Chris Matthews Spews: Rick Perry Would Have Opposed Integration, Takes Back 'Bull Connor' Line
One day after trashing Rick Perry as "Bull Connor with a smile," MSNBC's Chris Matthews took the statement back. But he also trashed the Republican presidential candidate, saying he probably would have opposed racial integration of schools.
The Hardball anchor played a clip of Barack Obama touting bipartisan acts from the late Dwight D. Eisenhower. Matthews brought up Eisenhower's role in desegregating public schools and spewed, "Do you think Rick Perry would be for that? Do you think he'd be cheering for Ike today if he brought the troops in to desegregate the schools in Little Rock? I don't think so!" See video below. MP3 audio here.
He exclaimed, "They'd be seceding if Eisenhower was president!"
On Tuesday, Matthews compared Perry to Bull Connor, Alabama's segregationist Commissioner of Public Safety. (Democrat Connor turned attack dogs and fire hoses on civil rights protesters in the '60s.)
Matthews actually addressed this comment on Wednesday, admitting, "I compared him to Bull Connor with a smile yesterday. Maybe that was too far, but I'm still learning about this guy."
Talking to GOP consultant Matt Mackowiak, the host added, "He talks about secession. He talks about states rights. He's got all the idiom, Matt, of the guys who hate civil rights."
At that point, Matthews refused to apologize: "So, I am suspicious. Maybe I should take back the Bull Connor, but not yet."
Finally, 44 minutes into the program, he recanted, "I think I overstated it by saying that this guy Rick Perry is Bull Connor with, with a smile. But, I'll tell you- and I'll take that back. I really think I gotta be careful learning this guy."
Transcripts of the exchanges can be found below:
08/17/11
5:13
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Let's go to Congress here. He spoke about needing to work with Congress, of course, the Congress is split between Republicans and Democrats, to create jobs. And that requires a working relationship, as in previous administrations, not the partisanship happening today. This is the way he's still talking about compromise. Let's listen.
BARACK OBAMA: There are some things we can help on, but frankly we can do more if we got Congress's cooperation. Those are proposals that historically have had support from Republicans and Democrats. Dwight Eisenhower build the interstate highway system. Last time I checked he was a popular Republican. This is what I mean about politics getting in the way. You can't bring an attitude that says I would rather see my opponent lose than America win. You can't have that attitude.
MATTHEWS: I don't know.
OBAMA: Well, here's my view of it. I think he's got to stop- I know he wants to be harry Truman and run against the do-nothing Congress, but he needs a specific, vivid popular plan to complain they're not doing anything about.
MATTHEWS: I'm with you.
FINEMAN: To just have an abstract, sort of philosophical view about the uncooperative Congress doesn't cut it. You have got to have something specific and say we dare you to stop it. We dare you to stop it. We dare you to stop it. And he can be sharper on Ike. You know, you made the point, Chris, while we were listening to that, Dwight Eisenhower couldn't exist in the current Republican Party, where Rick Perry is saying, our job, my job if I'm President, is to reduce the federal government to insignificance. He couldn't get from Lubbock to Dallas, you know, without the federal government. He couldn't. Someone's got to tell him there's an interstate highway system.
CHRIS MATTHEWS: By the way, Eisenhower was the one who brought federal troops into Little Rock. Do you think Rick Perry would be for that? Do you think he'd be cheering for Ike today if he brought the troops in to desegregate the schools in Little Rock? I don't think so!
JARED BERNSTEIN (Former Biden adviser): I think Reagan would be kicked out of the party today. Reagan put revenues on the table.
MATTHEWS: They'd be seceding if Eisenhower was president!
5:19
MATTHEWS: We're trying to figure him out. I compared him to Bull Connor with a smile yesterday. Maybe that was too far, but I'm still learning about this guy. He didn't like the basis of the Civil Rights Act of '64. He didn't like the public accommodations being based on the Interstate Commerce Clause. He questions- Says we shouldn't have the Voting Rights anymore. Act- He says we shouldn't have- He talks about succession. He talks about states rights. He's got all the idiom, Matt, of the guys who hate civil rights. So, I am suspicious. Maybe I should take back the Bull Connor, but not yet.
