Chris Matthews Attacks: Joe and Mika 'Pussyfoot' Issue of Health Care Reform

Photo of Scott Whitlock.


Chris Matthews got into a heated exchange with MSNBC's Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski on Wednesday, accusing them of "pussyfooting" the issue of health care and its cost. He also attacked conservatives in general, deriding, "You know, it seems to me that the right-wing will fight any war and say, 'Don't look at the cost,' because they want to fight the war."

The Hardball host fretted, "And this pussyfooting around and looking at the costs....We could have avoided World War II if we went through the cost factors ahead of time. We wouldn't have won World War II if we looked only at the costs." Firmly declaring for universal health care, Matthews asserted people "should have health care" and smeared Morning Joe host Scarborough: "That's a value judgment that I've made and the American people have made. And you have not made. You have not made that value judgment." [audio available here]

Scarborough struck back, decrying wasteful spending and saying that he did support a health care plan, so long as it was affordable and did not bankrupt the country. He sarcastically questioned Matthews, "Chris, would you like us to play 'Just As I Am' and have me walk down to the front of the church and recommit my life to nationalized health care?" Co-host Brzezinski defended her colleague and clearly resented a jibe that Matthews threw her way.

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Towards the end of the segment, Matthews lumped Brzezinski in with those that he claims only bring up the cost issue of health care as a way of derailing reform: "No, I think you're caught up in this, Mika. I think you've been caught up in this pussyfooting here. That's the problem here." Scarborough quickly attempted to go to commercial, but this exchange followed:

BRZEZINSKI: No. Actually, I want to know what he means by that.

MATTHEWS: It's just that I think, fighting a war that wasn't necessary is not the same as denying people health care when they go to work. I think we got to provide people with health care. We don't have to go to the wars. There's a difference in values.

BRZEZINSKI: Chris! I take issue with "caught up." I'm not sure what you're saying with that, but I'll tell you this. There's nothing wrong as a member of the media to ask questions about-

MATTHEWS: We have to ask the questions, but we have to make a value judgment as well.

BRZEZINSKI: We have to ask the questions. That's great. And we are asking the questions.

Earlier, Matthews derided the cost component argument by complaining, "Well, the problem, is Joe, that the people who make this cost argument are the people who made the argument against Medicare, 'cause they didn't want Medicare. They didn't want Social Security."

A transcript of the Morning Joe segment, which occurred at 8:18am, follows:

CHRIS MATTHEWS: And this pussyfooting around and looking at the costs, if you want to kill it, come up with this: We could have avoided World War II if we went through the cost factors ahead of time. We wouldn't have won World War II if we looked only at the costs.

SCARBOROUGH: You're exactly right, Chris. I mean, like the Bush administration over the past eight years, they didn't pussyfoot around. They just wrote checks. Stimulus bill, they didn't pussyfoot around, they wrote a $800 billion check. Barack Obama's administration didn't pussyfoot around. Record deficits for the next decades. Wall Street, they didn't pussyfoot around. They just wrote checks. The banks didn't pussyfoot around, they just wrote checks. Let's just do it. Just write checks without asking questions.

MATTHEWS: The value the Bush administration had-

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Let Chris speak. Okay, go ahead, Chris.

CHRIS MATTHEWS: No. We ask the questions. We look at the costs and we get it done.

BRZEZINSKI: You can't just look at the costs, don't you-

CHRIS MATTHEWS: You know, it seems to me that the right-wing will fight any war and say, 'Don't look at the cost,' because they want to fight the war.

BRZEZINSKI: No. Well, you know what-

MATTHEWS: Did anybody look at the cost factor when we went into Iraq?

BRZEZINSKI: Absolutely. You're absolutely right. And Joe will agree with that.

SCARBOROUGH: Actually, Chris, I know this will shock you 'cause I haven't talked about it on the show. I've written a book about this. About how Republicans spend too much money over the past eight years. I'm a humble, quiet man so I don't talk about it a lot. It's called "The Last, Best Hope."

MATTHEWS: Joe- It's called "The Last, Best Hope." "The Last, Best Hope."

SCARBOROUGH: I have a telethon. No, Chris, but the thing, is it's not- they should have asked tougher questions. We should have asked tougher questions about a $7 billion Medicare drug program that's bankrupting Medicare! Medicare and Medicaid go bankrupt over the next ten years.

BRZEZINSKI: Wouldn't you agree with that?

MATTHEWS: : Joe, I think there is a sound debate to have.

