Julian Castro

Open mouth, insert foot. Just when it seemed that Piers Morgan was finally putting his ineffective crusade for stricter gun control behind him, the CNN anchor made an obviously stereotypical remark while covering an inaugural ball in Washington, D.C., on Monday evening.

At the end of an interview with Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro and his identical twin brother, San Antonio mayor Julian Castro, the liberal host asked: “By the way, I've never met any Latinos who can't dance, so are you guys going to be -- ?”

During MSNBC’s Thursday night coverage of the Democratic Convention, Melissa Harris-Perry and Chris Matthews decided to further indulge in their unhealthy obsession with birtherism. You may recall that Matthews hijacked Andrea Mitchell’s interview of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to ask a question about birtherism during the Republican Convention on August 29.  On September 5, Matthews concluded his interview with San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, an alleged rising Democratic star, why there are so many birthers in his state of Texas.

Perry’s birther interjection concerned Obama’s speech dealing with the theme of citizenship.  In fact, she called it a “brilliant” moment.   However, she made the patently false claim that mainstream Republicans are birther enthusiasts and “redefined” the term herself to convey an overt collectivist idea of citizenship.  On the other hand, Matthews, who sat down with Rep. Joseph Crowley and DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who declared that the "right wing" wants President Barack Obama's document because "he's black" and doesn't understand why people still don't "get it."  Well, it's probably because conspiratorial drivel doesn't go mainstream all that often. (video after the jump)

MSNBC's Chris Matthews this evening finally got the chance to interview Julian Castro, the Democratic mayor of San Antonio, Texas, whom Matthews insisted had given one of the "greatest" political speeches he ever heard Tuesday night.

It was, of course, a thoroughly softball interview, but it concluded on an odd note, with Matthews delving into his unhealthy obsession with "birtherism" to ask Castro why his home state is so chock full of people who don't believe President Obama is a natural-born citizen [MP3 audio here; video follows page break].

Gov. Chris Christie's keynote address at the Republican convention didn't warrant a full story last week in the New York Times. Yet when San Antonio mayor Julian Castro delivered the keynote to the Democratic convention, Jeff Zeleny offered a full story in Wednesday's edition, giving the Democrats space from which to blast Republicans: "New Democratic Voice Challenges Republican Vision." Castro was also spared the fact-checking the Times afflicted upon Republicans last week in Tampa.

(Manny Fernandez had previously polished the mayor's resume in a flattering preview of Castro's keynote: "The speculation lately about Mr. Castro’s future has reached fever pitch; there is talk of his running for governor, earning a place in Mr. Obama’s cabinet and even becoming the first Hispanic president. A Fox News Latino headline this summer read: 'Julián Castro: Son of Chicana Activist, Harvard Law Grad, Future U.S. President?'")

San Antonio mayor Julian Castro was quite a media hit at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday.

Given all the scrutiny presenters got for their addresses at last week's Republican National Convention, one has to wonder if the press will fact-check the following section of Castro's speech (photo courtesy MTC/Newscom):

For MSNBC's Chris Matthews, every speech from a person of color who is a member of the Democratic Party is historic – or the best speech he's ever heard. After the Keynote address, on Tuesday night, by San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, Matthews claimed that it was one of the greatest speeches he's ever heard. It's becoming a nasty habit.

On Monday night, at the conclusion of Matthews's Barack Obama: Making History, he said "President Obama is the product of our turbulent history, all that came before led to him." Yes, not hyperbolic in the slightest.

In a pathetic display of adulation for a Democratic "star," CNN aired a total puff piece about the keynote speaker for the upcoming Democratic National Convention, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro. Correspondent Rafael Romo's report dripped with praise for the "very successful" Castro.

Romo hailed Castro as a "very successful mayor" and a "young charismatic Latino leader" who is "media savvy," with an "only in America" story. Anchor Suzanne Malveaux wondered if he had future presidential aspirations. [Video below the break. Audio here.]