AMBUSH JOURNALISM...OR MY EVENING WITH CAVEMAN CHRIS MATTHEWS

So, my publicist arranges for me to go on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews on Thursday night to talk about my recent columns on the FBI and national security profiling and my new book. Despite the show's basement ratings, we figure it's a good opportunity to reach out to a new audience. FOX News, with whom I have a contract, has generously allowed me to appear on some competing networks to talk about the book. Thursday was the second to the last day that I could make such appearances.

A few hours before the show, a producer calls to tell me I will be on for two segments--the first topic will be the Swift Boat Veterans, the second topic will be related to the book. Fine. This is the news business. I understand the need to go with the flow and cover the hot issues of the day. I am prepared to discuss both topics.

In a pre-interview, the producer goes over general questions about Kerry's response to the Swift Boat vets, whether the charges will be an issue in the presidential debates, and the basic themes of my book and its implications for the current War on Terror. I am originally scheduled to be on with the Washington Post's Dana Milbank. This was scratched and I am informed at the last minute that the other guest will be former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown.

As I am seated at the table with Matthews, who I am meeting for the first time, he cracks a joke--and not in a well-meaning way--about how I look. (There are quite a few people who are hung up on this.) "Are you sure you are old enough to be on the show? What are you? 28?" I grit my teeth. He badgers me again with the same question. I politely answer his question and supply my age.

(I wonder how Matthews' wife, the respected TV journalist Kathleen Matthews, who hosts a show about working women, would react if informed about her husband's treatment of a fellow female journalist. I've been in the business a dozen years and would be happy to talk to Mrs. Matthews about my firsthand experience with Neanderthal chauvinism in the workplace.)

1) Matthews introduces me, says we'll get to the subject of my book "in a minute," and launches into a spiel about how Bush should order the Swift Boat Vets to stop running their ads. Matthews intentionally mischaracterizes me as "speaking on behalf of the Bush campaign," when he knew full well I was there (with special permission from FOX News) to talk about my book, which he had sitting right next to him on the table and which he had chatted with me briefly about before the start of the segment. I correct him. He does not acknowledge his error.

2) When I tried to make a point about how the mainstream media ought to subject John Kerry to as much skull-pounding interrogation as private citizens such as Swift Boat Vet Lenny Thurlow had endured from Matthews and the Washington Post, Matthews cut me off and snorted that he had never been thought of as "mainstream." Yeah, keep snorting.

3) In response to Matthews' claim that the Swift Boat Vets campaign was orchestrated by the White House, I noted that the Boston Globe--hardly a hothouse of GOP operatives--had raised many of the same questions about Kerry's war record as the Swift Boat Vets had. No response from Matthews.

4) Willie Brown expresses exasperation over Swift Boat Vets' questions about Kerry's wounds. He says: "There are questions about the shrapnel wounds. So what else is there? How much he got shot? How deep? How much shrapnel does he have?

Note that I didn't bring the subject of shrapnel. (Got that, Keith Olbermann?) Willie Brown raised the issue.

"Well yeah. Why don't people ask him more specific questions about the shrapnel in his leg? There are legitimate questions about whether or not it was a self-inflicted wound."

Matthews frantically stuffed words down my mouth when I raised these allegations made in Unfit for Command that Kerry's wounds might have been self-inflicted. In his ill-informed and ideologically warped mind, this transmogrified into me accusing Kerry of "shooting himself on purpose" to get an award.

I repeated that the allegations involved whether the injuries were "self inflicted wounds." I DID NOT SAY HE SHOT HIMSELF ON PURPOSE and Chris Matthews knows it.

Only someone who had not read Unfit for Command would interpret what I was saying the way Matthews did. The book raises questions by vets, many of whom were with Kerry, about whether there was or wasn't enemy fire during the Dec. 1968 incident that led to his first Purple Heart (Patrick Runyon is quoted in a Boston Globe account on p. 35 saying "I can't say for sure that we got return fire or how [Kerry] got nicked. I couldn't say one way or the other. I know he did get nicked, a scrape on the arm.") and whether the injury came from a self-inflicted wound after he caught a tiny piece of shrapnel when he fired a grenade from his M-79 grenade launcher too close (p. 36); whether or not there was "intense rocket and rifle fire" during the Feb. 1969 incident that led to his second Purple Heart (Rocky Hildreth, officer of an accompanying boat on Dam Doi Canal that day, says there was no "intense rocket and rifle fire" on p. 78); and whether the shrapnel wound in his buttocks, which Kerry says he sustained in March 1969 and led to the awarding of his third Purple Heart, was the result of a mine explosion while on a mission or from a wound from his own grenade that he set off too close to a stock of rice he was trying to destroy (p. 87.). See also pages 30-31.

