Matthews Manages to Rain on W's Iraq Trip Parade

Hardball/NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

by Mark Finkelstein

June 13, 2006

You can almost imagine Chris Matthews wracking his brain as the minutes counted down to Hardball hitting the air this evening. He couldn't permit Pres. Bush's surprise trip to Iraq to stand as an unalloyed triumph. Was Matthews bouncing possible lines off his producers and assistants?

In any case, Chris gave it his best Holy Cross try. Opening the show, he mused:

"The bravado of visiting Baghdad helps Bush, but does it hurt Iraq's new Prime Minister to have the American president look like a boss on an inspection tour?"

Matthews ran the same line up the flagpole when when NBC's Richard Engel came on. Reporting live from Baghdad, Engel at first weakly saluted but - to his credit - ultimately offered a different take.

Matthews: "Does this make it look like the big boss is coming to check out on the lieutenant?"

Engel:

"It looked like that one stage. Maliki wasn't told till five minutes before the visit that he would be meeting President Bush. He was left standing alone in one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces for about two or three minutes, waiting for Bush to arrive. Bush was being treated like a rock star throughout this visit, meeting with troops in this former palace. He spoke to the troops, was signing autographs, there was band music playing. So, to a degree it did make him look like a small player who was meeting a much larger world figure, that is effectively the case.

"But in the eyes of the Iraqis, this could help Maliki. The Iraqis really want a normal government, they want a state that is recognized internationally, that is strong, that has powerful allies and that is capable of carrying out this security plan. That is what Iraqis are going to be more focused on, what can happen on the streets, and if President Bush's visit can help Maliki and give him the kind support that he needs to bring stability here and get the power running, then power to him."

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Hardball/NewsBusters ping to Today show list.

[clawrence3]

Unbelieveable!

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

"Hardball" - is that some TV show or something?

[Ditto]

You do understand that Chrissy is totally insane, don't you?

[pollyannaish]

Matthews couldn't rain on the President's parade if he tried.

Someone needs to post that "You're a democrat, aren't you" cartoon. GW is standing in the sun, it's Chrissy that's getting rained on.

[pepperhead]

Liberals just don't know when to shut up. They are making the story bigger than it was and prolonging it. You got to love their stupidity.

[Carolinamom]

I like that part about President Bush being treated like a rock star! (Bet Mathews scowled at that one.LOL)

[RightWhale]

Does this make it look like the big boss is coming to check out on the lieutenant?

No, it doesn't. Next question?

[fhlh]

I know Pissy is some sorta former DNC lacky, which in turn makes his opinion on anything completely worthless.

[Joe Boucher]

Matthews and these little people so want to be important.
I wouldn't have Matthews walk my dog.

[roses of sharon]

Rove should unleash hell on Matthews.

[roses of sharon]

Rove should unleash hell on Matthews.

[spinestein]

Chris WHO???

[jazusamo]

Matthews couldn't rain on the President's parade if he tried.

So true, and Chissy knows it. :-)

[abb]

GLGB, check out this from Editor & Publisher...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1648754/posts

[jw777]

"Matthews: "Does this make it look like the big boss is coming to check out on the lieutenant?" "

As opposed to Clinton who would only check out interns?

Here's a thought. Had Slick Willy done ANYTHING in his Presidency, perhaps he'd have been the big boss checking in on the Lt.

[tobyhill]

He's the biggest idiot on TV these days. He's still calling for Rove to be fired for nothing and is still calling it a "leak".

[johnny7]

(Bet Mathews scowled at that one.LOL)

Painful... wince.

[Cinnamon]

take a chill pill Hissy Chrisy

[KarlInOhio]

I'll have to remember to tape Matthews tonight...with a large roll of duct tape.

[Ron in Acreage]

He called Bushs Iraq trip propaganda. He then said Rove needs a media investigation now that the real one is over.
He is in full meltdown mode. HARDBAWL is more like it.

[tobyhill]

Matthews just said that Bush's trip is designed to keep the good events going for a couple more days.

[miss marmelstein]

He was braying a year ago that there would be "22 - count 'em - 22 indictments in the Rove/Plame case." I guess that's why he's so obviously annoyed this evening!

And he's still insisting that Plame was a "covert" agent.

[MikeA]

Take a pill Chrissy. If Bush hadn't gone to Iraq, you'd be questioning why he won't go there. This trip sent a powerful message to the Iraqis not of "we're inspecting you," but of "we have confidence in you and we're going to stick by you to the finish." That's what leaders do. Sorry Bush didn't meet your desires by going there and running through the streets with a white flag.

[The South Texan]

I'm surprised this idiot didn't call in sick today and ask David Gregory or some other slacker to sub for him. He, Keith Oberman and David Shuster have dedicated their so called shows to destroying Karl Rove for almost 2 years. Now what in the world are they going to talk about?