SCARBOROUGH: Hang on a second, Chris. Chris, hold on. When Medicare and Medicaid go bankrupt, I don't want to be mischaracterized here, it is going to be the poor and the elderly who are disproportionately hurt. I've not no problem providing 47 million people with health care insurance. Show me how the system survives over the next decade and then we can have a good conversation about providing this.

MATTHEWS: Well, the problem, is Joe, that the people who make this cost argument are the people who made the argument against Medicare, 'cause they didn't want Medicare. They didn't want Social Security. And they- we wouldn't have it if we listened to those arguments.

SCARBOROUGH: Chris, you're fighting old wars. I'm talking about the future.

MATTHEWS: No, I'm fighting the war you're fighting right now, Joe. It sounds like you'd be happy if at the end of the year we decided it was just too expensive and better off not having a health care plan.

SCARBOROUGH: Chris- Don't- Chris, don't come on my show and accuse me of things that I don't do. You're throwing around terms like right-wing. You have no idea, obviously, what my position is on health care.

MATTHEWS: Are you for a health care bill this year?

SCARBOROUGH: Please, let me finish what I say. And then I will let you talk.

MATTHEWS: Do you want a health care bill?

SCARBOROUGH: I'm concerned- Hey, Chris, I'm going to ask you again to let me finish what I say and then I will let you talk. I am concerned as are most economists about the fact that rising health care costs cripple America's economy over the next decade, Medicare and Medicaid. Yes, I want a health care bill. I want a health care bill that slows down the costs over the next 10 to 20 years, that saves us economically. If 47 million uninsured Americans can be part of that, that's fine. But if you don't mind me saying so, this attitude of let's just write a check and worry about it later, that's what George W. Bush got wrong over the past eight years and what Barack Obama's got wrong over the first six months. And that's why the poll numbers are turning on him right now on these issues. Go ahead.

BRZEZINSKI: Chris.

MATTHEWS: Well, I disagree. I think the country has made a commitment in every poll we take that we need a public option. We need a health care plan for the country. We're the only industrialized country that doesn't have one. We're way behind on this. People that come to work, who catch the bus in the morning, who work all day, who provide for their families, should have health care, Joe. That's a value judgment that I've made and the American people have made. And you have not made. You have not made that value judgment.

SCARBOROUGH: Chris-

BRZEZINSKI: Oh, no.

SCARBOROUGH: So, there you go, Chris. Again putting words into my mouth. That I have-

MATTHEWS: Well, deny it then.

SCARBOROUGH: If that makes you feel better-

MATTHEWS: No. Just say I have made a commitment to health care in America.

SCARBOROUGH: Chris, would you like us to play "Just As I Am" and have me walk down to the front of the church and recommit my life to nationalized health care?

MATTHEWS: Yeah.

SCARBOROUGH: Listen to me one more time. I will say it again. I have got no problem with 47 million uninsured people getting health care. I think it is immoral that 47 million Americans don't have health care in this country. However, that's got to be part of a bigger package that takes care of the long-term cost of Medicare and Medicaid and health care for the rest of America. You provide what you're talking about right now without looking at this whole, entire problem. You'll have a bankrupt system ten years from now. I'm looking at the bigger picture, Chris.

MATTHEWS: I agree with you as long as we get it done.

BRZEZINSKI: Okay. Well, I'm not sure it can be 'get done.'

MATTHEWS: It has to get done.

BRZEZINSKI: I will say on the left, this isn't a right-wing thing. On the left, I questioned President Bush's spending on wars. I also questioned the numbers here as well as are, I think it's 84% of Americans. I think we have to be careful with the conversation. Chris Matthews, please stay with us. We'll continue the conversation and we'll be-

MATTHEWS: No, I think you're caught up in this, Mika. I think you've been caught up in this pussyfooting here. That's the problem here.

MATTHEWS: Okay. Thank you, Chris. We're going to come back and-

BRZEZINSKI: No. Actually, I want to know what he means by that.

MATTHEWS: It's just that I think, fighting a war that wasn't necessary is not the same as denying people health care when they go to work. I think we got to provide people with health care. We don't have to go to the wars. There's a difference in values.

BRZEZINSKI: Chris! I take issue with "caught up." I'm not sure what you're saying with that, but I'll tell you this. There's nothing wrong as a member of the media to ask questions about-

MATTHEWS: We have to ask the questions, but we have to make a value judgment as well.

