Posted on 05/23/2007 7:12:59 PM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
When it comes to anti-war politics, Rosie O'Donnell is one bedfellow Chris Matthews would gladly do without. The MSNBC host made that crystal clear on this afternoon's Hardball. Matthews played a clip of O'Donnell's recent slanging match in which she unmistakably intimated to Elizabeth Hasselbeck that US troops are terrorists, responsible for 655,000 civilian deaths in Iraq [itself a grossly exaggerated figure in any case].
MSNBC HOST CHRIS MATTHEWS: While I generally sympathize with her point of view, her skepticism about this war, I do have a problem with her suggestion that we're the terrorists, which is clearly what the intent of that conversation was.
View video here.
Matthews then recruited to his viewpoint his guest panel comprised of Howard Fineman of Newsweek, Jill Zuckman of the Chicago Tribune and Washington Post editorial writer Jonathan Capehart.
MATTHEWS: Howard, I don't know about you, but we watched the tapes and it seemed she clearly said the American troops are the terrorists.Matthews then turned to his third guest, Jonathan Capehart of the Washington Post.
HOWARD FINEMAN [tongue firmly planted in mouth]: She supports the troops, who are terrorists.
MATTHEWS: Did she call American troops terrorists?
FINEMAN: Yes, there's no question.
JILL ZUCKMAN: It sounds like it to me.
MATTHEWS: Why is Rosie O'Donnell, who gives a bad name to people who question this war, I have to say, it is inevitably a problem in this country that people ruin the anti-war position by Jane Fonda behavior, by this kind of behavior. There are millions and millions, in fact the overwhelming majority question this war, oppose it, want to see our troops home. And then somebody like this comes out and creates an easy target for the hawks.
JONATHAN CAPEHART: It was as if Rosie picked this fight. Rosie is a bully on that show.
MATTHEWS: I will say it again. The anti-war position doesn't need that. Because attacking American soldiers as the bad guys when they're over there risking their lives and getting killed, and legs being blown off, for us, and to have them made the bad guys by us. The other sides's allowed to call them the bad guys. But if we do that, we're saying "you're risking your lives for nothing."
Concluded MATTHEWS: I don't know who she's trying to win with this argument, it's like she's a mole on the far right-wing side of the war, and she's figured out a way to make the war look better. I don't get it.BONUS COVERAGE: RUMBLING, BUMBLING, STUMBLING JIM MORAN -- There was a priceless moment earlier, on the Tucker Carlson show. Tucker interviewed left-wing Dem congressman Jim Moran of Virginia, grilling him regarding the Dems' cave-in on the war, passing a bill funding continuing operations without imposing any timelines.
Check out the priceless video.MSNBC HOST CARLSON: Can't you see why people who aren't sophisticated in the way of Washington might be confused when the Speaker of the House comes out and says this is the deal we've struck and by the way I don't support it? This is the deal that I struck, I did, Nancy Pelosi, along with Harry Reid and the anti-war left. This is our deal, but I'm not for it? Isn't that a little confusing?
REP. JAMES MORAN [D-VA]: Uh, I, well, uh, it's certainly in the way and the context in which you put it I can understand why people might be confused, but the reality is that it was the best that we could get.
Lets refer to them as “Beauty and The fat,ugly,sloppy,big mouth lezbo”
Who is Chris Mathews?
Jim Moran is real quality. Even the Washington Post said he shouldn’t be in Congress.
A true Embarrassment to Irish Catholic Americans..
So when do the trials over treason begin? Or contrary, when does Axis Sally/Mildred Gillar’s family get an apology?
No one should be in Congress for more than 12 years.
Rosie outrage is warranted. However this morning on radio Jim Cramer interviewing NBC anchor Brian Williams during the IMUS hours is really nuts.
Brian was going on about his honor the veterans thing that he has attached himself to and said” so I would ask all those in NJ, NY, CT who have gained so much from the Clinton economy to please think about donating”. This was about 8:35 a.m. this morning on the WFAN.
It says a lot about how nuts she is that she is even too crazy for Chrissy. I can’t stop laughing about it, though.
Thanks for reporting Mark. I’d pay to see Rosie go yard while Matthews tries to fastpitch her on Hardball. Chris is as goofy as Rosie.
...as for Moran the moron...he and Rosie should get together and live happily ever after.
LOL! Very funny! LOL! Hillaryous! (Outstanding Chode!)
