Should Republicans Make Issue of Matthews's Left-wing Skew in Upcoming Debate?

The Bush administration has "finally been caught in their criminality," MSNBC host and former Speaker Tip O'Neill (D-Mass.) aide Chris Matthews seethed at the 10th anniversary party for his "Hardball" program, the Washington Examiner is reporting.

They're strong and loaded words, of course, but only the latest example of Matthews history of political bias against conservatives and the GOP. Yet coming as it does so close to the October 9 Republican presidential debate that Matthews will host, RedState's Erick Erickson is urging Republican candidates to call Matthews on the carpet for his bias.:

You know, I will be gravely disappointed if the GOP candidates do not make an issue of this at the debate.

If the GOP candidates are too chicken to take on Chris Matthews before a live television audience on Matthew's gross bias, they will have disgraced us all.

At the very minimum, I would expect the GOP candidates, should they get another, and I paraphrase Matthews' question, "Don't you want to give Bill Clinton oral sex" debate question, should respond in the Reaganesque manner of "What the hell type of question is this you filthy, dirty leftist?!?!"

I wouldn't hold my breath if I were Erick, if the performance from the candidates who attended last week's PBS/Tavis Smiley debate are any indication. That debate, which NewsBusters executive editor Matt Sheffield and I attended in person, was a sop to the left with every question skewing to the left and/or putting Republicans on the defensive for real and perceived slights by the GOP against black voters over the past 142 years -- one questioner insisted that no Republican president since Lincoln did anything of lasting positive benefit to black Americans.

Yet at no time were any complaints registered by the debate participants about the solidly left-wing skew of the questions, nor of how moderator Tavis Smiley once called President Bush a "serial killer" for his presiding over numerous executions when Governor of Texas.

MRC/NB's Tim Graham has more on Smiley's liberal bias here. Check here for a compendium of Matthews bias coverage on NewsBusters.