Posted on 02/08/2006 5:09:35 PM PST by Mike Bates
On Tuesday's Hardball, the discussion turned to Jimmy Carter's remarks at the funeral of Coretta Scott King. The former president had brought up wiretapping. Host Chris Matthews observed: "Of course that‘s hot because J. Edgar Hoover was wiretapping Dr. King and feeding all the dirty to LBJ, you know?"
The former FBI chief had indeed wiretapped the late civil rights leader, but not on his own authority and initially not for President Lyndon Johnson. King biographer David Garrow wrote in a 2002 Atlantic Monthly article:
"On October 10, 1963, U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy committed what is widely viewed as one of the most ignominious acts in modern American history: he authorized the Federal Bureau of Investigation to begin wiretapping the telephones of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Kennedy believed that one of King's closest advisers was a top-level member of the American Communist Party, and that King had repeatedly misled Administration officials about his ongoing close ties with the man."
Earlier in the program, Matthews had said that at Mrs. King's funeral, "Senator Ted Kennedy reminded us of the role his brothers had played with Dr. King, getting him out of jail back in 1960." This role included Bobby Kennedy inappropriately calling the sentencing judge in the case. There's strong reason to believe the Kennedys' sudden interest was politically motivated. Kennedy's call took place only days before the 1960 presidential election. So grateful was Dr. King's father that he announced, "Because this man was willing to wipe the tears from my daughter (in-law's) eyes, I've got a suitcase of votes, and I'm going to take them to Mr. Kennedy and dump them in his lap."
It's understandable that Teddy Kennedy wouldn't bring up his brothers' role in wiretapping Martin Luther King. But why wouldn't Chris Matthews mention their widely known involvement?
Why did Nazism and Stalinism spring from the Left side of the spectrum? Yeah, its an extreme example, maybe unfair, but I feel it was no coincidence historically
Well, he went on at great length at how every single reason for going to war in Iraq had been debunked and basically called her a liar and never gave her any real opportunity to respond. It was not an interview, it was an ambush. It was awful. She was trying to respond and he cut her off and went to his next segment.
I believe Matthews held some position in Carters administration,so that should give some insight into his wisdom.
No wonder he's messed up.
I said this yesterday and I'll say it again:
When you make Bush's wiretapping of Al Quaeda with RFK's wiretapping of Civil Rights leaders morally equivalent, you are also making Al Quaeda and Civil Rights leaders morally equivalent. You are either lowering Martin Luther King to the status of Richard Reid, or you are elevating Richard Reid to the status of Martin Luther King. How irrational and immoral do you have to be, to make such a comparison? The left is dangerous, and should never, ever recieve political power, ever. Because that's how stupid and corrupt they are (amongst other evidence).
Is he implying that Martin Luther King was a terrorist?
Chris Mathews may not mean it, but he is essentially equating Martin Luther King with Osama Bin Laden.
I wish that were true, but I'm not so certain. My personal experience is the more years a person spends in college, the less likely they are to be aware of the Family Kennedy's mischief.
Thanks...he's so boorish.
In those days, yes it was OK to indentify communist organizations that way.
Mathews gives cognitive dissonants a bad name.
Most worshipful.
Why am I not surprised to find Russert as senile as Jimmuh' Kkkartuh'?
The general trend of analysis the last 20 years has been toward exonerating Kennedy and Hoover since materials obtained from the Russians (about this guy and many others) demonstrate that this fellow was very dangerous.
I disagree...Hoover was a demi-god in this country by then. He had files on John Lennon, Martin Luther King, Richard Nixon, and any one of a number of citizens that HE deemed a risk, and carried them through all administrations, orchestrating whatever was necessary in HIS mind to supply crucial information on domestic matters to any political group in power at the time.
Matthews comes across as being very 'oral'.
The guy slobbers over Slick Willy.
As a Republican.
On the ticket with Swann.
I had no idea.
He may be the opposite of Non-Reagan on MSNBC as well.
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