5:44
MATTHEWS: Well, I gotta be careful. I think I overstated it by saying that this guy Rick Perry is Bull Connor with, with a smile. But, I'll tell you- and I'll take that back. I really think I gotta be careful learning this guy.
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Comments
Chrissie
Submitted by liberalsarefunny on Wed, 08/17/2011 - 6:29pm.
Most people know Matthews is a foolish boy.
Matthews
Submitted by Brad90956 on Wed, 08/17/2011 - 9:40pm.
Matthews: "I compared him to Bull Connor with a smile yesterday. Maybe that was too far, but I'm still learning about this guy."
Chris Matthews likes to have sex with farm animals while it's video taped. Oops, maybe that was too far but I'm still learning about this guy.
Bwhahahahahahahahaha
Submitted by NavyBuckeye on Thu, 08/18/2011 - 7:39am.
hahahahahahahahahahahah
I loved this....spit my coffee out.
That is exactly what all conservatives should now do on tv.
"I heard Obama really liked white woman and only married Michelle to appease the black community, woman in particular...oops that was to far but I AM STILL LEARNING ABOUT THIS GUY!!!!"
or
"I heard Eric Holder hires mixed race hermaphrodite hookers to wear sexually ambiguous clothing while he masturbates because he doesn't want to offend anyone...oppps that was to far but I AM STILL LEARNING ABOUT THIS GUY!!!!"
A Dishonest Hack
Submitted by insatty on Wed, 08/17/2011 - 6:36pm.
Does any fair-minded person really believe that if Rick Perry were still a Democrat running Obama's Texas reelection campaign, like he was in 1988 running Gore's Texas campaign, that Matthews would be smearing Perry as a racist? Matthews is just another liberal Democrat hack, smearing anyone who dares to disagree with his thrill-up-his-leg darling Obama.
Besides
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Wed, 08/17/2011 - 6:37pm.
I think Cynthia McKinney would be a much better Hardball personality than Chris, but because of Chris' personal racist attitudes as to who can and can't host a CNN daily, Chris just won't give up his stool to the intellectually superior McKinney.
Right you are, Cool.
Submitted by SickofLibs on Wed, 08/17/2011 - 6:41pm.
It's a well known fact that Tingles never gives up a stool.
They are logged-in everyday and stored in neatly arranged shoeboxes in his walk-in closet.
→ Tru Dat SOL
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Wed, 08/17/2011 - 6:51pm.
He saves them in hope his dreamboat will someday arrive and solve the mystery of "the clean end"
seems like
Submitted by grammajane on Wed, 08/17/2011 - 6:40pm.
Seems like all bsnbc is doing lately is forcing their bias "hosts" to apologise for their stupidity and lies. If this keeps up am hoping contributers slash their commercials and we can all watch a failure take place of the poorest excuse for news in history.
Chrissy would inter the Japanese
Submitted by JeffC... on Wed, 08/17/2011 - 7:06pm.
Tingles loves Democrats, and FDR was a Democrat who interred the Japanese.
By Tingles' own logic, Tingles would inter the Japanese.
That ought to be thrown in his face everytime he . . .
Submitted by Galvanic on Wed, 08/17/2011 - 7:24pm.
. . . romanticizes about FDR.
Matthews is one of the most prejudiced hosts on TV. Look as this own admission that he needs to learn more about Perry, while stating in the same dialogue that Perry would stand against desegregation.
Reminds me of his messiah
Submitted by GregE on Wed, 08/17/2011 - 9:02pm.
...........President "we don't have all the facts"
...........Commander-in-"the police acted stupidly"
Add one more thing. . .
Submitted by rickbren on Wed, 08/17/2011 - 7:57pm.
. . .that Tingle Up My Leg Chrissie is bad at - mind reading. . .
Chrissy Says; but I'm still learning about this guy."...
Submitted by gruyere cheese on Wed, 08/17/2011 - 9:13pm.
In his own words, he actually does not know very much about Perry and so, why should anyone take his opinions which are mostly a bunch of innuendos seriously then? The liberal media has been on a 24/7 negative campaign against Perry since he announced he is running agaisnt their messiah -- my favorite is the heavily make up made up and coiffed Al Sharpton. This dude can't even make a coherent sentence, yet he has a one hour cable opinion talk show?
