Matthews to Air America Green: Don't Call Me Bigot Because I Don't Support Gay Marriage

Photo of Mark Finkelstein.

On Tuesday, Chris Matthews made clear his displeasure with the Mexicans who booed the American entrant at the Miss Universe pageant. Matthews was back on the conservative side of the cultural divide today, letting Air America's Mark Green know in no uncertain terms that he didn't appreciate being classified a bigot because he does not support gay marriage.

View video here.

Green, a perennial candidate for office in New York who now with his multi-millionaire brother has bought Air America out of bankruptcy, was Matthews' guest on this afternoon's Hardball along with GOP consultant Ed Rogers.

At about 5:38 pm EDT, the topic turned to gay marriage.

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MARK GREEN: A majority under 30 are for it [gay marriage]. Ed and I and you will not be having this conversation in two election cycles. It's basically bigotry, it's anti-miscegenation.

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Ed, you like being called a bigot? . . . If everybody who opposes gay marriage is a bigot then we've got a hell of a lot of bigots in this country.
Matthews concluded the segment with a shot at Green.
MATTHEWS: I have to tell you Mark, I'm not with you on gay marriage yet, and by the way I don't like being called a bigot cause I'm thinking about something. And I just don't like being called a bigot when I'm trying to figure something out as part of a social change. I may be for it, I may not be in five years, but I'm not a bigot now, I'm not one in five years.

GREEN: I do think it [the ban on gay marriage] discriminates against gay and lesbian Americans.

MATTHEWS: Sure, by definition. And you know what, it has done so for how many thousands of years and if we change it, we change it. But we can't call everything in the past bigotry just because now we want to make some social change.
ASIDE: There was a remarkable exchange between Rogers and Green at one point.

When Rogers described marriage as "a sacred union between a man and a woman," Green laughed out loud. I'm not talking a quick snicker, but an extended, mocking laugh. It comes 50 seconds into the video linked above.

REPUBLICAN CONSULTANT ED ROGERS: He laughs at that notion. I'm glad the left does that. That's what'll drive votes to us.

Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net

—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.


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Mark Green is one of the most

Mark Green is one of the most unliked politicians in New York, a slug, and a perennial loser. It will be enjoyable to watch him (and his brother) get soaked on the ownership of Airhead America.

Something cosmic is going on

What in the world is going on?

Matthews acting like a conservative. Nation debunking AGW.

Flying pigs alert!!!

Flying pigs alert!!!

How far left do you have to g

How far left do you have to go to lose Matthews?! Nice to know it's possible...

Did some place freeze over wh

Did some place freeze over while I was at dinner this evening?  Matthews isn't for gay marrage? 

Great for Matthews.

Being against "gay"

Being against "gay" marriage is not a conservative position - it's merely right.  God made boys and girls  - viva la differeance!

Even Matthews can't be wrong all the time... 

mattm...

true, but Matthews typically follows the Democratic liberal script which includes "gay" marriage. In this instance, he appears to be off-script, thus, coming accross conservative on this issue.

Trust me. I am not fooled into thinking he is actually becoming conservative.

If conservatives are RIGHT, then liberals must be WRONG.

I didn't think you thought th

I didn't think you thought that, I was merely pointing out that this, as it is with many issues, is - or should not be - considered as either conservative or liberal....  (In other words, I'm just being nit-picky)  :)

Well, well, well.  Green rev

Well, well, well.  Green revealed Matthews' Achilles' Heel.  I wonder if Chrissy has ever discussed his view with Andrew Sullivan, a regular in his Sunday show.

Is Matthews about to have a Rosie Moment?  Will charges of bigotry push Matthews over the edge?   Will he become a regular punching bag for Air America?  Will photo-shopped images of Matthews in compromising sexual positions with Rush Limbaugh pop up on MoveOn.org and the DailyKos?  Will Lefty lunatics harass his wife and children?

Matthews won't get any sympathy from me; he's badgered decent people long enough.  It's his turn in the barrel.  Let the games begin. :-)

Matthews is just sliding back

Matthews is just sliding back toward the middle because he sees and end in sight for the Bush administration, and is anticipating the Dem party will occupy the White House come January 2009. It will be better for "business" if he has, by that time, managed to situate himself where he can trot out his righteous indignation against them.

As for the way Green conducted himself, I am with Rogers (mostly). It is excruciatingly maddening to hear that kind of contempt and disdain displayed toward average Americans who take principled positions on such issues.

However, Ed is so right that the American people will not tolerate having their beliefs marginalized by elitist "progressives" like Mark Green, and will respond accordingly in upcoming elections.

Keep laughing, Marky...all the way to further political ruination.

I just love watchin' Chris ge

I just love watchin' Chris get his panties in a wad.

As for Air America...it will fail...again...same reason.  No message.

It sounds like chrissy is goi

It sounds like chrissy is going to decide where he stands on Gay Marriage...over the next 5 years. what a trooper! idiot.

as soon as the stumping for pres supports it from the left, he will SO have his panties in a wad!!!

flip flop

it is the liberal way...flip flop

in deed.

in deed.

