On the January 4 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews baselessly claimed that newly elected Democrats in Congress are “all quick to change the topic” when pressed “about the Iraq issue,” saying that "[e]very time I talk to one of these new Democrats about the Iraq issue, they say, 'Oh, we're busy raising the minimum wage,' or, 'We're going to do something on stem cell.' " Citing his interview earlier in the show with newly sworn-in Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) as evidence, Matthews stated that Webb “said what he said [about Iraq]. But he also said, 'Oh, but I ran on other things besides the war.' ”

Matthews also asked why Webb is “changing the subject” away from Iraq, falsely asserting that Webb “never did [that] during the campaign” and suggesting that Webb was a one-issue candidate. Matthews was referring to a single response Webb gave during their seven-minute interview, when Webb said that “just as big as the foreign policy issue were the issues of economic fairness in this country.” Webb added: “I just wanted to make that clear.” Webb was responding to Matthews' question as to whether “the people that voted the way they did this past November to bring about a change” would be “happy to see an escalation in the U.S. role in Iraq.” Every other response Webb gave during the interview was focused on Iraq and U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.

Contrary to Matthews' claim that Webb never discussed other issues during the campaign, Webb did so in two appearances on Matthews' show. On the September 20 edition of Hardball, Webb said:

WEBB: I've been running on three basic themes ever since February. They haven't changed. They're reorient our national defense. They are trying to do something about economic inequality in this country that has come about as a result of the internationalization of corporate America, the outsourcing of jobs and the impact of immigration. And I've been talking about how we need to step up to administration abuses in the wake of 9-11. Those are the issues.

On the March 14 edition of Hardball, when the Webb campaign was in its very early stages, Webb made basically the same point to Matthews, saying:

MATTHEWS: I think a lot of people think that this campaign is going to be an antiwar campaign. It's not. ... [T]he other two issues that I think are really strong here that we're going to focus on. First of all, the issues of fairness. I mean, this country is breaking into three pieces and people aren't talking about it. Economically, the people at the top have never done better. The middle class is stagnating. They're seeing jobs exported overseas. And we're in danger of creating a permanent underclass, I'm going to talk about that. And then the key issue, when we're looking at the last couple of weeks is presidential authority and who in the Congress has been standing up to these abuses?

In addition to criticizing Webb, Matthews -- mere hours after the Democrats officially took control of Congress -- suggested the Democrats did not intend to do “what they promised to do in the campaign” and “stop this war.” Matthews asked the following questions along those lines:

• Will the Democrats do what they promised to do in the campaign, or will they let the voters down again and not stop this war?
• You mean they got what they want, and it wasn't to end the war, it was to get elected? That's all they wanted?
• Do you think it's possible, Susan [Molinari, former Republican congresswoman from New York], that the Democrats used the war issue to get elected, and once they got the power and the perks and the airplanes for travel and everything else they want, that they're really going to let this war slide another couple years?
• They have the constitutional power to stop this war. They won't do it for political reasons. Is that right?
• By the way, have you noticed the difference in the rhetoric between the day before the November elections when they're all at the ramparts. “We're going to stop this war. Elect us.” And now it's, “Well, you know, we have other issues on the table.”

From the January 4 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

MATTHEWS: But let me ask you, just think about this -- I know you do think about this every day of your life now -- but the people that voted for you to make you a U.S. senator, the people that voted the way they did this past November to bring about a change, do you think they're going to be happy to see an escalation in the U.S. role in Iraq that the president's talking about?

WEBB: Well, first of all, the issues that propelled us in the campaign were affirmative issues. I know that my predecessor did make some mistakes. You might ask yourself how that occurred in a situation where he'd been an incumbent for 25 years. But we ran on affirmative issues. And just as big as the foreign policy issue were the issues of economic fairness in this country. I just wanted to make that clear. Now, with respect to the Iraq, I think what the people who supported me are looking for is an affirmation of what I've said over and over again in this campaign, and that is we need to start with a diplomatic solution that will allow us to withdraw our combat troops and maintain stability in the region and continue to be able to fight the international terrorism and enable us to address our broader strategic vision around the world.