He was a democrate
Submitted by Glitch on Wed, 08/17/2011 - 10:41pm.
What all of these well meaning jack holes on tv keep for getting about the "Racist South" is that all of these people like Bull Conner were die hard democrates. But we wouldn't want people thinking about that now would we bath tub boy?
Do not command that which you cannot enforce.
NBC is coming down hard, I'd bet.
Submitted by Texndoc on Wed, 08/17/2011 - 11:53pm.
I was laughing at Rush Limbaugh deliberately tying these idiots Ed Shultz and Tingles and Al Sharpton to NBC News. I'd bet NBC News has about had it with the antics of their insane asylum cousin, MSDNC.
2 apologies in 2 days?
Two in two days, and yet
Submitted by UpNorth on Thu, 08/18/2011 - 12:43am.
that's all that Comcast has done? I would think that, if they were serious about the TV business, Comcast would have cleaned house by now.
But, as if to reinforce insanity, they hire the "Rev" Al?
Chris Matthews.. a great
Submitted by USA4freedom on Thu, 08/18/2011 - 12:49am.
Chris Matthews.. a great example of evolution stuck in a cul-de-sac.
Ronald Reagan, 1962: I did not leave the Democratic party, the party left me.
Insert: your name, 2008, the Republican party.
Lesson one for "Tingles up his leg"
Submitted by LaVallette on Thu, 08/18/2011 - 1:26am.
Lincoln : R E P U B L I C A N
Eisenhower or Ike: Likewise
Perry: Likewise
Bull Connor: D E M O C R A T
Orval Faubus: likewise
George Wallace : Likewise
etc etc etc,
You might want to bone up on reality as well Tingles!
Submitted by Injest on Thu, 08/18/2011 - 4:58am.
"Do you think Rick Perry would be for that? Do you think he'd be cheering for Ike today if he brought the troops in to desegregate the schools in Little Rock? I don't think so!"
Considering Ike did not bring troops in to desegregate the schools, its not that hard to believe you tingles have no idea what your talking about!
Fact number one “Federal troops can not be used for domestic law enforcement”. It's called the The Posse Comitatus Act. This is key to understanding what Ike did!
Governor Orval Faubus deployed the Arkansas National Guard to support the segregationists on September 4, 1957.
This is key to understanding what Ike did!
Governors CAN deploy NG troops for local domestic law.
NG troops are not Federal troops, unless they are Federalized. Clear?
Governor Faubus called out the ANG troops to block integration. And yes the Governor has that authority.
So what did Ike do? He used Posse Comitatus Act and his authority as the POTUS to Federalized ANG troops making ANG troops federal troops, clear?
As the Posse Comitatus Act clearly state you cannot use Federal troops for domestic law enforcement, Ike, in his roll as CinC ordered the ANG troops, now federal troops, back to their barracks.
Ike sent the 101st Airborne as a “dog and pony show”.
Ike got away with that cuz no one challenged Ike, a 5 star General as to what he can and cannot do with the military.
I seriously don't believe Tingles has a clue as to what Ike did or the ability to understand it.
“I really think I gotta be careful learning this guy."
That's the understatement of the week! You might want to bone up on reality as well Tingles!
Maybe
Submitted by Franksam on Thu, 08/18/2011 - 5:52am.
Saying "Maybe I went too far." is not an apology that I would offer or accept.
So, Matthews admits he knows
Submitted by DaChew on Thu, 08/18/2011 - 7:48am.
So, Matthews admits he knows very little about Rick Perry but calls him racist anyway. THAT is all you need to know about Matthews. Just throw the race card right at the beginning and then start looking for evidence (which, of course, you'll find because you want it soooo badly) that you're right.
Chris Matthews is an absolute disgrace.
Tingles Matthews Drunk and Photgraphed
Submitted by Motormouth KOS on Thu, 08/18/2011 - 9:42am.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66418238@N04/6052445527/in/photostream#/photos/66418238@N04/6052445527/in/photostream/lightbox/
Oops, did I go to far?
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