Well, guess what? This foaming jerk Matthews, who called me irresponsible and kicked me off the show admitted that a) he himself had not read the damned book, b) he was not interested in asking Kerry about the specific doubts raised by vets about his wounds, and c) he had not and would not question Kerry about these specific allegations.

"Are you saying he shot himself on purpose?" Matthews hammered. I repeated myself again clearly that I was referring to the allegations about self-inflicted wounds in the book. When I tried to explain that the vets who were with Kerry had cast a lot of doubt on whether enemy fire occurred during the first two incidents, Matthews cut me off again. "Why did you say that?" he badgered. Because, I said, I was talking about what was in the book, which he had admitted he hadn't read.

As the show broke for commercials, Matthews scrambled for his producers to see if what he said was true. And I'm irresponsible? One staffer ran to the office where I had left my copy of the book, and handed it to Matthews, who--for the first time, apparently--started flipping through it. I asked for my book back and politely said thank you. After I left, he trashed me again on the air and his scurrilous charges were repeated by his MSNBC colleague Keith Olbermann, who called me an "idiot."

I am used to playing hardball. I expect it. I am used to ad hominem attacks. I get more in a day than most of these wussies have received in their lifetimes. But what happened last night was pure slimeball and the unfair, unbalanced, and unhinged purveyors of journalism, or whatever it is they call what they do at MSNBC, should be ashamed.

What I take away from all this is that the Democrat Party waterboys in the media are in full desperation mode. I have now witnessed firsthand and up close (Matthews' spittle nearly hit me in the face) how the pressure from alternative media sources--the blogosphere, conservative Internet forums, talk radio, Regnery Publishing, FOX News, etc. --is driving these people absolutely batty.

By the way, the full MSNBC Hardball transcript is here. Matthews and Olbermann's blog bloviations are here. Olbermann expresses incredulity that I was simply reporting what the Swift Boat Vets' book says, rather than spouting off in a half-baked manner:

Ms. Malkin wouldn’t even go so far as to attribute the suspicion to herself. It was in the book.

Olbermann, alleged journalist, is smearing me because I agreed to discuss and analyze claims made by the authors of Unfit for Command and actually referred to what was in the book--rather than cluelessly spew uninformed opinions about the book a la Chris Matthews (of whom Olbermann drools, "never prouder of you, Chris.") Parroting Matthews' conspiratorial line, Olbermann ignorantly suggests that I am following orders from the Swift Boat Vets to "steer the Kerry-Shot-Himself flotsam into the mainstream media." I suggest he talk to the producer who booked me about the circumstances of my appearance on the show and ask whether I was dispatched by the Bush campaign or Swift Boat Vets operatives or anyone else associated with the vets' book.

Chris Matthews' phone number is listed in the Spring 2004 News Media Yellow Book as 202-885-4600.

Just wanted to end with what I think was the most significant exchange on the show involving Wille Brown, who made a stunning admission from a fellow Democrat about John Kerry's core deficiencies:

BROWN: John Kerry is the kind of a guy who is always laid back. He is always been dealing with people who were gentle, who were in every way respectful, who have a sense of dignity about themselves and a sense of honor. John Kerry may not be fit for the terrible battles and wars of the world of politics.

He may be absolutely perfect as a president. But in term of a candidate, he probably has a series of imperfection that‘s may be fatal in his successful, in his pursuit of a successful candidacy. That‘s not to take anything away from his integrity. He should have been doing exactly what he‘s doing today. He should have been doing that from day one.

BROWN: I think Massachusetts politics is always been very respectful of the other person‘s view and very committed to the idea they don‘t want to seem negative and they don‘t want to be criticized for an absence of integrity.

MALKIN: He hasn‘t been subjected to this kind of heat. And as Willie Brown is suggesting, if he can‘t stand the heat from his fellow veterans, do we really want to trust him to stand up to Islamic extremists?

