Posted on 09/14/2004 4:33:38 PM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
Those who watched Matt Lauer's interview of Kitty Kelley over the last two mornings on The Today Show, or read our threads about them, know that his tone and approach were surprisingly hostile.
On tonight's Hardball, Chris Matthews tone was more polite. But he had obviously done more homework than Lauer, and ultimately was even more effective than Matt in nailing Kelley as a mongerer of unsubstantiated rumors.
After some opening pleasantries, Chris got down to business.
He first forced Kelley to admit that a former Guard member, last name Rogers, whom she quoted to speculate that W might have been taking drugs in Guard, not only didn't know W, but had never met him. She ultimately admitted that Rogers' comments were pure speculation.
Matthews then got Kelley to admit that a Peck Young, who made allegations about W having had an affair with a prostitute while he was married, had no knowledge of W's private life, that Peck Young is a Democrat activist, and that she was unable to ever talk with the alleged prostitute.
Matthews then mentioned that Kelley had alleged that: "some people felt that W has been protected by a coterie of former CIA men who prevented his past from seeping out."
Matthews: "What are your sources for that?"
"That is an informed opinion of the author based on more than 1,000 interviews."
Matthews: "But you cite no sources, only suggesting that people 'felt' that way."
Matthews then referred to the allegation in the book that Laura was "the go-to girl for dime bags of marijuana at SMU, and sold dope."
Matthews: "How do you know she sold dope? Do you have one first-person account from anyone who said 'I was there, I smoked with her, I bought from her?"
Kelley: "I spoke with various people who were unwilling to go on record."
Matthews: "There is a pattern in your book. The people who are willing to go on the record have no first-hand knowledge. And the alleged first-hand sources are all unnamed."
Matthews then asked the most telling question to which he got a devastating admission: "Could you get *anyone* to come forward to say on the record that any of the Bush family broke the law?"
Kelley, abjectly: "No."
Matthews: "It's stunning that you couldn't get one person to go on the record."
Kelley pathetically tried to turn this fatal weakness into a strength: "What you said just demonstrates the power of this family."
There's no doubt that Matthews has turned into a shrill Democratic partisan over the course of this campaign.
But he absolutely dissected Kelley tonight, and by the end left her a pathetic mess, abjectly admitting that she did not have one on-record source able to accuse any member of the Bush family of any wrongdoing.
Let's give the devil his due.
By not attacking her he actually allowed her to completely discredit herself.
Hardball ping to The Today Show ping list.
Matthews needs interviews with Bush people like Scowcroft, etc. So he couldn't possibly take a dive on this one. It's an easy way for him to look "non-partisan", he can always cite this interview (which hardly anyone saw) as evidence that he's "fair".
Agreed. He ultimately was much more effective than Lauer. I give him credit for doing his homework. By the end she was a smoking ruin.
Great recap. Matthews could be much more effective in his field.
Kitty is a rumor mongrel.
he just doesn't want to get snagged by the same net that rather is tangled up in.
governsleastgovernsbest,Your my favorite reporter of crap i cannot watch !!!! keep up the good work.
I'd guess he had a well-above average audience [by Hardball standards] for tonight's show.
What's wrong with giving Matthews credit for a truly devastating interview?
How does this woman manage to avoid being tried for slander?
Sounds like Chrissy has been paying close attention to the self-inflicted impaling of Gunga Dan. Looking for sources, very scared. LOL!
Kitty is just a DUmmy with a book deal.
Yes. But maybe Zell's body blow woke him up to the fact (or woke up those who could get the message to him) that "shrill Democrat(..) partisan" is no longer a tenable ratings approach.
Thanks SuzyQ. My motto: "Read governs, and leave the acid reflux to us."
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