On Sunday's The Chris Matthews Show on NBC, during a discussion of how well a President McCain might work with a Democratic Congress, host Matthews seemed to generalize about the political opinions of women as he contended that "one of the biggest fears women especially have" is that McCain would appoint pro-life Supreme Court justices, whom Matthews branded as "hawkish" on abortion: "One of the biggest fears women especially have is that we'll have a Supreme Court judge retirements or deaths or whatever, need to [be] replaced. McCain could come in there, he's a pro-lifer, pick some real hawkish people on the topic of a pro-life anti-abortion stance." He also euphemistically referred to the Democratic majority's ability to block pro-life appointments as being a "safety net." Matthews: "Would one of the safety nets be for the Democrats, they've got almost 56, almost 60 Democratic Senators that would say no way?" (Transcript follows)
Matthews also indirectly labeled Justices Samuel Alito and Antonina Scalia as "hardliners" in response to Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson's contention that "you couldn't get a real hardliner through" the Democratic-controlled Senate. Robinson: "You couldn't be able to get ... real hardliner through the Senate." Matthews: "No more Alito's or Scalia's?"
Below is a transcript of the relevant exchange from the Sunday, August 3, The Chris Matthews Show on NBC:
CHRIS MATTHEWS: One of the biggest fears women especially have is that we'll have a Supreme Court judge retirements or deaths or whatever, need to [be] replaced. McCain could come in there, he's a pro-lifer, pick some real hawkish people on the topic of a pro-life anti-abortion stance. Would one of the safety nets be for the Democrats, they've got almost 56, almost 60 Democratic Senators that would say no way?
EUGENE ROBINSON, WASHINGTON POST: Yeah, right, you couldn't be able to get through, get a real hardliner through the Senate.
MATTHEWS: No more Alito's or Scalia's?
ROBINSON: Right, but I don't think that's who McCain would appoint.
MATTHEWS: Oh, really?
ROBINSON: I think they would be more mainstream conservative.
MATTHEWS: John Roberts?
JOE KLEIN, NEWSWEEK: Even more moderate. The Democrats are not going to allow another John Roberts through.
MATTHEWS: So even he would be too far?
KLEIN: You know, this would be a real long-term bitter battle.
MATTHEWS: So you're making the case that, don't be afraid of McCain if you're a pro-choicer because the Democrats will protect you in the huddle.
KLEIN: Oh, they will absolutely do that. But I think that, you know, when you think about a McCain presidency, the image that comes to mind is Teddy Roosevelt during his Bull Moose period. I think this guy is going to move to the center, you know, like that.
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women's fears?
August 4, 2008 - 10:37 ET by ginagwen7I thought it was a feminist no-no for a man to speak on behalf of women. He sure doesn't speak for me.
But Thrill-Up-The-Leg Tweety
August 4, 2008 - 10:48 ET by SickofLibsBut Thrill-Up-The-Leg Tweety IS a chick by the latest definition! He's just 'chosen to retain his male organs' ala Thomas Beattie.
Dude looks like a lady...
August 4, 2008 - 21:19 ET by RickTaLifeThis is Christine Matthews you're talking about. :-)
My wife disagrees
August 4, 2008 - 10:43 ET by SPCOlympicsShe's a pro-life attorney that distrusts Obama and the Democratic party because of their stated intent to appoint pro-abortion Justices.
I'll have to check if she's vetted her opinions with Chrissy yet...
Fear tactics? That's so
August 4, 2008 - 10:52 ET by tazzFear tactics? That's so unlike Matthews. sarc/on
Women
August 4, 2008 - 11:03 ET by KC MulvilleInteresting that Matthews assumes that "women" means pro-choice women. Just because a substantial number of pro-choicers are women doesn't mean that all women are pro-choice. Logic forbids.
When liberal use the word "mainstream conservative" to identify conservatives they feel comfortable with, and complain that Chief Justice John Roberts is not in the mainstream, they ridicule themselves. It also lays to rest the idea that a nominee can be rejected because he's out of the "mainstream." Put simply, the Democrats would be begging the question. If they define mainstream as "someone we would agree with," they can't then justify their opposition on the grounds argue that the nominee is out of the mainstream.
Election after election, liberals proclaim that the people really agree with them, but they simply fall for GOP smear tactics. They just can't bring themselves to accept the fact that most Americans don't agree with them.
Right on
August 4, 2008 - 11:21 ET by SickofLibs"Interesting that Matthews assumes that "women" means pro-choice women."
And since we all know that abortion is simply a 'woman's health issue', pro-life women are by definition, unhealthy or don't care about their health.
