Far from being a "hardcore news junkie," you sometimes wonder if Chris Matthews even watches his own network. Following the president’s State of the Union Address on Tuesday, Matthews, while appearing as a guest on MSNBC's ‘The Ed Show,’ claimed that he had never heard of congressional insider trading prior to that night. [See video below. MP 3 audio here.]
However, as Noel Sheppard pointed out, MSNBC’s Dylan Ratigan had in fact covered the very same story Matthews had never heard of in a recent broadcast.
What's more, upon further investigation, we found in November of last year, Matthews's colleagues Andrea Mitchell and Tamron Hall both covered congressional insider trading on their respective afternoon programs.
In fact, the issue on congressional insider trading was so pertinent it even made it into Jay Leno’s monologue on NBC's Tonight Show. Once again, Matthews shows how out of touch he is with the world around him. You would think his own network would educate him.
Below is the relevant video from last night as well as relevant transcripts of Matthews’ comments on The Ed Show, Andrea Mitchell Reports, News Nation with Tamron Hall and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno:
The Ed Show
January 24, 2012
11:03 p.m.CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST, HARDBALL: Well, there were so many points to this speech, I think you're right about the optimism and call to duty and patriotic cooperation and on a common mission. I thought all that was part of, if you will, the confection of the speech, the structure of it.
But, there were very interesting shots in it, I thought. One of them was this thing that came out of nowhere, to me, having worked up there for all those years and covered it, insider trading by members of Congress. I mean, they must have -- the wind must have come out of them when they heard that. Here's an attack, it's an attack, institutionally against them that there is some sort of insider trading going on up there where they're benefiting from their knowledge of what's going on in committee work, and going off and investing quickly in some sort of day trading or whatever on stocks.
I have never heard any reference to it before in my life. Anything can go on as far as I know, but to make that kind of direct shot on national television with this huge audience, suggesting he knows where they live. As I said before tonight, he's got something on them, he's about to use against them.
I thought it was basically a preparation for a Harry Truman style campaign this fall. He's going to run against Congress as an institution, not just the filibuster, not just the foot dragging and the scorched earth, but the institution itself, its morality. I mean, insider trading, that was tough stuff. And I wonder what he's up to, if he's got something that he's going to work on here.
But I'll tell you, the members of Congress and their wives, their spouses must have heard that. And tonight, when they go home, they must be saying, "What's this, the president's talking about, insider trading on Capitol Hill. Do you know something about it, dear?" I think it was a wild statement, I want to know what's behind
News Nation with Tamron Hall
November 14, 2011
2:14 p.m.
Tamron Hall: And next, Senator John McCain reacts to the announcement from all but two Republican candidates that they would in fact support waterboarding. Our "News Nation" political panel weighs in on McCain versus the candidates. Plus, details of an explosive investigation that alleges prominent members of Congress are engaging in what some consider insider trading and it is all legal.
The Dylan Ratigan Show
11/14/11
4:17 PM
Dylan Ratigan: We've spent a lot of time on this show examining the abuse of access and power by Wall Street. Well, now a new report is blowing the lid off Congressional insider trading, politicians using nonpublic information to make trades. It was illegal, for instance, for somebody like myself as a financial reporter, but apparently if you're a Congressperson, it's all legal.
Andrea Mitchell Reports
11/16/2011
1:45 p.m.
Andrea Mitchell: There is a new move afoot today to stop members of Congress or their staff’s importantly from trading in stock based on insider information they get. Something that to the shock of many is now apparently perfectly legal. New York Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is introducing a bill to stop that practice, and joins me from the hill. Thank you so much Senator. And interestingly, I mean, you represent the largest financial community in the country, or the world I should say. So, this is a big shock to a lot of people. It was first reported on "60 minutes" I think this weekend, that people on the Hill can get briefed by the head of the Fed, by the Treasury Secretary and were, particularly staff members able to trade in stock with impunity.
The Tonight Show With Jay Leno
11/16/11
11:36 PM
Jay Leno: More international -- [ applause ] and what may be a first in politics. This is unbelievable to me. People attending a Rick Perry event in New Hampshire had to prove they were U.S. citizens. [ Light laughter ] a pretty simple test. They ask you a math or science question. If you got it wrong, yeah, you went to school here. You're fine. [ Laughter ] yeah. Go ahead, yeah. Go ahead. You're in. You're in. Yeah. [ Applause ] and on the Democratic side, Nancy Pelosi denouncing a a "60 minutes" story accusing her and other members of Congress of insider trading, which they all got huge returns and made a ton of money. Well, you ever notice members of Congress only invest their own money when it's a sure thing? Well, when something like that solar company, Solyndra -- I'm not paying. Use the taxpayer money. I’m not going to go for that. Take a chance with their dough. Exactly. Yeah, exactly.
