Chris Matthews Accused of Sexism by Liberal Women's Advocate, Attacks Bachmann Fifth Day in a Row
The merciless attacks on Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) continued for the fifth day in a row on MSNBC's "Hardball" Monday.
These came despite a liberal women's rights advocate telling Fox New's Megyn Kelly hours earlier that Chris Matthews' treatment of the Congresswoman is sexist and "over the top" (video follows with transcripts and commentary):
MEGYN KELLY, HOST: Well, so much for toning down the rhetoric. Tea Party favorite Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann targeted and insulted again. Some are calling it now sexist name-calling. Take a listen to some yourself.
(Video clip of MSNBC’s Chris Matthews calling Bachmann a balloon head)
KELLY: Well, Jehmu Green is the former president of the Women’s Media Center, a former advisor to Hillary Clinton, and a Fox News contributor. Jehmu, thanks so much for being here.
JEHMU GREENE, FORMER PRESIDENT WOMEN’S MEDIA CENTER: Thanks for having me, Megyn.
KELLY: So, Chris Matthews has come under attack by a lot of folks on the Left for that comment and other comments he has made about Michele Bachmann, and the accusations are that his treatment of her is sexist, and so is the treatment of her we’ve seen by others in the media. And your thoughts on that?
GREENE: Well, one, it's not a surprise that this type of treatment is coming from Chris Matthews. I think if we were in high school, we would call it like it is -- he's a bully and his favorite target is women. It doesn't matter if Congresswoman Bachmann got all of the facts wrong. It doesn’t matter if she looks off into the wrong camera. She, Sarah Palin, just like Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama, should not come under the types of attacks that we see coming particularly from Chris Matthews and, you know, we even saw it with Keith Olbermann when he talked in the 2008 election about someone taking then Senator Clinton out back to handle her. Yeah, this type of language is, is so detrimental, not just to political discourse, but the fact that women are 50 percent less likely to run for office. That's the impact it has. Women don't want to put themselves out there to come under these types of attacks and it doesn't matter if it's coming from the Left or the Right, it’s unacceptable.
KELLY: But is it a sexist attack or is it just, you know, an impolite attack? Because, you know, I've heard him and the other one, and they make attacks on men and women. It seems to be more on political partisan stripe than on gender.
GREENE: Actually, you know what? There are times that I have to walk away from my Twitter feed when it comes to Michele Bachmann or Sarah Palin. My peers, my colleagues, who I agree with on the issues, but the type of like really vitriolic attacks that we see addressed at women and, you know, even coming from many women on the Left. We see this because I guess there's an expectation that they would live up to a certain set of standards on issues. And, I think their attacks that these women are facing go over the top, especially with Chris Matthews. We saw when MSNBC decided that he needed to be demoted from the anchor chair for election coverage and that he was strictly going to be a political commentator. It's because he crosses the line.
For those unfamiliar with Greene, she is the former president of the Women's Media Center, a nonprofit women’s advocacy group founded in 2005 by writers/activists Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem. Prior to that, she was an advisor to the Hillary Clinton for President campaign, as well as serving in various functions for the Democratic National Committee.
As such, this is hardly a friend to Republicans, and someone whose opinions the "Hardball" host should care about. Yet despite her accusations made at roughly 2:30 PM Eastern Time Monday, Matthews continued with his attacks on Bachmann hours later:
CHRIS MATTHEWS: When we return -- when I return -- "Let Me Finish" with a history lesson for Michele Bachmann.You’re watching HARDBALL -- she could use one here, she ought to be lucky we still don’t have literacy tests out there. You’re watching HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
So now Matthews is suggesting Bachmann couldn't pass a literacy test! After a commercial break, he continued with the attack:
MATTHEWS: "Let Me Finish" tonight by putting a cap on that story that was running by us last week. It concerns the evil of slavery.
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann who’s making forays into presidential politics these days which will definitely add to the color of the competition told a group in Iowa recently that our country’s Founders worked tirelessly until slavery was no more in the United States. I think it was high time she said that we recognize the contribution of our Founders who worked tirelessly who would not rest until slavery was extinguished in our country. Well, to those watching whose forebears know more of the true, sad story of this part of our history, let me confirm what your parents and grandparents told you, perhaps in trying to explain how attitudes about race crept into our American culture.
