FOR THE RECORD: Chris Matthews' LIES About Laura Bush's Remarks About Nagin

www.freerepublic.com | January 19, 2006

[Howlin]

On Hardball last night, Chris Matthews said no less than three times that Laura Bush said "God wants New Orleans to be rebuilt."

In the interest of FACTUAL and ACCURATE reporting, here are her EXACT quotes, followed by Matthews' statments.

-----

"Asked about the comment, Mrs. Bush joked that she didn't really think she could speak for God. Then she added that she believes Nagin wants New Orleans to be rebuilt."

"He wants people who lived in New Orleans to come back," Mrs. Bush said. "I do to, and I know the president does too. You know it's going to take a long time."

-----

Here are some other sources' inerpretations of what she said:

"He wants people who lived in New Orleans to come back," Mrs. Bush said. "I do to, and I know the president does too. You know it‘s going to take a long time."

---

Mrs. Bush, who said her next trip likely will be to New Orleans to visit schools damaged in the hurricane, also reacted to a comment by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin that stirred controversy. Nagin had said: "This city will be chocolate at the end of the day." He later apologized.

Nagin also said the hurricane that devastated New Orleans was God's way of showing displeasure about U.S. involvement in Iraq. "Surely God is mad at America," Nagin said in a speech Monday. "Surely He's not approving of us being in Iraq under false pretense. But surely He's upset at black America also. We're not taking care of ourselves."

Asked about the comment, Mrs. Bush joked that she didn't really think she could speak for God. Then she added that she believes Nagin wants New Orleans to be rebuilt.

"He wants people who lived in New Orleans to come back," Mrs. Bush said. "I do to, and I know the president does to. You know it's going to take a long time."

---

It's all like that; nobody else said the things he said.

***Now, here is the TRANSCRIPT from MSNBC of last night's show (edited by YaYa123):

"MATTHEWS: What did you make of Laura Bush saying, regarding the Mayor Nagin thing of New Orleans, a very famous guy, obviously controversial, because of the way things went down down there.

But Laura Bush saying, “No, Nagin was wrong when he said that God, whatever, is mad at blacks.” He had a couple of comments which I think are a bit off the wall. But then she came in with one that I think topped him. She said, “God wants New Orleans to be rebuilt.” How does she know? Why are people talking for a deity? We can argue whether there is a God, but then to be hearing voices. This is the Joan of Arc stuff.

ROGERS: There do appear to be a lot of people hearing divine calling right now. I haven't read what Mrs. Bush said, but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.

MATTHEWS: She said God wants us to rebuild New Orleans.

ROGERS: Well, maybe he does.

MATTHEWS: Well, sure. Maybe he hasn't give it any thought, I'm not sure. I just don't know, but I wouldn't presume.

ROGERS: I don't want to pick on Mrs. Bush. I don't know what she said. I give her the benefit of the doubt.

MATTHEWS: Well, I just told you what she said. But you can hide behind ignorance.

ROGERS: Ignorance is bliss.

MATTHEWS: I know. I've heard that before.

Dee Dee, what do you make of this godliness on the part of political figures like Nagin, like Robertson talking about how Sharon got sick because he wanted to cut a deal on land and peace? And now the first lady, who everybody likes—I like her—has jumped into the thing and she's talking for God now.

MYERS: I certainly don't look to political leaders of either party to interpret God's intentions for me. And I hope most Americans—and I don't think most Americans do either.

MATTHEWS: I'd like to know where they were last night, let alone tell me where God is. Just give me the basic information—how did they vote and how much they collected. And, by the way, who at the White House has been entertaining Jack Abramoff? Is that a fair question?



________________________________________________________________



(After the segment with Roger Cressey on the Pakistan bombing,which Chris didn't like at all, Chris goes back to Laura bashing: )

"MATTHEWS: Well, mixed bag. Probably most politicians are mixed bags. Most reporters are mixed bags. Most people are. That's fairly safe, isn't it?

He's saying he wants to bring back a chocolate city—a clear ethnic

reference, a racial reference if you will, although race means we're all of

the same race.

ALLEN: Well, he presumed to speak for God which, I think, is a mistake for any of us.

MATTHEWS: Well, what about Laura Bush doing the same thing today, saying God wants to rebuild New Orleans.

ALLEN: Today...

MATTHEWS: Or is that just general lunch-time Christianity, just the kind of thing you say—we know God wants us to rebuild our city, we know God roots for our downtown booster club, we know God—that sort of generalized sort of Kiwanis-type (ph) of religion, you know?

ALLEN: I think a good rule for living—in fact, I just saw this on a billboard the other day—it said “If you want to know what God's thinking, stop talking.”

And maybe that's a good rule for all of us."

[Howlin]

But the thing is...

Asked about the comment, Mrs. Bush joked that she didn't really think she could speak for God.

She specifically stated she was NOT and could NOT speak for God.

[YaYa123]

You'd think Republican Analyst Ed Rogers would care that Chris Matthews spewed out these lies about Laura to him. Rogers obviously wasn't armed with Mrs. Bush's direct quotes when Matthews went on the attack.

Rogers can find the truth here:




http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2006/01/18/ap2459819.html

You'd think AP's Deb Riechmann would care that Matthews so distorted the quotes in her column.


Oh yes, come 5 pm EST, I'll be watching Hardball.