The laughter at what people h

The laughter at what people hold sacred by Green is most likely part of the reason he has never won anything much at all in life...leftist like him just do not get it.

The segment on this show that was infuriating but comical at the same time for me was the exchange between Rogers and Green regarding immigration, Rush Limbaugh vs. Pres. Bush....  the arse Green made of himself about this all was when Green said something about Rush has 8-10 million viewers so a small segment of the population may listen to his views...Rogers inserted he thought he was just jealous regarding Airdead America....then Green went on to say that makes Rush irrelevant.....

Rogers came back and said if Rush is irrelevant what does that make Air America....

I about died laughing...

Matthews said he didn't want to get into all of that...and moved on.

Btw...I was of course paraphrasing here...also I am assuming they were talking about Rush vs President bush and illegal immigration when I clicked it to the channel....nevertheless the point about Air Dead Amerika vs Rush was deliciously comical...Rogers was dang good for once.

Matthews is a Obama man in my opinion, for me it has been obvious long ago.

I also heard that Obama and Gore may team up by against Shrillary.  

Hello BT, Yes, this Green cha

Hello BT, Yes, this Green character is some shrew isn't he? The tinfoil hat crowd always shreeks with glee when these wingnuts always lead in with, "everyone agrees with us", "there is no debate", "the polls say so", blah blah blah. 

Like eveything else they believe, they figure if they say Rush is irrelevant enough, it will eventually come true. His 20 million listeners to Air America/DOA's what? 200k?maybe? Laughable. What a twisted little world they live in. Air Drivel America was DOA the first time it started, even with the constant barrage of PR from the MSM for weeks. Like a nat on a hot Summer day, just an annoyance, but no real substance to your life.

Typical of the hysterical left

Whatever they want to ram down everyone's throats, "the debate is over", or, "The polls all agree (with us)" and "anyone who disagrees is a [bigot, racist, bad person].

Matthews seems to be waiting for public opinion to tell him what values and scruples to have. By the way, why does it matter what Matthews thinks? Isn't he just supposed to be presenting the two different sides of the story to his listeners?

The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic

c5...I guess those whacky lef

c5...

I guess those whacky lefties have us conservatives pegged... bigot,racist,bad person. Funny thing is though, lefties spend all their time calling us names. So why do they spend their time being bigotted, racist and bad people in general when they talk about us?

Liberals... silly people! (bad too)

Help a wounded soldier here...

http://newsbusters.org/node/12877

the under 30 crowd.....

"The majority of those under 30 are for gay marriage..." Mom always did say you didn't know JACK until you reached 40; I guess she was right again.

I don't believe that poll D

I don't believe that poll Doug.

I would of liked to hear how it was phrased, the people taking the poll, where they took the poll, the ratio of lib's conservatives ect....

Remember that was Mark Green the losing-est leftist loony loser from NY with an agenda and all.....I feel in his dreams he wishes that were the case...maybe NYC or such...lol!

I am sorry those poll numbe

I am sorry those poll numbers he quoted are bunk.

The real polls are the elections. Almost every single state that has put marriage on the ballot has won. Gay Marriage has been voted down every single time for one man and one woman.

I will believe the electorate over a bunch of MSM liberal push polls.

Is this Mexico or the USA

What is up with Chris Matthew

What is up with Chris Matthews? First he tells the Mexicans who booed Miss America what kind of pigs they are, now He is against gay marriage. If he keeps this up I am going to draft him for the republican nominee.

O.K. I'm back back to my senses now.

Ok...just what in the Hell

Ok...just what in the Hell is going on here?? I was just over on Hot Air, and they have these CNN Ear Mark stories just ripping the tits of the DemonCrats...and now this???

Something is indeed in the works here...be afraid.....be very afraid....


Now, this might sting just a little bit.....

I'm with You. I will be doubl

I'm with You. I will be double- checking the locks, setting the alarm , and keeping the gun close until we figure out what is going on.

Mark,Do you suppose there are

Mark,

Do you suppose there are some libs in the MSM (who have enough operational linear brain cells left) who may be starting to wake up to the fact that the far-left types who currently lead the party are in danger of damaging the Democrat Party as a whole? The dims currently "control" both houses, yet are unable to get their bills passed, particularly the kookier ones.

I have, after all, been noticing that many of the recent polls dealing with the congress are, in some cases, worse than they are for GWB.

This republic will not survive the continued neglect of its people.-Neal Boortz

Am I the only one kind of fre

Am I the only one kind of freaked out by Green? I can't put my finger on it but... he just looks so... fake. Like some sort of alien trying to imitate what a human looks like. I mean, Gore looks more real than this guy.

Be sure to get your daily Fred Thompson Fact!

I'm sure when Chrissy gets sl

I'm sure when Chrissy gets slammed on some left wing blogs, he will claim that only republicans that disagree with gay marriage are bigots, not dems.  It's a republican scandal just like Dingy Hairy Reeeeeed said about Jack Abramhoff.