Did the Founding Fathers work tirelessly to end slavery? Did they not rest until slavery was extinguished in this country? We’ll hear the facts. I have a high school history teacher, a close friend of mine to thank for leading me to these details.
George Washington owned more than 200 slaves, some say between 250 and 350.
Thomas Jefferson owned as many as 200, his wife having brought 100 to the marriage as her dowry.
James Madison, who drafted the Constitution, had over 100 slaves, had them all his life, didn’t even free them in his will.
James Monroe had about 75 slaves.
Andrew Jackson, about 160. John Tyler, 70. James Polk, 50 to 25. Zachary Taylor, up to 150 slaves.
Other presidents through those years, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison and Andrew Johnson also owned slaves. So, if you want to get your history from the congresswoman from Minnesota, that’s, of course, an option. Or you can check it out yourself.
Readers are reminded that this is now the fifth day in a row the "Hardball" host has felt it necessary to address what Bachmann said nine days prior at a Tea Party meeting in Iowa. Talk about beating a dead horse.
Sadder still was how Matthews once again chose to ignore how our Founding Fathers from the Northern colonies - in particular John Adams and Benjamin Franklin - put a no slavery clause in the original Declaration of Independence that was struck down by Southern representatives to the First Continental Congress.
If they hadn't acceded to the South's demands, the Declaration would never have happened.
And, as Bachmann alluded to, John Quincy Adams worked to abolish slavery right up until his death just fifteen years prior to the Emancipation Proclamation.
As such, no matter what Matthews says, there were INDEED Founding Fathers that worked tirelessly concerning this issue just as Bachmann claimed.
Yet Matthews continues his attacks on the Congresswoman.
Will anyone at MSNBC step in and put a stop to this, or are these kinds of sexist, vitriolic attacks acceptable at this cable network as long as they're directed at a conservative?
(H/T Mediaite)
- Noel Sheppard's blog
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Comments
Noel, the other day I linked
Submitted by motherbelt on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 12:22pm.
Noel, the other day I linked to this article by Amy Siskind.
Why Does MSNBC Tolerate Chris Matthews' Misogyny?
The Michelle Bachmann thing is not new....Matthews has a history that MSNBC has ignored for a long time.
It's about time something is being made of it.
Well, we all know....
Submitted by almostacowboy on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 12:40pm.
that only "liberal" women are "real" women. Not those "other" ones (must be read with wrinkled-up nose).
Don't forget
Submitted by Duff on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 3:07pm.
Matthews has admitted his hero is Saul Alinsky.
He's just following the rules.
i think in this case matthews
Submitted by TruthMonger on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 12:55pm.
i think in this case matthews knows he mis-interpreted Bachmann and now he knows that everybody knows he did - so these ad nauseum attempts to defend his position are essentially a double-down instead of facing the appropriate mea culpa - its just another nail in his career coffin
Congratulations Jimmy Carter!
Come Out Of The Closet, Chrissy!
Submitted by GeneralAl on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 1:31pm.
Hey Chrissy, why don't you come out of the closet? We've heard about marriages of convenience. You've demonstrated your love affair with men with the thrill up your leg Obama gives you [I hope you wear depends to keep your panties dry!]. Come out and embrace your homosexuality. Your gay friends will be proud!
"Old Soldiers never die, they just fade away"!
Welcome to the club, Al.
Submitted by Newsbubba on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 2:39pm.
I've been saying that Prissy was gay for years! I've caught a little flak for doing so.
He really hates women, especially serious, intelligent, attractive women. Most flamers do. They consider them "rivals" for the attention of men. Prissy is just like a 14 year old high school girl who gets his panties in a wad when "another girl" is upstaging him for attention. He is so jealous he could just scream!!!
→ Racist Matthews again
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 12:28pm.
Matthews calls for return to Jim Crow.
Literacy tests, seriously Chris? If you didn't have somebody else's brain whispering in your ear, your viewers would still be thinking Egypt was a threat to clear passage through the Panama Canal.
Understandable Chris would be comfortable with Jim Crow, having sat at the feet of Jimmy Carter during his presidency.
Matthews is the ultimate misogynist.