I have not read past the article and your comments. I must confess that I do not watch Hardball unless I happen to be flipping channels and the remote doesn't flip to another channel fast enough. Last night, however, either during the Olympics or right after, I turned to MSNBC to see if there were any Olympic events to watch. (I don't even know if they are showing any, but I knew that CNBC was, so I checked MSNBC.) Anywho, there was Chris Matthews and a young, pretty female going at it. I stopped because I knew the female was Michelle Malkin, and I have only seen her once or twice on the tube, and I was curious to hear what she had to say. I have read a number of her articles via this website, but I don't go out of my way to read anyone's stuff. Sooooooo, I paused long enough to see Chris Matthews spitting and sputtering and her try to answer his badgering questions to no avail because he was NOT interested in her answer. He only wanted to get the Kerry message out that the Swift Boat Veterans are liars and Kerry is not. Hubby walked into the room, hearing the spitting and sputtering, and he watched for about two or three minutes, then he ordered me to turn the channel. "He's (Matthews) an obnoxious ASS!!!!!" And that was that. I agreed with hubby wholeheartedly.

The last time I remember watching MSNBC for more than five minutes was just before the 2000 election. Paul Begala and Oliver North had a show together. I was so disgusted with Begala that I determined to not watch MSNBC any longer. When CNN hired him, I determined not to watch them either. (that was not a real problem, since I only watched them when there was a major event in the world.)

Matthews stepped wayyyyyyyyyyyy over the line. And his interest in TRUTH is crystal clear. He is NOT interested. I'm not sure what it is that does interest him other than hearing himself rattle. I think I'll now add MSNBC to the blocked channel list.

Michelle Malkin is someone that I would lust heavily after, if it wasn't for the fact that she's married! IMHO, she's gorgeous, but that aside, she's also a brilliant writer and commentator. But of course, the fact that she's an "awesome babe" gives people like Mathews a reason to belittle her and try to pass her off as nothing more than an empty headed babe, much like what they try to do to Ann Coulter.

Mark

Free Republic is at its best when articles like this one are posted.

But, -- it is also at it worse when tabloid trash like this below is posted:

Aborted baby's head left inside woman: Couple horrified to find face of child after returning home
Address:http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1195334/posts

122 tpaine

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It just galls you whenever any criticism of abortion is offered. You cannot stand it.
147 Petronski

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You've hit the nail on the head in your own reply.

articles like this one vs tabloid trash
In my estimation it's like this...Do you take out the trash or let it pile up on the floor?

148 philman_36

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Why bring the tabloid type trash into your room to begin with, phil?

I welcome debate on the constitutional aspects of abortion. -- The 'baby's head' post is sheer sensationalist agitprop, not valid criticism.

People seem to forget that Matthews is an obvious DemocRat shill:

"Matthews spent 15 years in politics and government, working in the White House for four years under President Jimmy Carter as a Presidential speechwriter and on the Government Reorganization Project, in the U.S. Senate for five years on the staffs of Senator Frank Moss (Utah) and Senator Edmund Muskie (Maine), and as the top aide for Speaker of the House Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill, Jr. for six years." (Source)

He's an uberpartisan.

Chrissy was beside himself, practically frothing at the mouth when talking to Thurlow.

Kept screaming about whether Thurlow had any tangible evidence of a Kerry "Master Plan" to get a lot of medals and get out of Nam ASAP to start a political campaign.

They are hysterical with fear.

No Bullet holes

No one wounded except those injured by the mine.

Kerry is a fraud (but then aren't all rat politicians?)

I've already sent four E-Mails. The more of these threads I read, the angrier I get. I keep thinking of more questions I want Chris to answer, not that he ever would. Like why does Kerry quote Micheal Moore, why doesn't Kerry release his records, why are 250 Vietnam Vets lying and on and on. Hope we all jam his Email with all these questions. Also asked him if he had read Michelle's article on the Internet and said "YOU ROCK MICHELLE".

The press wonders why their credibility is so low. Here's an insight:

It's not because a few words are misspelled. It's because they sell out cheap -- easy stories from simple leads given by liberal buds in the old black book. They don't want to offend the buds that make life easier so they push one side.

Then because reporters don't want to believe they're cheap sellouts, they convince themselves they believe in what they're doing. To believe otherwise would force them to come face to face with being lazy, corrupt shills for one point of view. And the cognitive dissidence caused by that position would be unbearable, so mental compromise is made.

