MSNBC's Chris Matthews, who conceded the obvious to Jay Leno that “I'm partial” to the “remarkable political reality” of Barack Obama, on Tuesday's Tonight Show regretted Obama cannot be inaugurated sooner than on January 20. “The President looks like he's already in the locker room with a towel around his neck. It looks like he's taken off,” Matthews complained before insisting “we need a President pretty soon.” The host of Hardball fretted about the long wait to get Obama into office, warning:
I'm getting worried because it's about another couple of months before we get a President and I'm worried about this country falling between the cracks because we've got one President who's sort of already retired and we got another President who's politely tip-toeing around the job. Who's leading us right now? It scares me.
After a quip from fellow guest “Larry the Cable Guy,” Matthews reiterated his point: “I think we've got too much time between elections and taking over.”
Matthews made the same case on his syndicated Chris Matthews Show over the weekend, as quoted in a NB item by Lyndsi Thomas:
Okay. We have an interregnum here. We have one President not in office yet, one not still there it seems psychologically. You know, they changed the Constitution back in the '30s to have this shorter lame duck period. But now this lame duck period looks really dangerous for us right now because we've got through the holidays all the way to January 20.
(In his column last Friday, USA Today founder Al Neuharth argued “people who elect a new President are eager for the change to take place. The sooner the better,” so he proposed: “We should move the President's inauguration up to the first Tuesday in December, one month after the election.” My November 15 NB post with more.)
Matthews on the Tuesday, November 18 Tonight Show on NBC:
We will not put up with mediocrity and we've had it for too long. The American people would not put up with this team we've had. This country has not been well served, we've not had good leadership. The President looks like he's already in the locker room with a towel around his neck. It looks like he's taken off and we need a President pretty soon. By the way, I'm getting worried because it's about another couple of months before we get a President and I'm worried about this country falling between the cracks because we've got one President who's sort of already retired and we got another President who's politely tip-toeing around the job. Who's leading us right now? It scares me.It's a real problem because you know they used to have President sworn in in March and they moved it up to January, but now we got, I think we got too much time between elections and taking over.
—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center




















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A good use of your time Chris
November 19, 2008 - 01:36 ET by 10ksnookerWould be to dry your pants out.
Give it a rest already
November 19, 2008 - 01:53 ET by afuelHey Crissy give it a rest already. Its OK, your guy won, you can stop being his cheerleader in chief, I know you miss the tingling sensation and all but....
Take sometime to catch a breath of fresh air, see the real world, get out of the Obamamessiah bunker. Get your resume ready as MSNBC has served its purpose and is now expendable. There is life outside of a TV studio.
No Representation in NorCal.
It's time Matthews hung up
November 19, 2008 - 07:33 ET by kgIt's time Matthews hung up his suit and press badge. Time for him to join Rather. He has turned into a real Democrat tool.
"Forget change, I want improvement!"
Nah...
November 19, 2008 - 13:22 ET by mikefisk...comparing Matthews to Dan Rather is insulting...
...to Rather. I mean, seriously, who thought it was a good idea to give a Carter flack a TV show in the first place?
He's worried because he
November 19, 2008 - 01:59 ET by winston smithHe's worried because he realizes there's still plenty of time for Obama to continue to make foolish moves and appointments and have a significant percentage of of his voters question his decision making abilities and his strange attraction for Clinton administration lackies. I guess like a lot of liberals, Chris would like to get rid of the transition period just like a most liberals wanted to scrap the electoral college when it didn't go in favor of Gore in 2000. Funny -- I didn't hear liberals belly-aching about the electoral college this year.
"..What a legacy, Mr. President [Bush].."
November 19, 2008 - 02:01 ET by Gary HallOther than ordering up, planning for, and carrying out the most impressive and most organized transition team in our lifetime, our President Bush actually has been a bit busy with the nation's and the world's business. Had a declaration of a state of emergency today for the fire-burned areas destroyed here in So CA.