Submitted by KyWriter on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 12:32pm.
However, I do admire his taste in beautiful women he dislikes.
Do ya think...
Submitted by almostacowboy on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 12:36pm.
...he may have been rebuffed from an amorous advance? He's certainly acting like a scorned lover - an adolescent one, at that.
→ It's public record cowboy
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 12:48pm.
But Barack Obama is married.
ahhhhh....
Submitted by almostacowboy on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 4:51pm.
So true. Do ya think that's why he's so frustrated? Since he resents Michelle, he resents all women?
one more thing.....
Submitted by almostacowboy on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 12:42pm.
Looking at the photo of Chrissy, I have to disagree with John Gibson's claim to be the "whitest man in America"; unless he's speaking "culturally".
Will Comcast Founding Fathers work tirelessly to end Tinglery?
Submitted by SickofLibs on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 12:43pm.
I hope.
Again and Again...
Submitted by iveseenitall on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 12:44pm.
Over and over , the MSM ( on all channels) demonstrates the ignorance and immaturity of its "commentators". Ms. Greene is correct in her comparisn of Matthews to a "high school bully". As each day passes the comparison of our press to back-yard gossipers and high school sophomores becomes more clear. It's a sad situation America---we deserve much better.
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal" (progressive)
Here's a geography lesson for Matthews . . .
Submitted by Galvanic on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 1:16pm.
The Panama Canal is not in Egypt, but in Panama.
And perhaps Matthews can inform Sen. Schumer (D-NY) that the three branches of the Federal government are not the House, the Senate, and the President. They are the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches -- as Casey Stengel used to say, "You can look it up."
And inform Congressmen Sheila Jackson Lee and John Lewis that repealing a law (in this case, Obamacare) is not un-Constitutional for the simple reason that it is not covered by the 5th and 14th Amendments.
If Matthews wants civics lessons, he should start with his own tribe.
Tribe????? You can't say
Submitted by motherbelt on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 2:42pm.
Tribe????? You can't say tribe!!!!
Oh, and don't forget that the individual health insurance mandate is covered in the "pursuit of happiness" language in the Declaration of Independence!!! (Rep. John Lewis).
Matthews has once again crossed the line
Submitted by c5then on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 12:49pm.
From opinion journalism into political activism. The sad part is that he does this so much now that he probably doesn't understand the difference anymore. I guess like a typical liberal media elite, he sees how well it worked out for Keith Olbermann so he is trudging down that same road.
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
Cringe meter redlined
Submitted by Cactus Kurt on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 1:03pm.
Tingles obviously has some serious psychological issues with women. The cringe meter is stuck on redline when this idiot starts spitting his sophomoric political vitriol.
Mathews is just a hack in general.
Submitted by Ashrak on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 1:04pm.
Mathews is attempting to create opposition to "that woman". I would bet the farm that of you took pictures of Palin and Bachmann to the street, most sheep wouldn't know the difference.
Has dug himself a hole this time and the more his Godliness is checked the more he doubles down. I love it.
I thought the Sarge would be next but it may well be Panama tingles himself.
It's time
Submitted by theprofessor on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 1:16pm.
...for Matthews' bosses to take a look at his mental health. This is far from normal behavior.
Jehmu
Submitted by Blonde on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 1:16pm.
Ha ha ha. It must be painful for her to have to defend Bachmann. As much as I dislike Jehmu's liberal views, it would be interesting to see her go after not only Matthews for this, but to also encourage her "sister" feminists to denounce Chrissy's misogyny as well. Wishful thinking, I know.
Why is Jehmu on Fox so much lately? I swear, after the Juan Williams thing, they seem to have many more than the "usual" stable of liberals to opine. Some really stupid ones, too.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
"Stupid ones" easy to fine, Blonde.
Submitted by Newsbubba on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 2:47pm.
Maybe you should invite Prissy down toward Palm Beach to swim with all those "fishys" around lately.
Bachmann has political power.
Submitted by Texndoc on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 1:19pm.
Bachmann has political power. Tingles' reputation is in shreds and he has desire for political power (he flirted with a Senate run) and has none.
She famously humiliated him on election night reminding HIS audience of his "thrill up my leg" and during the panel discussion after she was on he actually had to make it a point "I didn't say 'tingles'!!!!" while the others were smirking.