BRZEZINSKI: We have to ask the questions. That's great. And we are asking the questions. I want it to be deficit neutral.

MATTHEWS: And we are asking the questions. My question is are we going to get it done or pussyfoot?

—Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center.


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"It's Alive!"

After connecting the pussyfoot to the tingling leg, Chris has only to attach the upper portion for his monster to be complete.

 

Healthcare...Food...Education...Housing... - What sprouted as free for some is maturing into a free-for-all.

So Tinglebell is Pro-Hitler?

We could've avoided World War II?

I am confused, is this what

I am confused, is this what they are talking about?

Chrissie-Boy

Well, shouldn't Matthew's attitude toward health care extend to other important issues? How about protecting our country after 9/11? Isn't stopping a terrorist attack with a WMD just as important?

So , given his mindset, things like civil rights and Guantanamo and serveillance shouldn't be considered. Just quit "pussyfooting" around, Chris, and "get it done."

 

How long until

 Mika jumps sides? If Chris is attacking her it won't be long until other lefties join Matthews and call her out for not being on their team. Hopefully she is starting to see the light.

"It's such a fine line between stupid and clever."~David St. Hubbins

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just get 'er done at whatever cost!

The "Sky's a fallin," doncha know? 

If the point of healthcare

If the point of healthcare reform is that healthcare is too expensive, then shouldn't the fact that socialist healthcare will be MORE EXPENSIVE be a valid reason to oppose it?

As usual, crissey choses

As usual, crissey choses the wrong analogy. You can't compare the costs with WWII as he said "We wouldn't have gotten into WWII on a cost basis".

That's not what we are debating here. We already have a good health care system in the United States. He's arguing that we should disband it, triple the costs, and reduce the benefits.

The proper WWII analogy would have been: "We should have started another war during WWII -- starting attacking Russia, Great Britian, and Canada, and given up on winning against German, Italy, and Japan." The results would be just like they are going to be if we create a Gov-run health care fiasco.

___________________________________ 

Liberals constantly demand that we accept a glaring falsehood as truth; Obama's elimination of the word "terror" will make terrorist acts less terrifying

Scarborough needs to get educated on the HC issues here.

I think it is immoral that 47 million Americans don't have health care in this country

It's not 47 million Americans - it's 37 million Americans and 10 million illegal immigrants. The lastest Rasmussen poll showed that 80% of voters do not want the government to cover illegal's. The various details of the remaining 37 million have been widely documented - and most are easily addressed without the Obama plan.

 should have asked tougher questions about a $7 billion Medicare drug program that's bankrupting Medicare

Is Scarborough speaking of Medicare Part D? It was sold as a ten year $400 billion plan. Then the cost seeemed to skyrocket; however, the Bush admin. and congress actually did some constructive work here and the last (April, 2009) CBO estimate put the ten year cost back down to $395 billion.

Medicare and Medicaid go bankrupt over the next ten years.

So how do we deal with that? Well, a whole of folks in Congress want to expand Medicare and Medicaid to include all Americans. Meanwhile President Obama just stated in Green Bay, WI.: "The real problem is Medicaid and Medicare. That's the nightmare scenario."  Yes, he really said that! Then, he [Obama] proposes slashing $400 billion from Medicaid and Medicare? If the M's are the real problem here - then how does one expand the programs to include tens of millions more people, while one is slashing their budget? Just curious. (;~> gary

"SCARBOROUGH: Listen to me

"SCARBOROUGH: Listen to me one more time. I will say it again. I have
got no problem with 47 million uninsured people getting health care. I
think it is immoral that 47 million Americans don't have health care in
this country"

Then you're as big a fool as Matthews. What is immoral about 47 million(bogus number, but let's pretend)people choosing not to buy health insurance? Sheesh, no wonder your book tanked.

What IS immoral is confiscating my money to pay for someone who could, but doesn't want to pay for themselves, ruining the best health care system in the world in the process. 

As for Matthews, I guess he thinks he's still in high school, as he seems to think we should do something simple because everyone else is doing it too.

When people get something

When people get something from the goverment, they think of it as free (for those not paying taxes it is free).  I see old people abusing medicare all the time.  For example my mother-in-law goes to the podiatrist to get her toe nails cut.  I guarantee you if she had to PAY the podiatrist out of her own pocket she wouldn't be doing this!  The only way I see health care working is if people have to be responsible for themselves and pay their own bills.  It's tough, my husband is self employed and I have a pre-existing condition.  But I still prefer to pay our own bills and make our own decisions.

