Well, not technically. But boy, it sure sounded that way.

It's from a US News & World Report item about Todd discussing why Matthews decided not to run for the U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania (one of the great non-stories of our time):

NBC White House Correspondent Chuck Todd has a theory on why MSNBC's Hardball host Chris Matthews begged off from running for the Pennsylvania Senate seat held by Republican Arlen Specter. “Because [Chris] had a really good friend of his say to him, 'What are you going to do when you get there?' and he couldn't answer the question and he realized that, and that's why he didn't run,” says Todd. “It was a childhood dream to be a senator, but he didn't know what he was going to do if he got there.” [Emphasis added]

Matthews, who has been inside the Beltway for going on, what, four decades, who once worked on the Hill and has been commenting, non-stop, about politics for countless years, had no idea what he'd do if he were a senator.

We've said it before and we'll say it again here: The Beltway press doesn't do public policy. It doesn't get it, and it has even less interest in it. So no, we're not surprised Matthews couldn't figure out why he'd do, y'know for other people, if he ever got elected.

Meanwhile, take a look at Todd's closing comment:

It was the same for 2008 presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and John McCain, says [Todd] the coauthor of How Barack Obama Won. "They never knew why they wanted to be president."

Oh my. Say what you want about the campaigns of Clinton and McCain, but to suggest those two legislative veterans, who criss-crossed the country for more than a year, participated in dozens of televised debates, answered untold questions from voters and reporters and released all kinds of position papers, didn't know why they wanted to president is complete nonsense. Neither were able to convince enough voters they were the best person for the job, but both Clinton and McCain clearly had a vision and understanding of where they wanted to take the country. They were serious people with serious ideas.

Chris Matthews just likes to hear himself talk. But Chuck Todd will never say so.