Of course Tingles hates her.
its a clever ploy to leech
Submitted by TruthMonger on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 1:29pm.
its a clever ploy to leech off of someone's sterling reputation in order to gain at least some form of miniscule attention - this happens to Limbaugh all the time too
Congratulations Jimmy Carter!
Tex, you hit the nail on the
Submitted by inquiringmind on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 5:45pm.
Tex, you hit the nail on the head! That is exactly why "Tingles" is going after her. She embarassed him to the point that he had to try to clairify what he said.
I'm gonna need more popcorn if this keeps up!
Fact vs. Opinion
Submitted by iveseenitall on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 1:29pm.
There are facts. And there are opinions.Yes, there is a difference. And when opinion is presented as fact or vice-versa, objective reporting is finished and the search for truth is dead. These are ( or should be) lessons from Journalism 101. Matthews needs to quit his job and go back to school. Oh,wait..if he goes back to "school" today, he'll come out with exactly the same habits. Sad.
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal" (progressive)
even facts are in the eye of
Submitted by TruthMonger on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 1:34pm.
even facts are in the eye of the beholder - and if the beholder is your typical liberal with a talk show then its a very very bad situation
Congratulations Jimmy Carter!
If the "Tingler"
Submitted by Patriot II on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 1:28pm.
Had a brain, the sucker would be dangerous....as it is...he is a petty, irrritating little bastard!!
He has a close friend who's a history teacher...
Submitted by Conservator on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 1:52pm.
...that gave him the facts? I guess besides degrading women, he's too ignorant to look up the facts, as pointed out by Noel Sheppard, on his own. Comcast needs to get rid of this vile balloonhead who's an embarrassment to their network. Then again, I can say this about most of the hosts at MSNBC.
Seriously, this guy has
Submitted by liberalsarefunny on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 1:48pm.
Seriously, this guy has problems. Seriously.
His problem?
Submitted by Newsbubba on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 2:49pm.
It's called the Baaney Fwank Syndwome.
Why does Matthews always look
Submitted by Chandler on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 1:49pm.
Why does Matthews always look like he's just finished puking?
See above, Chandler!
Submitted by Newsbubba on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 2:51pm.
He can't get used to it, apparently. Maybe he should try the seven martini trick.
I saw this interview yesterday...
Submitted by PrairieSky on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 1:52pm.
and it was terrific. I rarely agree with what Ms. Greene has to say, but yesterday we were on the same page. It was very clear that Ms.Greene has no use for Tingles, and rightly so. Matthews is a loathesome sexist and misogynist, who seems to be pathologically obsessed with Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann (and just about all strong women, especially conservatives). He really is despicable, and I would love to see other high profile liberal women come out and condemn him and his relentlessly vitriolic attacks against Sarah and Michele, because right now, their silence on this is deafening.
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction...It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them (our children) to do the same." ~President Ronald Reagan
High School Teacher... huh Chris????
Submitted by donabernathy on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 3:59pm.
Bwahahahahaha
Hey chris... did you use all the crayons in ya coloring book history lesson? Huh.... Balloon head? Maybe ya outta step up to an Adult History Lesson!
Maybe ya might know that the slavery wasn't a product of the Founding Fathers or the Constitution...sport....It was here 200 years before the Declaration of Independence or the Constitutuon and actually imposed on the colonies by the British..... That's a long time, that even a Balloon head can understand..... And in that 200 years there were very few efforts to end the practice. The Revelution was a catalyst for a national additude against Slavery. Benjamin Franklin (You know Tingly, the guy with the Kite and one of the founding fathers) explained that this separation from Britain was necessary since every attempt among the Colonies to end slavery had been thwarted or reversed by the British Crown. Wow, what a racist.
While not all the founding fathers were against slavery, such as Thomas Jefferson, John Rutledge, and James Madison, the clear majority of the Founders opposed the evil—and their support went beyond words. Did'n ya know chuckles, that in 1774 Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Rush founded America's first antislavery society and John Jay was president of a similar society in New York! Ouch, that's gonna leave a mark on a balloon head.
