On the September 6 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews announced that “according to a group that monitors radical Islamic websites, a new video message from Osama bin Laden is expected to be released in the next 72 hours to address the sixth anniversary of the September 11th attacks on us,” and asked, “Does it have a help to [Republican presidential candidate] Rudy [Giuliani] there? Does it help the Republicans generally?” Washingtonpost.com staff writer Chris Cillizza responded to Matthews' question by asserting, “It immediately brings to mind the sense that we are still in this war on terror. I think any time that that dynamic exists in the political dialogue, it helps Rudy.”

As Media Matters for America has noted, the media have repeatedly referred to Giuliani as “America's Mayor” or “the hero of 9-11,” or used other monikers that promote the notion that Giuliani acted heroically in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks. However, as Media Matters for America has noted, Giuliani's performance before, during, and after the 9-11 attacks has been questioned and criticized.

Most recently, the New York Daily News reported on August 10 that Giuliani “drew outrage and indignation from Sept. 11 first-responders yesterday by saying he spent as much time -- or more -- exposed to the site's dangers as workers who dug through the debris for the missing and the dead.” Giuliani's claim was later called into doubt by a New York Times report.

Giuliani has also received criticism for selecting 7 World Trade Center as the site of his emergency command center as well as for what New York City firefighters see as his failure to ensure that the New York police and fire departments had interoperable radios, which Media Matters has previously documented.

Later in the same exchange about a potential bin Laden tape, Matthews said to Newsweek's Holly Bailey: “I say any time you say Iraq it hurts the Republicans. Any time you say terrorism, it helps the Republicans.” Bailey replied, “I agree with you. But, you know, the fact is that this sort of brings to the forefront the fact that, you know, George W. Bush hasn't caught Osama bin Laden and it's, you know, six years later.”

Matthews responded, “Doesn't that take a curlicue of thinking to come that way, though? Don't you have to take an extra step mentally to say,'Yes, we're facing a terrorist threat out there, and it scares me, and I want a strong leader to protect me; and oh, yes, Bush didn't catch him?' Doesn't that take an extra mental step beyond I'm scared, give me a tough guy to protect me?” Matthews continued, “You know, if you have a high-crime neighborhood and you have tough cops out there with big necks and bad haircuts and they're looking out for you, you don't say I want liberal cops now because the tough cops haven't caught the bad guys yet.”

The American Prospect's Ezra Klein then disagreed, asserting, “The point is if the bad guy never gets caught, you do say something, you want new cops.”

However, Matthews persisted, asserting, “That's the thoughtful development of thinking. I'm not sure it always comes to mind. I think the first thing that comes to mind is, when in doubt, when in danger, go right. People go right when they're scared.”

As Media Matters has documented, Matthews has repeatedly characterized the issue of terrorism as a Republican strength, and on the October 19, 2006, edition of Hardball, Matthews asserted, contrary to public opinion polls at the time, that “Republicans know from the polls they got two strengths right now” -- “terrorism” and "[t]axes" -- and then added: "[W]hether the current polls back that up or not."

From the 7 p.m. ET hour of the September 6 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

MATTHEWS: Breaking news right now. According to a group that monitors radical Islamic websites, a new video message from Osama bin Laden is expected to be released in the next 72 hours to address the sixth anniversary of the September 11th attacks on us. It will be the first time bin Laden has been seen, at least on videotapes, in three years.

Let me go -- what is the significance of that? Does that sort of -- I hate -- it's more important, I guess, politically, since it's just a message. It's not an attack. Does it have a help to Rudy there? Does it help the Republicans generally?

CILLIZZA: Yeah, I guess my mind is so written for political consequences, that's what I jump to, is that it immediately brings to mind September 11th. It immediately brings to mind the sense that we are still in this war on terror. I think any time that that dynamic exists in the political dialogue, it helps Rudy.

MATTHEWS: Do you buy that, Holly? I say any time you say Iraq it hurts the Republicans. Any time you say terrorism it helps the Republicans.

BAILEY: I agree with you. But, you know, the fact is that this sort of brings to the forefront the fact that, you know, George W. Bush hasn't caught Osama bin Laden and it's, you know, six years later. And so I wonder, you know, what --

MATTHEWS: Doesn't that take a curlicue of thinking to come that way, though? Don't you have to take an extra step mentally to say, “Yes, we're facing a terrorist threat out there, and it scares me, and I want a strong leader to protect me; and oh, yes, Bush didn't catch him?” Doesn't that take an extra mental step beyond I'm scared, give me a tough guy to protect me?

BAILEY: Well, I think, you know, that is what people are going to be saying. I mean, especially -- I would imagine Democrats are going to be quick to jump on this and say, “Look, he's still out there."

MATTHEWS: You know, if you have a high-crime neighborhood and you have tough cops out there with big necks and bad haircuts and they're looking out for you, you don't say I want liberal cops now because the tough cops haven't caught the bad guys yet. You don't do that.

KLEIN: The point is if the bad guy never gets caught, you do say something, you want new cops. I mean, Holly, your magazine had a great cover story on the hunt for bin Laden. He's not been caught. There were unbelievable errors. We transferred the best Arabic speaking division to Iraq from Afghanistan, where they were looking for bin Laden. I think there will be a question as to how long we can put resources into a war we're not winning and let this guy just wander around and sort of --

MATTHEWS: That's the thoughtful development of thinking. I'm not sure it always comes to mind. I think the first thing that comes to mind is, when in doubt, when in danger, go right. People go right when they're scared.