Look, Rosie was a huge mistake for the view; everyone knows it, she’s been canned, and now she’s out of control - if she was ever “in” control. She’s a sad, very confused person who is striking out at those around her. She really needs help. How much longer do they have to deal with her?
Sleeping Beauty, Tom Thumb, and Quasimodo were all talking one day.
Sleeping Beauty said, “I believe myself to be the most beautiful girl in the world.” Tom Thumb said, “I must be the smallest person in the world.” Quasimodo said, “I absolutely have to be the most disgusting person in the world.” So they all decided to go to the Guinness Book of World Records to have their claims verified.
Sleeping Beauty went in first and came out looking deliriously happy. “It’s official, I AM the most beautiful girl in the world.” Tom Thumb went next and emerged triumphant, “I am now officially the smallest person in the world.” Sometime later, Quasimodo came out looking utterly confused and said, “Who the hell is Rosie O’Donnel?”
Here is Rosie O’Donut’s reply from her website:
Did Rosie Call Our Troops Terrorists?
The is directly from the transcripts of The View for May 17th:
O’DONNELL: …… I just want to say something. 655,000 Iraqi civilians are dead. Who are the terrorists?
HASSELBECK: Who are the terrorists?
O’DONNELL: 655,000 Iraqis — I’m saying you have to look, we invaded –
HASSELBECK: Wait, who are you calling terrorists now? Americans?
O’DONNELL: I’m saying if you were in Iraq, and the other country, the United States, the richest in the world, invaded your country and killed 655,000 of your citizens, what would you call us?
HASSELBECK: Are we killing their citizens or are their people also killing their citizens?
O’DONNELL: We’re invading a sovereign nation, occupying a country against the U.N.
I just watched Chris Matthews and his panel of journalists including Howard Feinman, Jill Zuckman, and Jonathan Capehart. Matthews asked the panel after replaying that segment of the show if she in fact said that our troops were the terrorists. They unanimously agreed with Matthews that she did call our troops terrorists. That conforms with the majority of journalists who have reported on this comment.
Rosie does not mention the troops at all in that segment of the show. She poses a rhetorical question. “Who are the terrorists?” “I’m saying if you were in Iraq, and the other country, the United States, the richest in the world, invaded your country and killed 655,000 of your citizens, what would you call us?”In both of her rhetorical questions she refers to the “United States” and “us.” The policy of the United States or “our” policy in Iraq is not the responsibility of the soldiers who are ordered to execute the policy. It is obvious that state supported terrorism can only be implemented by those who have the responsibility of doing the fighting and dying. But, it is not the soldiers who are the terrorists in that hypothetical. And she was not calling the soldiers terrorists.
It is absolutely absurd that these journalists agreed with the interpretation that Matthews and the majority of the MSM had concluded.These journalists who are supposed to be experts on language and communication certainly know that she meant that the U.S. policy was the villain here and not the soldiers. Yet they persist in accusing the accusers who do not fit into their elite club. People like Rosie and others who have been branded as eccentric and outside the main stream are always fair game. They do it with many others who speak truth to power by carefully portraying sound bites out of context. They have done that to Noam Chomsky and Gore Vidal for years.
The truth is that it was the elite reporters like the Hardball panel aforementioned who aided and abetted the rush to war in Iraq and fostered the terrorist policy that has resulted in this catastrophe. So it is not Rosie who is the villain. It is journalists like these who have to rationalize their lack of courage and appropriate skepticism of a “policy” that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of our soldiers and hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis.
Excuse me while I wash my eyeballs out with soap & water...
“The American public had better start electing some people who really represent them.”
The unfortunate reality is that Moran DOES perfectly represent the (vast majority of) people who live in his Congressional District.
A true Embarrassment to Irish Catholic Americans...
...very unfortunately he is only one of many such in this country...
Nice job by Elizabeth. It takes a while for someone to hit her hot button, but when they do, watch out.
A true Embarrassment to Irish Catholic Americans...
Moran...very unfortunately he is only one of many such in this country...
Might as well Throw Matthews and Rosie under the Bus TOO!
Spitboy doesn’t like it because Rosie says what the left is saying and thinking. Of course they hate the troops and think they are murderers, just like Nam. What is different with your side Chris?
Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters
The Tucker piece was priceless.
“Uh, uh, uh . . . .”
Stupid question, why doesn’t Chrissy just ask Rosie those questions instead of “pundits” who try to get into her head and explain her comments? (Damn, those are brave men.)
Oops. I said Tucker. Meant Moran.
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
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