- part of taking the emphasis, the motivation out of the insurgency, and he's cracking down on the militias.
MATTHEWS: I think he spoke a lot like the best of Churchill today, in the beginning of that press conference: facts, bad information, complete information. Giuliani at his best at 9-11: facts on the ground immediately as it came in. I thought he was very effective in briefing us this morning in that press conference, which convinces me again that Giuliani is the guy -- with all his problems -- who may well be the perfect candidate to replace this guy.
[...]
MATTHEWS: Is there anyway put to together an ID card or some kind of registry that makes it so if a guy comes in and says, "My name is this. I just -- I grew up here. I'm legal." And they clearly -- you don't think they are, to be able to check it.
BILBRAY: Absolutely. In fact, [Rep.] David Dreier [R-CA] who is a Republican Rules [Committee] chairman, and [Rep.] Silvestre Reyes [D-TX], who is the former leader of the Hispanic caucus over on the Democrats, has a Bill 98 that says that we ought to make our Social Security cards as tamper-resistant as the new drivers licenses will be in '08. And every employer only hires someone with a new Social Security card.
MATTHEWS: Yeah
BILBRAY: And it will be the federal government's job to make sure only those who qualify for employment get those cards. Make it simple enough to where you can really crack down on anybody who breaks the law. So, you really know who is purposely breaking the law and those who are just making a mistake.
MATTHEWS: Is there a dirty deal including the LULAC, the Latin -- Latino group, that represents a lot of Latinos and legitimately so, big business, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Democrats who don't want anything like that to really work?
BILBRAY: They don't want it to work. And what they want to do is they always want to undercut it and then say, "Well, it's such a failure that now we have to surrender." I think that's the greatest thing.
MATTHEWS: I'm with you. I'm signing up. You're the best. You're the clearest voice I've heard on this issue. Thank you very much, I see why you won.
Palin, the press, and her "no más" moment
Media Matters: Limbaugh's Off the Wall spin on Michael Jackson's death
Howard Kurtz's wasted opportunity
bilbray is right on the money. he was elected in cunningham's seat mostly because of his immigration stance. more power to him, i say.
the election machines in thier homes for a couple of days before the selection, and so what if that happens to make the selection null and void, nah who cares as long as the crooks win.
Not sure when I missed this controversy?
If you can provide a link or two it would be appreciated.
...was there voting irregularity? Who knows? The truth is, however, that democrats turning out to vote was pathetically low... this is disconcerting. If you look at the numbers, more Republicans actually voted for the Democrat candidate than Democrats! That's pathetic. The race was very close (less than 5000 vote difference). And yes, there were rumors as described above.
This is the problem the Democrats face... sheer apathy. If enough people get out there and vote, any piss-ant irregularity could be null and void if enough Dems pull their heads out.
...Chris Mathews is complete GOP shill. His sychophantic preening is pathetic.
Bilbray replaces the slimebag Cunningham and you have people like RIGHT ON and Chris Mathews praising this man as having the best stance on the immigration issue!? In other words, they have the best three-point stance on the front line with the Minutemen right behind them as the quarterback. Bilbray's position is at Center and hiking the ball to the Minutemen and getting his butt pinched, while Mathews is going long and receiving the bombs the Minutemen are throwing at him. Gotta give them credit...they are getting plenty of first downs, but are they scoring? Someone needs to intercept the ball from these guys.
Actually, the Republicans have the EXPERIENCE to make cost/benefit calculations in subverting democracy.
We saw it in Florida. The Republicans cheat and manipulate and disenfranchise the "wrong sort" of voters (blacks and Democrats, when they can be identified). The election is STOLEN.
What is the DOWNSIDE? There IS no downside. Trials spring up, just as they did in Florida. Meanwhile, the "winners" take office and begin exercising their powers. The trials, as they did in Florida, turn up wrongdoing and manipulations and partisan rigging of the processes of democracy.
Ah, but what is the PENALTY? It's only a fine. The Republicans gladly PAY UP ... it's a BARGAIN compared to the other costs of running a campaign. And the judges will say in tandem, "We have no power to apply a REMEDY to this wrongdoing. So the wrongdoers pay a fine, and everything remains as it is."
There is NO downside to stealing elections, and so the Republicans do it without fear of any harm befalling them. They HAVE the money to pay the fines.
Turnout was pathetic in an important race. Webb (former repug) beats Miller. Good arguements for either guy but everyone stayed home. We're doomed in the fall if this is the way it goes.
One bigot supports another.
Does anyone seem to enjoy the deaths of people on 9-11 more than Giuliani? He loved it so much, he went to many of the funerals. What a creep? His carreer has been reborn out of the ruble of the twin towers.
What does he think he is unassailable because of a tragedy? Thanks Ann. Now we know just how to discuss that morbid opportunist Giuliani.
I am sure the left and the right can agree that modern discourse has been greatly improved by Ann's great points.
if Chris Matthews believes that Giuliani has a snow balls chance in hell of winning the Republican Party as it exists today nomination he needs to get out of Secaucus more.