It's the abused wife believing she's "in love". If she wasn't, she'd be a fool to put up with the abuse -- and we all know she's not a fool. A common defense mechanism utilized is to refuse to look at any facts not supporting the illusion. In this case, Matthews would do the equivalent of putting his hands over his ears and saying "no, no, I'm not going to listen to you". Abused women, "in-love" and journalist "in denial" don't want facts that threaten their beliefs. Hence, the love excuse. Same with reporters. They're not sellouts, they're fellow believers. Yeah. They believe their own excuses. The rest of us don't.

If conservatives were black, it would be racist. If conservatives were women, it would be sexist. Since we're a mix, it's just plain unfair and stupid. Where are the friggin publishers? Are they all so fat and wealthy they don't care about profits? Are their advertisers satisfied with dwindling readership? Where's USA Today? Where's truth and ethics? Where's the New York Times Ombudsman?

The press wonders why their credibility is so low. Here's an insight:

It's the abused wife believing she's "in love". If she wasn't, she'd be a fool to put up with the abuse -- and we all know she's not a fool. A common defense mechanism utilized is to refuse to look at any facts not supporting the illusion. In this case, Matthews would do the equivalent of putting his hands over his ears and saying "no, no, I'm not going to listen to you". Abused women, "in-love" and journalist "in denial" don't want facts that threaten their beliefs. Hence, the love excuse. Same with reporters. They're not sellouts, they're fellow believers. Yeah. They believe their own excuses. The rest of us don't.

After several guests who do this, maybe ew'd see some changes. I'd like to see Matthews seeking his career opportunities elsewhere.

I read somewhere on FR (don't ask me where) that Microsoft wants to pull out of Slate and MSNBC. I'm not sure why. I think Slate wanted to be self-sufficient after a while. In any case, I would not be surprised to see MSNBC fold after the Olympics and the election. The only reason cable systems carry it is because it's expensive not to carry the whole NBC block.

Yep, Matthews is absolutely rabid...

Last night he kept badgering Thurlow asking him if it was now appropriate for Bush, a guy who hadn't served in Viet Nam, to question the service of a man, Kerry, who had.

Now putting aside the fact that Bush has not questioned Kerry's service, Matthews' premise is ridiculous.

I've never managed a professional baseball team, so therefore I have no right to question Jim Tracy, the manager of the Dodgers?

For that matter, is it appropriate for a man who has never served as president (Kerry) to question the presidency of a man who who has (Bush)?

My email to MSNBC:

I have been a fan of Chris Matthews since his early days on the McLaughlin Group...I actually thought he was being fair during the Clinton years because he didn't let Clinton slide...he was also truthful about Al Gore's less than winning attributes during the debates in 2000...last night however he wandered away from fairness and became a Kerry pitbull when he kept attacking Michelle Malkin and shouting (and spitting) about Kerry shooting himself...if he'd read the book Unfit for Command he would know that the self-inflicted wound she was talking about was shrapnel from a richochet when Kerry's bullets hit some rocks near the shoreline (in another instance Kerry threw a hand grenade into some rice containers and was rewarded with some rice drilled into his butt)...we get that Matthews is a Kerry supporter but does he have to become a Jame Carville type snarling creep and liar in defense of his choice for president of the USA...he should apologize on air to Michelle if he has the courage to be a man and step up to the plate....if not, no surprise here...Ann Butler (NYC schoolteacher and registered independent)

ke Chris is just "calling it in." Why would anyone run the risk of looking like an idiot for the whole world to see by not even reading the book.

I remember hearing a TV talk host saying that he had not even read a book for which he had provided a blurb for the jacket. That really surprised me. I guess all that matters is the bias of the author.

This may be the election where the alternative conservative media has finally wrested the upper hand away from the liberal MSM. The Philly Daily News had run nothing about Kerry's Christmas in Cambodia claims prior to their Tuesday editorial that just regurgitated the Dem talking points on the Swift Boat issue. They must have gotten inundated with emails about Cambodia - because today they ran a long, concise column on that matter. They cannot pretend that the Cambodia issue doesn't exist - it's everywhere in Kerry's past claims - and it is too obvious to ignore or sweep under the rug. And for all their manipulations to make the Swifties seem like liars, this is the first BIG lie in the battle for the truth between the two sides. So far it's Swifties 1, Kerryites 0 - and despite their bluster, the Kerryites know the actual score.

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