During the December 10 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page stated that the emerging scandal involving Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) “is the brightest moment for Republicans since the Reverend Jeremiah Wright tapes came out,” and added: “This is fresh meat for that smear machine, but I don't think it's going to last long.” During the discussion, host Chris Matthews said of Republicans: “They're flashing like E.T. all of a sudden.”

Media Matters for America has recently documented media figures using the Blagojevich scandal as an opportunity to engage in suggestions of guilt-by-association against President-elect Barack Obama and baselessly link Obama to the scandal, despite prosecutor and U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald's statement that the criminal complaint against Blagojevich “makes no allegations about the president-elect whatsoever -- his conduct,” and Fitzgerald's warning to the press to “not cast aspersions on people for being named or being discussed or if you learn they're being interviewed.”

From the December 10 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

PAGE: First of all, that's a lot to speculate, that Blagojevich, all of a sudden, is going to get sensible and actually step aside.

MATTHEWS: Yeah.

PAGE: I wouldn't put money on it. Number two, this is the brightest moment for Republicans since the --

MATTHEWS: They seem to have --

PAGE: -- Reverend Jeremiah Wright tapes came out. They're going to have a lot of fun with this.

MATTHEWS: They're flashing like E.T. all of a sudden.

PAGE: Yes. Exactly.

MATTHEWS: I mean, they're having --

PAGE: They're going to have a lot of fun with it.

MATTHEWS: They're getting --

PAGE: This is fresh meat for that smear machine, but I don't think it's going to last long.