[...]

MATTHEWS: Let me ask you, Hilary [Rosen, Democratic strategist and MSNBC political analyst], will the Democrats do what they promised to do in the campaign, or will they let the voters down again and not stop this war?

[...]

ROSEN: No, but they want Democrats to succeed. And Democrats won on an anti-war platform, and for them to stay in office, they have to do what the people want.

MATTHEWS: Do they know this? Do they know what you're saying? I get the feeling they're changing the subject. Every time I talk to one of these new Democrats about the Iraq issue, they say, “Oh, we're busy raising the minimum wage,” or, “We're going to do something on stem cell.” They're all quick to change the topic, I noticed.

ROSEN: Well, I think --

MATTHEWS: Even Jim Webb. He did it now.

ROSEN: Yeah, I saw.

MATTHEWS: He was great. I mean, he said what he said. But he also said, “Oh, but I ran on other things besides the war.” Well, why is he changing the subject now? He never did during the campaign.

ROSEN: I think the players now are very focused. Every member of Congress can't do it.

MATTHEWS: You mean they got what they want, and it wasn't to end the war, it was to get elected? That's all they wanted?

ROSEN: No. That -- the subcommittees are going to have to do their work. The president's going to come out with a plan in the next few weeks. The committees are going to react to it. I don't think this is going to go away, and I don't think the Democratic leadership thinks it's going away. Nancy Pelosi is not going to let this go away.

MATTHEWS: Do you think it's possible, Susan, that the Democrats used the war issue to get elected, and once they got the power and the perks and the airplanes for travel and everything else they want, that they're really going to let this war slide another couple years?

[...]

MATTHEWS: OK, so let's get down to it. They have the constitutional power to stop this war. They won't do it for political reasons. Is that right?

[...]

MATTHEWS: By the way, have you noticed the difference in the rhetoric between the day before the November elections when they're all at the ramparts. “We're going to stop this war. Elect us.” And now it's, “Well, you know, we have other issues on the table.

CHRIS CILLIZZA (washingtonpost.com staff writer): And that's the difference between governing and campaigning. I mean, you know, a lot of Democrats would have told you this privately in the run-up to the election. It was a good thing --

MATTHEWS: No, it's the difference between bragging and doing.

From the September 20, 2006, edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

WEBB: You know, I'm trying to talk about what I'm bringing to the table here, what the issues are. And, you know, quite frankly, I'm getting a little tired of having political campaigns go down to that level where those are the sorts of questions. [Campaign opponent and then-Sen.] George Allen [R-VA] has a record people can look at. You know, I have positions that I've taken. I've been running on three basic themes ever since February. They haven't changed. They're reorient our national defense. They are trying to do something about economic inequality in this country that has come about as a result of the internationalization of corporate America, the outsourcing of jobs and the impact of immigration. And I've been talking about how we need to step up to administration abuses in the wake of 9-11. Those are the issues.

From the March 14, 2006, edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

WEBB: Well, I think a lot of people think that this campaign is going to be an antiwar campaign. It's not. It's going to be talking about reorienting our defense priorities. Iraq is a part of that, but we've lost sight of a lot of the strategic issues. China and India are sort of redefining the international power centers of the world. Those sorts of things on defense policy. But the other two issues that I think are really strong here that we're going to focus on. First of all, the issues of fairness. I mean, this country is breaking into three pieces and people aren't talking about it. Economically, the people at the top have never done better. The middle class is stagnating. They're seeing jobs exported overseas. And we're in danger of creating a permanent underclass, I'm going to talk about that. And then the key issue, when we're looking at the last couple of weeks is presidential authority and who in the Congress has been standing up to these abuses?