During a discussion on how Republicans would “handle” a 2008 presidential bid by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), New York Times columnist David Brooks stated, "[T]he weakness of the Democratic Party, they've got the blogs and the netroots, who are semi-nuts and who insist on a Stalinist line of discipline." Later in the conversation, after Brooks said, “It's true for both parties, you've got [the weblog] Daily Kos on the left, you've got Pat Dobson [sic] on the right," Matthews asked Brooks, “Which party has more nuts by your count?” Brooks responded, “Objectively, the Democratic Party.” Brooks made his comments on the February 12 edition of NBC's syndicated The Chris Matthews Show, during a discussion that included host Chris Matthews and Time columnist Joe Klein.

From the February 12 edition of NBC's syndicated The Chris Matthews Show:

MATTHEWS: Welcome back. Shrill Hill? It's only 2006, and already Republicans are telegraphing their punch. How are they going to handle Hillary Clinton? We're seeing it.

[...]

BROOKS: Well I think whoever the Democratic candidate -- that is the weakness of the Democratic Party, they've got the blogs and the netroots, who are semi-nuts and who insist on a Stalinist line of discipline.

MATTHEWS: You know what -- I just love objectivity. But go ahead -- fair enough --

BROOKS: That is objectively true -- I did the psychoanalytic test.

KLEIN: As opposed to the gun advocates in, in, whoever --

BROOKS: Yeah, It's true for both parties: You've got Daily Kos on the left; you've got Pat Dobson [sic] on the right.

MATTHEWS: Which party has more nuts by your count?

BROOKS: Objectively, the Democratic Party.