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Zell Miller illuminates his feud with Chris Matthews (talks about on-air fight on MSNBC at 2004 RNC)
The Hill ^ | 4/26/05 | Albert Eisele and Jeff Dufour

Posted on 04/26/2005 1:07:52 PM PDT by Cableguy

Former Sen. Zell Miller (D-Ga.) had a beef with “Hardball” host Chris Matthews before he ever appeared on the show immediately after his fiery speech at the Republican National Convention last year.

The famously disloyal Democrat reveals in his new book, A Deficit of Decency, that before telling Matthews he wished he could challenge him to a duel, he had long “detested” Matthews’s “know-it-all attitude and his bullying way of interviewing.” And earlier that evening, Matthews’s fellow MSNBC pundit Ron Reagan called Miller “kind of weird,” while Matthews himself had referred to Miller as an “old-time seggy,” meaning segregationist — a characterization Miller vehemently disputes.

Miller’s book grew out of a now-noteworthy speech he delivered in the Senate in February 2004 castigating American culture and politics, and ultimately leading to his keynoting the GOP convention. He remembers being asked to meet then-RNC head Marc Racicot and then-Bush-Cheney campaign chief Ken Mehlman to discuss whether he should give the speech, but, “because this Democrat had never been to the RNC headquarters before, I ended up going in the wrong building.”

If that speech was successful, it was a failure in one regard: Miller says he attempts to be “conversational” in television speeches, as if he’s talking to his granddaughter. “But I’ve never been able to do it,” he writes. “So Marine recruit Miller marched out onto that stage, stood at attention, and delivered for the drill instructor in my head who bellows, ‘Speak up, private, I can’t hear you.’”


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: chrismatthews; giveemhellzell; zellmiller
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1 posted on 04/26/2005 1:07:53 PM PDT by Cableguy
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To: Cableguy
The famously disloyal Democrat . . .

Wait a minute. Shouldn't that be the maverick Democrat?

2 posted on 04/26/2005 1:10:27 PM PDT by Glenmerle
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To: Cableguy

I really admire this ol' guy. He needs to start a bootcamp for the wussie RINOS... maybe he can help them acquire a backbone.


3 posted on 04/26/2005 1:10:51 PM PDT by antceecee (God Bless Pope Benedict XVI)
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To: Cableguy
The famously disloyal Democrat

When a Democrat strays from the Party Line, the press calls him "disloyal" - a negative term. However, when a Republican strays from the Party Line (McCain, Hagel, etc.), the press calls him a "maverick" - a positive term.

4 posted on 04/26/2005 1:11:15 PM PDT by So Cal Rocket (Proud Member: Internet Pajama Wearers for Truth)
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To: Glenmerle
or honorable Democrat
5 posted on 04/26/2005 1:11:21 PM PDT by al baby (Dick Trickle is not just a medical condition)
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To: Glenmerle

Aw geez... you beat me to it.


6 posted on 04/26/2005 1:11:42 PM PDT by So Cal Rocket (Proud Member: Internet Pajama Wearers for Truth)
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To: jan in Colorado

ping for later


7 posted on 04/26/2005 1:11:55 PM PDT by jan in Colorado
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To: Cableguy

Usually, when the D.I. is yelling at you, it is because he is trying to save your life and the life of your team.

Zell was too.


8 posted on 04/26/2005 1:11:59 PM PDT by Paloma_55
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To: So Cal Rocket

Or centrist/moderate Republican


9 posted on 04/26/2005 1:12:29 PM PDT by AppyPappy (If You're Not A Part Of The Solution, There's Good Money To Be Made In Prolonging The Problem.)
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To: antceecee

spitballs


10 posted on 04/26/2005 1:12:58 PM PDT by Republicus2001 (C)
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To: So Cal Rocket

When the press really likes a Republican straying from the party line he jumps all the way to "Principled".


11 posted on 04/26/2005 1:13:26 PM PDT by KarlInOhio (Blackwell for Governor 2006: hated by the 'Rats, feared by the RINOs.)
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To: Cableguy
I remember Zell's keynote speech, and how it lost the election for President Bush.

Oh, wait. You mean it didn't?

12 posted on 04/26/2005 1:16:55 PM PDT by Freemyland
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To: Cableguy
The famously disloyal Democrat reveals in his new book

No, he is a loyal Democrat.

"I can remember when Democrats believed that it was the duty of America to fight for freedom over tyranny."

--Zell Miller

13 posted on 04/26/2005 1:17:38 PM PDT by Samwise (We apologize for the inconvenience.)
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To: So Cal Rocket
Imagine how many people had exactly the same thought we did when they read this. It's becoming more and more difficult for the media to get away with such garbage.
14 posted on 04/26/2005 1:20:22 PM PDT by Glenmerle
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To: Cableguy
Chris Matthews is a good friend of my wife's sister's family.

I occasionally watched his show.

But when Ron Reagan was hired I stopped watching MSNBC altogether!!

That fellow just turns my stomach!!

15 posted on 04/26/2005 1:21:24 PM PDT by CROSSHIGHWAYMAN (NO PRISONERS!!)
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To: Glenmerle

The "disloyal" Reagan calling Zell "kinda wierd"!!!! That's a good one!


16 posted on 04/26/2005 1:23:27 PM PDT by LYSandra
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To: Glenmerle

Old Zig Zag Zell. The guy's always worth a good laugh.


17 posted on 04/26/2005 1:23:54 PM PDT by LGS
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To: CROSSHIGHWAYMAN
But when Ron Reagan was hired I stopped watching MSNBC altogether!!

The hospital screwed up twice. Somewhere there are two wonderful kids who do not know that their father was President.

18 posted on 04/26/2005 1:24:48 PM PDT by Samwise (We apologize for the inconvenience.)
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To: Cableguy
The famously disloyal Democrat

Zell is disloyal. McCain is a principled moderate.

19 posted on 04/26/2005 1:25:32 PM PDT by ModelBreaker
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To: CROSSHIGHWAYMAN; Samwise
But when Ron Reagan was hired I stopped watching MSNBC altogether!!

He is a pompous blowhard twit isn't he? They have him paired with a pretty good female republican counterhost, but she doesn't despise him as much as she should. I'd like to see her plotz the dweeb.

20 posted on 04/26/2005 1:29:48 PM PDT by HairOfTheDog
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