Matthews suggested Democratic victory in midterm elections would be welcomed by “the enemies we have around the world”

Written by Brian Levy

Published

On the September 7 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews suggested that “the enemies we have around the world” would welcome Democrats regaining control of the House of Representatives or Senate in November because they could portray it as “Bush hanging by a thread in his own government.” As Media Matters for America has noted, Matthews previously claimed that “the stakes” in the 2006 elections would include “whether we want [House Democratic Leader] Nancy Pelosi [CA] to be the first woman speaker of the House or not” and repeatedly suggested Democrats would abuse the congressional subpoena authority if they regain control of one or both houses of Congress in the 2006 elections.

From Matthews's discussion with MSNBC.com editor in chief Jennifer Sizemore and Chuck Todd, editor in chief of the National Journal's weblog the Hotline, during the September 7 edition of MSNBC's Hardball:

MATTHEWS: So, when we come out of this thing -- I'm asking you to confirm what we did yesterday on the show, when we did politics all day.

SIZEMORE: I'll do my best.

MATTHEWS: That magic number 218, if the Democrats get that 218 [seats in the House], that number, that flashes around the world, right? “Bush loses his own Congress.”

SIZEMORE: Sure.

MATTHEWS: Big story, right? No confidence vote.

TODD: That's a point, no, that's right, any -- look at the only time we pay attention to other country's midterm elections is when their leader's party --

MATTHEWS: Gets blown away.

TODD: -- blows -- gets blown out. So absolutely, 218 or 51 Senate seats for -- or 51 Senate seats for the Democrats, that's a big story. Now, if they come up short, that's not a big story.

MATTHEWS: Well, I could see where the left-wing press around the world and the enemies we have around the world could say something like, “Bush hanging by a thread in his own government,” right? They're not going to be nice to Bush anywhere, are they?

SIZEMORE: Well, in some places, perhaps, but I think that --

MATTHEWS: Where? Denmark? Who do we have out there on our side anymore?