I guess Cindy Shehaan and the Jersey gals will be dragged in to fill the void?

If only Katie was still on Today. I'm sure she would be wearing black tomorrow morning.

[xcamel]

Chrissy Hissy

[Trajan88]

Did Chrissy try to use his drool for "rain?"

[tobyhill]

I remember that,"22 indictments", ROTFLMAO!

[AgThorn]

Mathews sucks .... sad case of a the kind of journalist that Cartman from Southpark would become when he gets beyond the 4th grade.

-------
Screw you guys...I'm going home
-Cartman-

[spinestein]

I just checked out the DUnderhead site and they're going f------ ape s--- over the fact that Bush is having a good week. Here's an example to laugh at:

[[It is impossible to fully appreciate the enormity of the crimes of the Bush Administration. Among them: That regime has initiated a war against an unthreatening nation, has caused the death tens of thousands of innocent civilians, has abrogated numerous treaties including the Geneva conventions that stipulate the humane treatment of prisoners of war, has tortured and murdered numerous prisoners, has held American citizens indefinitely, without charge, trial, and access to counsel in violation of several articles of the Bill of Rights, has "lost" to graft and corruption several billion dollars of public money, has looted the treasury and passed the public debt on to future generations, has taken and retained power through election fraud, and has in effect proclaimed the President above the law. Incomprehensible! And so we are a nation in denial.]]


BWAAAAA--HAAAAAAAAAA--HAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

[The South Texan]

Hey Chrissy! Join ol' Karl for a Cigar!

[finnman69]

But what did Matthews say about Rove after months of proclaiming he would be indicted?

[sanjacjake]

All lberals are mentally challenged daily so they
try every little thing to swing the pendulum their way...
another November blowout..but for the "R" guys and gals
..why the long face...Kerry? Oh, I see..it is the
same old ..W...laughing.....hee,haw..Jake

[Dane]

One thing I've noticed since swearing off the inane 24/7 DC beltway liberal cable news and Sunday shows.

My blood pressure has gone down.

[FlipWilson]

Who cares about how Matthews rained on the President's trip to Iraq. That was predictable. I want to see how he reacted to the non idictment of Rove. I mean, Matthews dedicated his entire show for months on end to that topic, reporting on and discussing it as if it had already happened.

[in hoc signo vinces]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHa...thanks for the dumpster dive.

Those factless twits simply can come to gripes with just because they "think" something to be true...doesnt make it so. They're a sad lot, slaved to their illusions.

BWAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHAH...thanks for the laugh.

[rod1]

At least hardly anyone will see it. He is on MSNBC right? Another Kaplan calamity

[in hoc signo vinces]

oppps can=can't

[Bush gal in LA]

I was just wondering what that creep Mathews said about Karl Rove also. I can't bear to watch him. I bet he wasn't so arrogant and smug today! LOL!

[EDINVA]

I tried, I really tried .. turned on Matthews' show, but just couldn't take it ... it was disgusting. Trying to get everyone to agree with his bassackwards spin not only on Bush's trip to Iraq, but Rove's being cleared by the Grand Jury. Just had to change the station.

[roses of sharon]

Chrissy did not notice the Rove was not indicted, he thinks he is guilty anyway.

The DNC/MSM always win, they have the mics.

[miss marmelstein]

Interestingly, it was the second or third story down. You would have thought it would have led the broadcast. But maybe it was hard for Chris to report it at all. Basically, he still thinks Rove's as guilty as hell but just not indicted, tried or convicted. And Joe is a fine, put-upon guy and Valerie, a fine, outed covert agent.

[MHGinTN]

No, it's typical Matthews, anti-american media whoredom lickspittling. Chrissy is a disgusting partisan giving even MSNBC a bad name! He and Timmy Rustbucket need to join Rather in obscurity. Their partisanship is so glaring now that even democrat voters are getting disgusted with the democrats for having such sickening influence in media.

[operation clinton cleanup]

Did he mention "Mission Accomplished" at any point?

[MrCruncher]

"The bravado of visiting Baghdad helps Bush, but does it hurt Iraq's new Prime Minister to have the American president look like a boss on an inspection tour?"

PATHETIC.

[John Lenin]

I have been watching CNN and MSNBC today for the first time in years and it is downright depressing the way they report the news. Everyone is a victim and they haven't said a nice thing yet about Rove or Bush. No wonder liberals are all seeing psychiatrist's.

[AmeriBrit]

She wasn't 'covert' before but as the truth gets out and all Joe's lies come to the surface and become known to the general public both Wilson's will hopefully be going 'covert' (preferably in striped suits and doing hard time)

[msjhall]

""Hardball" - is that some TV show or something?"

I thought it was candy that had been cooked too long.

[MrCruncher]

Feeble in the mind,

Always lag behind.



Describes poor Chrissy.