The President hosted the leaders of the Group of 20 countries to a summit in the Washington, D.C. area, on November 15 to discuss financial markets and the global economy. We saw a number of pictures - none with a towel around his neck.
On Nov. 18, President Bush was busy discussing aviation congestion and transportation congestion - and ordered up some relief for the holidays. Thank you Mr. Pres.
On Nov. 17th, President Bush attended presentations of the 2008 National Medals of Arts and National Humanities Medals - certainly something the national media are excited about (well, when Democrats are in the White House)
[..]
Back in October, as he hosted the Summit on International Development at the White House, President Bush gained rave reviews for his impressive calls for world economic leaders not to fall prey to the current crisis and not keep their commitments to funding for humanitarian and health issues around the globe. At the event President Bush was the recipient of a lot of rightfully earned praise; praise that jerks like Matthews would fight to keep the American people from finding out about - and he did, because the national media did not report on it:
President Ellen Sirleaf Johnson, of Liberia (the first Democratically elected woman in African history):
African humanitarian and founder of Live 8, Sir Bob Geldof:
Gee Chris. I'm wishing he could hang around a bit longer. (;~> Gary
Yea Gary, i'm going to MISS President Bush
November 19, 2008 - 02:15 ET by upcountrywaterIf they hurry, the fake but real birth record, will slide through...
As if the forensic team will have as much time looking for defects in the birth record as the science folk had looking at the Shroud of Turin.
First Mutt's Viet Nam 2
IranianUranium
Good job, Gary...and that's
November 19, 2008 - 06:36 ET by motherbeltGood job, Gary...and that's only the public stuff. He's working in the Oval Office every day I'm sure, and doing all the things the President does every day, keeping up on everything. Which he will continue to do until the end. I don't remember these guys wanting to see Clinton leave in December.
Liberals like Matthews really tick me off...he "looks like" he's already in the locker room? No, Chrissie, that's just what you say about him; the image that you want to foster!! I'm sick to death of them just making things up or attributing things to "there are those who say..." or "some say...." and proposing them like they are facts that everyone is aware of!
They all make me ill.
...
November 20, 2008 - 11:48 ET by Tom1969caHm. If that were the case, then in 2000 Bush would've been sworn in before Gore had even finished trying to re-re-re-re-recount Florida...
Yeah. With a one-month timeframe Bubba would've had to start on those pardons the day after the election just to get them all done in time.
=====
Daily Sarah Palin fact:
Sarah Palin doesn't need a gun to hunt, because she can throw a bullet through an adult bull moose.
Springtime for Liberals
November 19, 2008 - 10:28 ET by CellaThank you for these thoughts, Gary.
These liberals, with their simultaneous glorification of Obama, are making me sick. Journalists waving their pom-poms for this guy have gone over the edge.
Chrissy is a crazed twit. Put a sock in it!
The American people
November 19, 2008 - 03:11 ET by IamTinmanThe American people not only put up with this team we've had, they reelected it! And the McCain/Palin slate didn't lose by much.
That means Chrissie, that half the country doesn't have Obamagazms every time his picture appears.
I think we have too much time between when "Hardball" starts and the time it ends.
Barack, if you have any compassion for your fellow man give that Mathews lad a cushy government job that keeps him the hell off TV!
Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition.
Thomas Jefferson
You CANNOT be serious!
November 19, 2008 - 04:01 ET by WagaIn the famous words of John McEnore, Matthews cannot be serious to think that any President-Elect can be ready to make all the transitions and appointments in such brief time, or the outgoing President is such a lame duck that he's sitting around reading brochures about Winnebagoes.
To even show that type of bias, he further discredits himself towards other journalists and the profession.
Way to Chrissy, GE is so
November 19, 2008 - 04:15 ET by oilcanWay to Chrissy, GE is so glad you're putting your heart and soul into that $139-million bailout from us taxpayers.
It's nice that we're getting the third term of the Clinton Dynasty too. I can't wait, ugh.
I've noticed that all of
November 19, 2008 - 10:51 ET by TexasteacherI've noticed that all of obama's "change" and "diversity" is either old clinton cronies or black people. And that is somehow comparable to Lincoln's "team of rivals"?
