Loony MSNBC host Chris Matthews concluded Tuesday night’s Hardball with a loud berating of Senate Republicans and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for not confirming Obama Supreme Court pick Merrick Garland, engaging in “low-level politics” harming the country.
Matthews ruled that Neil Gorsuch should not be allowed the 60 votes needed (as of now) to be confirmed for a Supreme Court seat because “it's not about Trump's pick, it's about the President Obama's pick, the one Mitch McConnell and his bunch decided to not even deserve a vote, did not even deserve a hearing, did not even deserve the respect of someone nominated to this high position.”
After devoting only one other segment to Gorsuch, the petulant MSNBC host invoked McConnell’s declaration that he would do his best to ensure Barack Obama was a one-term President and a later promise that he would follow the Biden rule in waiting for the next president to offer a Supreme Court pick.
“Well, this brand of bad politics has to stop. Since the Republicans aren't going to stop it the Democrats have to. It's not about being a sap or a chump or any other word you call a person who gets taken and lets himself or herself get taken again. It's about starting to fix system,” Matthews added.
Seemingly trying to come across as non-partisan, Matthews ruled that “[w]e will not get back to such respect if we let Trump exploit the vacancy Mitch McConnell created” and “complete what we call in basketball the alley-oop play.”
With peak levels of bitterness, Matthews concluded that, essentially, it’s Garland or bust when it comes to appointing the Court’s new ninth member:
I don't want to see Donald Trump stuff his nominee through the hoop. Why? Because it’s not his turn. It's Merrick Garland's turn and everyone knows it. Vote nay on Gorsuch, demand the 60 votes and don't give them to Trump. It’s not this guy's turn. It's not his guy's turn and all the charm and dancing and Mr. Nice Guy is not going to change it. It's not about Gorsuch or even Trump. It's about Mitch McConnell and the brand of low-level politics he stands for. Get it?
Here’s the relevant portion of the transcript from MSNBC’s Hardball on March 21:
MSNBC’s Hardball
March 21, 2017
7:58 p.m. Eastern
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Trump watch, Tuesday, March 22, 2017. Donald Trump wants the United States Senate to confirm his pick, Donald Trump's pick, for the U.S. Supreme Court. He wants Democrats to join Republicans in giving his pick the 60 votes to override the expected filibuster. Let me suggest a very good reason not to let this happen — it's not about Trump's pick, it's about the President Obama's pick, the one Mitch McConnell and his bunch decided to not even deserve a vote, did not even deserve a hearing, did not even deserve the respect of someone nominated to this high position. Just like McConnell decided in 2008 he was going to destroy the Obama presidency at the get-go, decided that he wanted to wait for the next president to do business with. He decided eight years later that he would bump Obama's Court pick from the line and wait for a pick by the next President. Well, this brand of bad politics has to stop. Since the Republicans aren't going to stop it the Democrats have to. It's not about being a sap or a chump or any other word you call a person who gets taken and lets himself or herself get taken again. It's about starting to fix system.
A president nominates a Supreme Court justice, the Senate deliberates on the nomination. We will not get back to such respect if we let Trump exploit the vacancy Mitch McConnell created. We cannot allow these two opportunists to complete what we call in basketball the alley-oop play. One guy throws the ball high above the basket and the guy standing there, right underneath, jams it in. I don't want to see Donald Trump stuff his nominee through the hoop. Why? Because it’s not his turn. It's Merrick Garland's turn and everyone knows it. Vote nay on Gorsuch, demand the 60 votes and don't give them to Trump. It’s not this guy's turn. It's not his guy's turn and all the charm and dancing and Mr. Nice Guy is not going to change it. It's not about Gorsuch or even Trump. It's about Mitch McConnell and the brand of low-level politics he stands for. Get it? That's Hardball for now. Thanks for being with us.