The whole lot of  'em seem

The whole lot of  'em seem to accept the assumption that everyone's health care is the responsibility of the federal government.   But it is not in the Constitution I have. 

It is fun to see Mika becoming more and more aware of the abuse that will be dished out to any not following the party line.

Warning to children: hamsters are not strict vegetarians

Yes, kids, hamsters really do eat their young, and each other if given the chance.

Chrissy

had a hissy.  What a whiny little baby.  I'm glad Mika shot back.  Fund the health care (welfare) state with your own money, not mine, you tool.

P.S.

Didn't Chrissy look a little more bloated and withered-looking than normal?  I think he's been drinking WAAAAAY too much Koolaid.

P.S.S.

AND he looks like he's shrinking a little . . .

Tweety

I was but a teenager back in the 1970s but didn't Tweety work for Jimmy Carter?  If that's true, what more needs to be said about Mr. Matthews?

Chrissy shut up!

Go home and masterbate to your "Yes We Can" poster so we don't have to hear you!

Joe and Mika and Chris Matthews. Ren and Stimpy...

I liked Ren and Stimpy.

Joe is no conservative.  duh

Mika is not intellectual. duh duih

Chris Matthews is ...

duh duh duh

Ta Rah da Boom De Ay.

We're at the Circus Today.

Ta Rah da Boom De Ay.

ACA 

...

Quoted from: 'Acaiguana notes from the Underground' (Soon to be at theaters near you)

I agree

Joe thinks to much to be a conservative.  Conservatives use their guts, not heads.

Three bags full!

Three bags full!

Don't pussyfoot around, get

Don't pussyfoot around, get that idiot button out for Chritine again...

This Railroading is NEWS?

Mr Matthews actually thinks he's guiding America.

The problem with Democrats.

Deomcrats always want to compare the cost of a war that, if everything works out well will end, with one of their entitlement programs.  

 They've already talked about the cost of the Iraq war, but it's less than Obama has spent just this year.  By the time the Democrats get done, entitlements will tie up almost half of the budget and non-discretianary spending will run to almost 65%.  At that stage we will have very little money left to cover anything else.  Do we really want to allow them to bankrupt us in this manner?  

Election 2008-God's way of showing us that elections count.  

Matthews listening to his leg again

Chris Matthews made Mika B. look like a conservative.  It is so nice that he has decided that we need a public option for health insurance (not healthcarre)...you would think a "reporter" of his stature would not confuse the terms.

Mika should have asked him how much of his skin was going to be in the game.  I would like to see these pudits put their money where their mouths are rather than our money. 

http://www.framingthedialogue.com/

Skin in the game vs. Payment in kind

Chris Matthews earns good money, so I am sure that he has "skin in the game", but I would like to see Chris Matthews (or any other limosine liberal) subject himself to waiting in lines, putting up with delays or be denied care in a system that is so wonderful that we must accept it without regard to cost.

For me, I am not fussy. If it's good enough for the "hired help" its good enough for me. Good enough for Barack Obama and his family, good enough for me. Good enough for Senators and Congressmen,good enough for me. Good enough for Hillary, then,

"I'll have what she's having"

 

→ That explains it

Chris, if I had a pussyfoot, I guess my leg would tingle too.

We will Barry you! - Russian Prophecy

Please take the time to

Please take the time to view the videos on this web site that depict health care in the UK.  It will make you shutter with the dismay and disgust:

http://www.onthefencefilms.com/

The vignettes of the UK's trouble socialist health care system is what President Obama and this liberal Congress will provide us if we allow it to happen. 

Just say no to Obamacare!  Write, e-mail, and/or call your elected representatives. 

Just watched some of the

Just watched some of the videos.  Powerful stuff.  Thanks for the link.  It makes you wonder if they really don't have longer lifespans than us and the stats are made up.

I really like the way our systems is set up right now because I have
the freedom to do what I want as the founding fathers intended. I am young and healthy so I do not have
insurance as a cost saving measure.  If anything ever happens I am
close to Mexico, so I can just go there or file for bankruptcy if I
need to. 

matthews

jessieH      Matthews is more than a fool. The American people knew the "cost" of WWII. It wasn't about the money. It was the cost of freedom. It was the loss of life. To compare it to this healthcare B.S. is just plain wrong..............If healthcare is so important, why did the govt. give OUR tax money away? This is the govt. This is the people WE elected to run this country. I don't think I will be voting for these IDIOTS again.