In a moment of excess hyperbole, even for Chris Matthews, at about 7:33 PM EST Tuesday night, Matthews claimed “nothing's done since '65, when we did the civil rights bill,” to fix the nation's problems. Fretting about how the country cannot afford a prolonged Clinton-Obama battle in Pennsylvania because “this country's in a rut” with “everything” from the war to the economy, Matthews ridiculously asserted:
We can't fix anything, whether it's Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, we can't fix our health care system. Nothing's done since '65, when we did the civil rights bill.
We did “fix” the Soviet empire since 1965 and Ronald Reagan managed to fix an economy in a rut under the direction of Matthews' former employer, Jimmy Carter. And, of course, most of the welfare state was created and expanded greatly since 1965, including Medicare and Medicaid. But, naturally, Matthews failed to recognize that maybe the creation and expansion of these massive government entitlement programs is part of the problem.
Hat tip: MRC's Rich Noyes
Complete transcript of the rant delivered by Matthews, to co-host Keith Olbermann, during MSNBC's Super Tuesday II coverage at about 7:33 PM EST:
You and I, who are on the air all the time, know that the box this campaign came in is marked “change.” This country's in a rut, on the war in Iraq and pending wars elsewhere in the Middle East, the economy, everything, we're in a rut. We can't fix anything, whether it's Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, we can't fix our health care system. Nothing's done since '65 when we did the civil rights bill. People want something done. Will that something get done if we have an election that bogs down in Pennsylvania with seven weeks of Democrats killing each other? That's a question everybody ought to ask, not just Hillary Clinton or Bill Clinton.
—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center
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Comments Policy
Well, since Huckabee just dropped out
March 4, 2008 - 22:33 ET by DEVILDOCMOMone can only hope the dems destroy each other. What crap from this guy. As you state jimmy carter drug us down further. Of course, the country swarmed for Ronald Reagan after carter's near distruction of the country. Unfortunately, when I debated these topics in high school I could debate either side; I was too young to see what could fully develop. Now, I would be formidable.
fixed?
March 4, 2008 - 22:36 ET by m36b1Dang... The 1965 Civil Rights Bill fixed the problem? I would suppose Jesse Jackson and Reverend Al might dispute that - as they will from now until eternity, no matter what the reality is.
Not just that...
March 5, 2008 - 06:31 ET by sarcasmoPeople right here will argue that politicians' votes for an anti-freedom bill (which gave us low-expectation racism like "affirmative action" and other intellectually-empty feel good BS) were somehow a good thing for race relations. They'll do it with a straight face because on the surface the argument seems to help the political party they're trying to assist, despite their own personal dislike of policies like "affirmative action" and despite Barry Goldwater's prescient honesty at the time, bluntly predicting what would happen next, which of course it did...
JMR
A corruption-story the TV media will-not cover.
Might be
March 4, 2008 - 22:36 ET by 10ksnookerEver since the Democrats, led by Sen KKK Byrd, filibustered the civil rights bill, little has been done ... From which party did he say, or was he just implying it was all Republicans fault? He probably forgot it was Republicans who supplied most of the votes to pass the civil rights bill.
You would think someone who worked for Tip ONiel would know that, wouldn't you?
And just who is it that won't quit?
March 5, 2008 - 07:32 ET by WildBillExcuse me, but isn't Hill the Shrill keeping Osama Obama Hussein from winning the nomination by staying in the fight? She (a lib Dem) is trying to keep a black man from becoming president. Hmmm!!!!
"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled, or hanged." -Abraham Lincoln
Government isn't there to
March 4, 2008 - 22:46 ET by GregEGovernment isn't there to fix problems and doesn't do well at it when it tries. When libs learn that, America will be better for it.
When libs learn that? Yea who am I kiddin. Sorry for the space-taking post. LOL
He should have presented that thought to Olbermann and asked for a response. Olbermann I'm sure has answers, he always does. (at least he thinks he does)
Old news.