Logic also forbids...
August 4, 2008 - 12:08 ET by lotr...that abortion can even be considered a "women's" issue at all. Statistically speaking, there is no difference between women and men on the issue.
Looks like Matthews really speaking for himself when he speaks on behalf of all women.
Actually, women are more
August 4, 2008 - 19:53 ET by GrannyGrump42Actually, women are more polarized. You'll find them identifying as "strongly" prolife or prochoice far more often than men, who are more likely to identify themselves as "moderately" prolife or prochoice.
And -- women are more likely than men to identify as prolife. No big surprise, since it's never the man who ends up with a colostomy after the couple's baby goes down the tube.
But we women who prefer our babies alive and cooing in our arms don't fit the leftist agenda, do we?
I think he means the
August 4, 2008 - 11:41 ET by mattmI think he means the extremist lefty women who make up about 23% of the public.
I wonder if out of the 23%
August 4, 2008 - 12:31 ET by ForeverOnTheRightI wonder if out of the 23% of these lefty women, how many have never had a child and may never be a mother? How many of the 23% are lesbians too, I wonder? I've seen some of these women in protests and I don't think I'd be tempted to procreate with any of them.
GET REAL MATHEWS
August 4, 2008 - 11:53 ET by Cooper"HAWKISH"??
hawk·ish
–adjective
1.
resembling a hawk, as in appearance or behavior.
Now which is more hawkish? Those that want babies to go full term, or those that would advocate a procedure that rips them apart limb by limb as a hawk would its prey?
My wife doesn't share that
August 4, 2008 - 14:18 ET by Hero SquadMy wife doesn't share that fear.
*****
"People only insist that a debate stop when they are afraid of what might be learned if it continues." - George Will
Me thinks Matthews must be
August 4, 2008 - 14:23 ET by bigtimerMe thinks Matthews must be a wee bit worried his anointed One isn't going to make it...
...One fear this gal has is that the Judges that do get through will not be conservative enough Matthews...you twit.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Matthews...you twit.
August 4, 2008 - 14:49 ET by kilrodMatthews...you twit. Let me change are add to that, Matthews...you chicken- shit, wait i messed up, i meant matthews you chicken-twit, hmmm, well hmm, well either way.??
I made a post on his comments page that said, "hey matthews, you know what that white stuff is on chicken-dooky is, don't ya.!!"
I know, admire and respect many, many, Pro-Life women, so the c-s matthews is not speaking for them, although, apparently, about half the males and females in this country are Pro-Death. I won't go so far as to call em "men and women".
kilrod
Remember, only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American Soldier
My wife
August 4, 2008 - 14:34 ET by ElyasWe were going to playground here in Seattle and my wife has a pro-life bumper sticker on her car.
As she was parking a mother with a baby in a stroller walked up to her and said, "I can't believe that as a woman you oppose the right the choose."
My wife responded, "I can't believe that as a mother you support the right to kill."
Thomas Jefferson once said, 'We should never judge a president by his age, only by his works.' And ever since he told me that, I stopped worrying.
- Ronald Reagan
Ely... A big hug and and
August 4, 2008 - 14:38 ET by bigtimerEly...
A big hug and and a thank you to your wife!
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Ely
August 4, 2008 - 14:57 ET by kilrod"A big hug and and a thank you to your wife!"
YES and May God Bless You Both!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kilrod
Remember, only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American Soldier
touché
August 4, 2008 - 16:30 ET by lotrtouché
That's a great answer. My
August 4, 2008 - 16:53 ET by mjgThat's a great answer. My hat's off to your wife. As for Matthews, the "thrill up his leg" comment is enough to make him look like a fool in my eyes forever. He has nothing to say that would make him credible, to me.
Moral Sentiments
August 4, 2008 - 16:14 ET by Lakewood BobIt is difficult for me to believe that a justice who subscribes to the moral sentiments of early Americans like Adam Smith, George Mason, and Thomas Jefferson would be labeled foolishly by liberals as a hawkish hardliner.
Such, I suppose is a sufficient indicator of the intellectual shallowness and moral depravity of the liberal philosophy.
Blood boiling
August 4, 2008 - 19:48 ET by GrannyGrump42One thing that sets my blood boiling every time is when these Loonie Lefties assume that the fact that I have two X chromosomes somehow means I prefer my children shredded into a specimen container and shipped off to the pathology lab.
The ONLY women who "fear" McCain may nominate prolife justices are what Rush Limbaugh quite correctly calls "Feminazis".