Hardball's email address is

hardball@msnbc.com

[My2Cents]

For further clarification of context, in the quote, "Asked about the comment, Mrs. Bush joked that she didn't really think she could speak for God....", what was the comment she was asked about? Nagin's assertion that God is punishing America for our involvement in Iraq?

[tumblindice]

"What have I done?" said Christine:
`I've ruined my party's machine.
To lie in the nude
Is not very rude,
But to lie on TV is obscene.'

[You Dirty Rats]

FUIOUS

Oh no!! That's Hugh and Series!!

[Howlin]

Mrs. Bush, who said her next trip likely will be to New Orleans to visit schools damaged in the hurricane, also reacted to a comment by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin that stirred controversy. Nagin had said: "This city will be chocolate at the end of the day." He later apologized.

Nagin also said the hurricane that devastated New Orleans was God's way of showing displeasure about U.S. involvement in Iraq. "Surely God is mad at America," Nagin said in a speech Monday. "Surely He's not approving of us being in Iraq under false pretense. But surely He's upset at black America also. We're not taking care of ourselves."

Asked about the comment, Mrs. Bush joked that she didn't really think she could speak for God. Then she added that she believes Nagin wants New Orleans to be rebuilt.

"He wants people who lived in New Orleans to come back," Mrs. Bush said. "I do to, and I know the president does to. You know it's going to take a long time."


http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2006/01/18/ap2459819.html

[Howlin]

Well, in a round about way, he's bringing HER into his little lying fest.

[attiladhun2]

Chris Matthews got his start, I understand, as an "operative" for the DemocRat party. I hear his job was to gather dirt on political opponents. So I ask you, what would you expect from the mouth of this bloviating moron with slipping ratings?

[SeaBiscuit]

"..an election year is beginning, and the left has given us notice even Mrs. Bush is fair game. This is not an isolated event. Hillary Clinton calls the United States House of Representatives, racist plantation owners, Senate Democrats call Alito a racist bigot, and Chris Matthews calls Laura Bush a religious nutcase.

And remarks like this from Reid: “The idea of Republicans reforming themselves is like asking John Gotti to clean up organized crime."

http://reid.senate.gov/record2.cfm?id=250468

Yep we better fight back is right.

[AuH2ORepublican]

I know that, that's why I said that had Chrissy read the whole article he would know to whom the First Lady was referring to when she said "he." Chrissy probably read that "money quote" and ran with it without looking at context to determine who "he" was.

[RetiredSWO]

"...she added that she believes Nagin wants New Orleans to be rebuilt."

So apparently:
if
she said "Nagin wants New Orleans to be rebuilt"
and
Chrissy keeps saying she said "God wants New Orleans to be rebuilt
then

Chris Matthews thinks Nagin is GOD

[Howlin]

"The idea of Republicans reforming themselves is like asking John Gotti to clean up organized crime."

You know, that use to be the kind of thing that WE would say, but politicians -- dare I say "statesmen" -- wouldn't.

The signing press conference the other day was filled with trite specious snotty remarks like that. They are just so petty.

[gondramB]

I have to confess to actullay looking up the Hardball transcript

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10924558/

And I agree with your reading of it but when I first read it I thought she was saying couldn't speak for God and then did it anyway. And I suspect you are right - that this is Chris mathews deliberately misleading

[Howlin]

That's more like it.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

But Laura Bush saying, “No, Nagin was wrong when he said that God, whatever, is mad at blacks.” (Chris Matthews)

I REALLY think this is an important way to get a retraction, quickly. Supposedly the First Lady is interpreting Nagin's remarks... BUT it SOUNDS like SHE is saying God is MAD AT BLACKS.

It is all timed for appearances. ANYONE with a brain MUST remember that in the past few days, while giving these interviews on her trip to AFRICA, Laura Bush has spoken warmly about her friendship with Condoleeza Rice. We conservatives KNOW this is a genuine friendship between them and not just pandering to an audience. But the liberals are trying to paint innuendo into fact. Using their friendship to highlight racial differences.

Maybe Chris needs to be reminded of the fact that conservatives see a broader picture and do not pigeonhole people based on religion or race.

[pawdoggie]

And to think there was a time when some of us liked Chris 'cause he seemed to be the only Democrat who "got it" about Bill Clinton. We even jacked his ratings up to an astronomical level (by MSNBC standards). Now we see what Chris' real beef with Bill Clinton was, not the lying or the "nuts or sluts" tactics or Billy Dale or "compartmentalization", it was the fact that he was making the Democratic Party look bad. Now that Bill J. (for whom Chris has rediscovered a certain affection) is safely out of power, Chris can once again let his Democrat freak flag fly.

[Mo1]

I wrote him an email .. but never heard back

Not even those stupid auto responses stating they rec'd it

[lawdude]

""He wants people who lived in New Orleans to come back," Mrs. Bush said."

No, my dear, he said, "He wants people who lived in New Orleans to come BLACK!

[Dave S]

The word "He" was capitalized, and everybody knows when you capitalize the personal pronouns "He," "His," etc. you are referring to the supreme Deity.

Gee stupid me. Here I thought you always capitalize the first word of a sentence, even if it is "He" and not referring to a supreme diety. Chris is an idiot looking for an excuse to explode.

[SeaBiscuit]

Your right, I was just piling on.. ;-)

I know, that's just one of the many reasons I respect the GWB Presidency, I have never heard GWB, Laura, Cheney... speak in such 'trite, snotty, petty' manner as so many of the Rats do.