Matthews: Will Sebelius Survive 'Terrorism of the Anti-Abortion People?'

On Monday night's "Hardball," Chris Matthews feared Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, in her nomination fight to head HHS, would be a target of "the terrorism of the, of the anti-abortion people." Then perhaps realizing he called all pro-lifers terrorists, Matthews feebly attempted to amend the statement, as he tried to clarify, "I mean verbal terrorism."[audio excerpt available here]

The following exchange was aired during the March 2, edition of "Hardball":

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Let's talk about, let’s get to something really tough.

JONATHAN MARTIN, POLITICO: Sure.

MATTHEWS: Kathleen Sebelius, very likeable, very impressive. I think of the woman who becomes the governor in Mr. Holland’s Opus, remember the one who comes back?

LOIS ROMANO, WASHINGTON POST: Right.

MATTHEWS: Who becomes the governor, the woman governor. She looks like her, in fact. Is she gonna get through the, the terrorism of the, of the anti-abortion people?

ROMANO: Yeah I think she’s gonna do that and I think they’ve got a clear shot.

MATTHEWS: I mean verbal terrorism.

ROMANO: Yeah they’re, she’ll get through that.

MARTIN: I think she will, for one important reason. Sam Brownback, her home state senator, an ardent Catholic pro-lifer, Chris, has said kind things about her, signaling that he will not stand in her way. So if that’s any, sort of indication I think that bodes well for Sebelius.

MATTHEWS: But are we gonna have days and days of hearings about what she did about this guy who was a late-term abortion doctor?

MARTIN: I’m sure it’ll come up.