We can actually apply Coulter's "death/enjoyment" calculus in many ways. For example:
President Bush Job Approval Ratings:
8/22-23/01 55%
Terrorist Attack on 9/11
9/19-20/01 81%
Bush's GAIN in popularity: 26 percentage points
KILLED in the attacks: 3000 people.
Bush required 116 innocent American citizens DIE for each percentage point improval in his "popularity".
Did Bush ENJOY his surge in popularity? You betcha. We have, in fact, NEVER SEEN anyone who ENJOYS the deaths of his fellow citizens as much as GW Bush.
... when Matthews said "... he spoke a lot like the best of Churchill ..."
I've heard Ward Churchill speak several times. He has much more of a two-packs-of-Camels-a-day-and-a-pint-or-so-of-Jim Beam voice.
So, I decided that Tweety meant that Duhhbya said a bunch of really stupid fu*king things.
Then it all made sense.
I needed a hearty chuckle this afternoon/evening and you provided it.
While I dont think Rudy is a good candidate I think its wrong to say he "enjoyed" going to 9/11 funerals. May New Yorkers including myself did not like him as Mayor but did feel he was the right person at the right time. That said, he should not EVER be President and Matthews is just playing this game to get ready for his 08 College tour so he can line up all these candidates.
I was demonstrating how stupid and wrong-headed taking the Ann Coulter approach to political discourse is.
If it made you a little sick to your stomach, maybe I was a little too close in my imitation.
Please come back to earth . . . at various times, you have compared Bush to the following persons:
- Atticus Finch - Abraham Lincoln -and now, Winston Churchill
Bush is not a fictional character like Finch, has neither of the far-reaching vision nor the public speaking ability of Lincoln, or the unifying spirit of Churchill . . . his 29 per cent approval rating bears this fact out. And it will not rise anytime soon no matter how many famous persons, real or imagined, you attempt to compare him to . . .
Rudy:
Its been said in the past that Rudy will never be a serious candidate for president due to his liberal social positions, which will not play well in the south and midwest. But, as "America's Mayor" {BS}, you can't aruge that he did get some good training:
- The Diallo and Louima cases showed how little he cared for minorities, and how hard-line law-and-order was his admin's hallmark.
- He was instrumental in giving big corporations property in Times Square and elsewhere in the city, pushing out small business and those with lower income.
- Was perfectly willing to exploit 9/11 for personal political gain: because 9/11 was the NYC mayoral primary date, it was automatically delayed two weeks . . . Rudy sought an unprecedented {and illegal} three month extension of his term, and threatened to run for another four year term if his demand wasn't met . . . but the NY state legislature said no.
Hmm, cares nothing about minorities or the poor, a friend of big business, willing to exploit a national tragedy for political gain . . . Yep, sounds like the perfect GOP presidential candidate.
Bilbray:
Tweety, perhaps you and Brian should wait about six months before you two clink your champaign glasses . . . that's the amount of time before the ACTUAL election for CA-50 - this one was just a special one to finish out the term of "the Dukester" . . . I live in National City, California {not part of the fiftieth, just south of it} and I can tell you, Bilbray should be getting down on his knees and being THANKFUL that immigration became a "wedge" issue, because without that, there would have been NO WAY his liberal social views {favors abortion} would have won him votes in Escondido, Carlsbad, Cardiff, and the rest of the rich people up there . . . he barely beat Busby 49 to 45 percent as it was . . .
I've avoided remarking about what a shill Matthews is because every time i'm about to put my usual joke about him to rest, he goes and reminds me why i can't:
What Chris Matthews does on TV for the GOP every time he fawns over them is no different than what he was so outraged about Monica doing for Bill under the oval office desk. So much so that i seriousoly think someone ought to buy him a RED dress of the same cut as the infamous "blue dress" that so scandalized the Press-titutes like Tweety and Little Russ
I think it may well be how Mehlman and Rove transmit these ideas to ol' Tweety
Is becoming embarassing. He needs to buy a life sized poster of Bush, get a room and be done with it.
First, Matty compares Bush to Lincoln.
Now he compares Bush to Churchill.
Jesus, next thing you know he'll compare Bush to, well, Jesus.
I'm not bent out of shape of the Drooler's comment maybe ole chris was running low of spit all that spitting takes a lot out of you and maybe he wasn't thinking right.
Tweety blows Dubya', but then expects the rest of us to swallow.
That Matthews is either being paid or threatened by the White House? He can't possibly believe this crap. Nobody believes this crap, except maybe the Trailer Park Troglodytes that make up the Republican base. At least two "journalists" have already been caught red-handed taking money from the Bushies to peddle their propaganda; what makes you think they would stop at two?
be a more apt comparison to Bush than any of the others Mathews uses. I wish Eisenhower were alive today because he would kick Bush's ass on the White House lawn as a matter of civic duty.