SLM
November 19, 2008 - 05:40 ET by kilrod"matthews" another rectal discharge from one of the main turds of the "Sub-Slime Media"(slm).
(GRINS) kilrod
Remember, only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American Soldier
Crissy, Crissy, Crissy
November 19, 2008 - 06:48 ET by DoktorFranken"We will not put up with mediocrity and we've had it for too long. The American people would not put up with this team we've had. This country has not been well served, we've not had good leadership. The President looks like he's already in the locker room with a towel around his neck. It looks like he's taken off and we need a President pretty soon."
Sounds like he's inciting to cause a riot or some kind of violent takeover. Chris Matthews crossed a line some time ago and the entire GE/NBC corporation is complicit in having this mental deficient in front of a camera and spewing his illiterate garbage for the ignorant masses to absorb. Nothing good can come from this waste of air.
Oh, and by the way Chris, the President of the United States has kept your worthless ass alive since 2001. In my estimation, that was not serving our country well but he is a Christian and an American (as opposed to you and your kind) and he's just been doing the job we elected him to do.
New meaning
November 19, 2008 - 06:51 ET by jackie3All I can say is Matthews gives new meaning to the term "dumb blond."
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.
What's up with Chrissy?
November 19, 2008 - 07:42 ET by Mica the MagnificentHe pictures Bush in a locker room with a towel around his neck.
He gets a tingle up his leg with Obama
He gives up his journalism cover for his man Barack
He can't wait until January to see his man take charge
Chrissy, is there something else you want to announce?
Why do people like Jay Leno
November 19, 2008 - 09:33 ET by SeashellWhy do people like Jay Leno have Chris Matthews on? He is not funny or entertaining. He's not informative. He is always negative. It's disgusting to watch him talk (I guess he can't help the spittle problem but yuck!). Why have him on?????
sicko wierdo Chrissy dumb
November 19, 2008 - 12:17 ET by welderforeKenneth J Roberts
This is the reason Obama got elected these left winged nuts are in places of power and they have done nothing but abuse it from day one. no vetting no reporting , do all of us realize that if the country had been informed, the people would have rejected Obama by a large margin , you see it is not the same when the other side exposes Obama but if the news had of done its job we would be waiting for a Palin/ McCain to be set in place for the president and vice president . he along with the rest has constantly violated a public trust , how hard is that to understand they have the power and the responsibility to report the truth and they have not done so.Thank you for this article it should be all over the MSM now, but it won't.
Chris Matthews bias
November 19, 2008 - 13:54 ET by gmiingMakes me wonder - if Chris Matthews had ever supported the present administration as strongly as he is supporting Obama, could it have made a difference? Don't know. I do know this - Chris does not appear to be a very good journalist. I thought you were to stay impartial or at least maintain the appearance of impartiality as you reported on television.
Silly me - I must have got that wrong. The only good thing - there are plenty of other journalists and TV personalities to watch - he is not the one I'll be watching.
Maybe Matthews has a good point
November 19, 2008 - 14:16 ET by ArminiusIf Reagan had taken over immediately after Carter, Matthews' boss, was soundly defeated, maybe the Americans held hostage by Iran could have been spared two additional months in captivity. Reagan also would have had a two-month head start on reducing the unemployment and interest rates that had skyrocketed on Carter's watch. Do you suppose Chrissy advised Carter to go back to his peanut farm two months early?
Seriously, if FDR could wait until March 1933 to assume the presidency, the "man-boy" Obama can wait until January 20.
Its just too bad that Larry the Cable Guy...
November 19, 2008 - 20:50 ET by R D Helm...who is rather conservative and good friends with Neal Boortz, didn't say something to Chrissy to cause him to soil his underwear.
I mean, it wouldn't have take much.
-Dave
Did this country just elect Obama/Biden, or was it Soros/Ayers?
→ Now that's funny
November 19, 2008 - 21:00 ET by Cool ArrowI don't care who y'are