March 4, 2008 - 23:15 ET by ScrapironPrissie Chrissie is right in a way. President Bush submitted plans to overhaul the SS system and the country went nuts. President Bush submitted an energy bill in 2001 to start developing our own energy, Dead end Dachele (D/Communist) pigion holed it. Today we see a dying SS/Medicare system and the country is going broke buying mideast oil.
Democrats killed every bill designed to help the country and they did it because of BDS, not because it didn't need done. Time for Americans to wake up and smell the rotten democrats that will kill Americans to keep power.
Old, Retired and glad of it.
I'm sorry, but what the H
March 4, 2008 - 23:47 ET by motherbeltI'm sorry, but what the H does the Pennsylvania primary have to do with fixing Medicare and Social Security????
And since you're talking about "nothing's done since 1965"....what about the "Glory Days" of the Clinton 1990's?
So you think the Obama is the only one who can fix everything...including our broken souls? I guess Mrs. Clinton was right...the sky will open, celestial choirs will sing...we'll all join hands to do the right thing....
Well, heck, Chris, let's just scrap this whole election thing then. Heaven knows we won't get anything done with months of Obama and McCain killing each other until November!!
So why doesn't McCain just drop out along with Mrs. Clinton, President Bush can resign, Obama can immediately be canonized...oops, I mean inaugurated, and the healing of everything that's wrong with this country will begin!
"We can't fix anything,
March 4, 2008 - 23:58 ET by jdhawk"We can't fix anything, whether it's Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, we can't fix our health care system."
The definition of insanity - doing something over and over again and expecting a different result.
The facts are that the private health system in the United States is the best in the world. It is the other half that is run by the government that is screwed up. What we need is less government health care not more.
If you don't believe me, when was the last time that you read an article or viewed a TV program extolling how wonderful any of the government health programs are? Would it have been Medicaid? Would it have been Medicare? Would it have been the Armed Forces health care system? How about the VA or the state run SHIPS program? No?
That's right. The reason that you never hear anything about them is that they are largely broken systems and no one in the drive by media will dare tell you about it less it spoil your appetite for more of the same.
Are you insane, yet?
Its a good thing that I got
March 5, 2008 - 00:51 ET by USA4freedomIts a good thing that I got out of the soup line to read this..
I hope they hold my place, that way I can get a good meal before global warming kills me.
What do you bet that the day after the election (if a D) wins the US is all better...??..
Ronald Reagan, 1962: I did not leave the Democratic party, the party left me.
Insert: your name, 2008, and the Republican party.
Romney / Jendil 2012 (if,we survive)
Odds are 1-1 you are right.
March 5, 2008 - 00:59 ET by Gary P JacksonOdds are 1-1 you are right.
Gee, maybe Matthews is finally starting to get it.
March 5, 2008 - 01:13 ET by R D HelmGovernment can't "fix" anything.
Theme for Election '08: I want my mommy!
A lot done to fix the news!
March 5, 2008 - 08:58 ET by PawpawNSeems MSM fixes the news each and every moment. Just what does one think when they see this headline:
"Fewer Charges Bump Costco 2Q by 31 Pct"
Does that tell you they had bigger profit than 2nd Qtr last year in headline-only if read carefully. Here's story: " http://money.excite.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_rt_top.jsp?news_id=ap-d8v78m700&
This one is correct, but wouldn't it normally tout the huge gain: "BJ's Wholesale 4Q Profit Climbs" Hidden way down in Business News is " US Dollar Higher in Europe" and "
Iraqi Cabinet OKs Deals With Oil Giants " & "
Layoffs fall 4% to 72,091 in February, Challenger says
Planned corporate job reductions numbered 72,091 in February, down by about 4% from January's announced cuts and "well below" recessionary levels, outplacement firm Challenger Gray & Christmas reported Wednesday." & "
Mortgage applications rose 3.0% last week: MBA
The volume of applications filed for mortgages went up a seasonally adjusted 3.0% last week, coinciding with a big drop in interest rates charged on fixed-rate mortgages, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's latest survey. Applications to refinance existing loans rose 4.5% for the week ended Feb. 29 compared with the previous week." and the list could go on, but we never see it!