Other prominent Founding Fathers who were members of societies for ending slavery included Richard Bassett, James Madison, James Monroe, Bushrod Washington, Charles Carroll, William Few, John Marshall, Richard Stockton, Zephaniah Swift, and many more. Yikes... I bet a blloon head like you never even heard some of these names. But be that as it may, based in part on the efforts of these Founders, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts abolished slavery in 1780; Connecticut and Rhode Island did so in 1784; New Hampshire in 1792; Vermont in 1793; New York in 1799; and New Jersey in 1804. So much for your simple minded coloring book history... huh tingly.
More bad news Chrissy,...... the reason that the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa all prohibited slavery was a federal act authored by Rufus King (another founding father) and signed into law by President George Washington which prohibited slavery in those territories. Oops. I could go on.
But lets look at your 3/5 human skreed..... Surely, your High School teacher explained the 3/5th clause. This wasn't a measurement of human worth, you jack hole; it was an attempt to reduce the number of pro-slavery proponents in Congress. By including only 3/5 of the total numbers of slaves into the congressional calculations, Southern states were actually being denied additional pro-slavery representatives in Congress. Is that concept over ya Balloon head?
Maybe Chris, ya outta save ya breath attacking Michelle Bachmann.. ya probably need it to blow up your life size Obama date doll.
roflmao
Where's The Hammer?
Submitted by RightRealDeal on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 2:34pm.
How does he continue to get away with this crap?
Time for the suits to come down the hall with the hammer.
Noooooo!!!!!
Submitted by Diesel on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 6:17pm.
Tingles MUST stay until Nov. 2012!!!!
That freakshow (MSLSD) is converting more fence-sitters (politically speaking) to conservatism than anyone here could ever dream of!
No doubt about it...
Submitted by Servo1969 on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 3:18pm.
Michele Bachmann is definitely living rent-free in Chris Matthews' head.
Seriously, can this man go 1 hour without thinking of her?
Wonder if rent control is in force
Submitted by gopcongress on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 3:41pm.
Ya think?
"The news and truth are not the same thing." -Walter Lippmann (1889-1974) FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER
Right wing extemists are all the same
Submitted by gopcongress on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 3:39pm.
Jehmu Greene is another right wing extremist wacko attacking the centrist news organization, MSNBC, and its thoughtful, articulate hosts' approach to politics and civil society. Any further rants and she would be spending her vacations at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley.
<<<yes, this is satire. Lighten up>>>
"The news and truth are not the same thing." -Walter Lippmann (1889-1974) FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER
Chris Matthews = 's Hate Speech
Submitted by Gary Hall on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 3:40pm.
Chris Matthews = 's Hate Speech
According to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) hate speech is:
It's only a matter of time until some radical act's out on Matthew's hate speech. Will he be charged? Should he be held accountable now for creating a climate of hate and prejudice?
(;~/ gary
Fruits & Nuts
Submitted by Diesel on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 5:05pm.
Sigmund Freud would have a field day at MSLSD!!!
He would probably go insane himself trying to analyze all of those metro sexual misogynists!
still waiting
Submitted by Q on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 5:28pm.
i figured if i gave it an hour or so someone would note the sexist comments.
so far, balloon head seems to be the unanimous example...though i can't for the life of me dissect it into sex
Please, someone answer Zippers already
Submitted by SickofLibs on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 5:40pm.
He's been back for two weeks, and now you people are making him wait for hours.
And all this waiting is keeping him away from the job he "works so hard at."
So, c'mon, let's get with the program.
I was wondering who this was...
Submitted by PrairieSky on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 5:50pm.
who was trying so hard to pick a fight, lol! ...I thought about responding but decided I just didn't feel like playing... ;-)
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction...It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them (our children) to do the same." ~President Ronald Reagan
didn't feel like playing?
Submitted by Q on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 6:24pm.
or didn't have a viable argument?
Awww, Plan 59 is not working, Zippers
Submitted by SickofLibs on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 6:29pm.
You're as easy to detect as a radioactive isotope.
Get a life, weirdo.
Chris Matthews: The new face
Submitted by jdawg2009 on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 7:40pm.
Chris Matthews: The new face of hate at MSNBC.
http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-spokane/liberal-women-s-advocate-msnbc-s-chris-matthews-a-sexist-bully