Unhinged Chris Matthews Assails Conservative 'Birth Control Nazis'

October 22nd, 2012 6:27 PM

Talking to two fellow liberals on Monday, an unhinged Chris Matthews trashed conservatives and Republicans who opposes Barack Obama's birth control policies as "Nazis." Matthews smeared, "Is it in society's interests for [a young woman's] boss to be able to be the birth control Nazi to decide who gets it and who doesn't?" [See video below. MP3 audio here.]

Matthews has previously railed against calling one's political opponents Nazis. On April 28, 2010, the liberal host ranted, "But let's agree, can we, to drop the Nazi stuff?" On Monday, Matthews invented a hypothetical woman: "A young woman who works in her 20s or 30s and is not ready to have a child, that's her decision, I think we all agree on that. She wants birth control. Isn't it in society's interest for her to get that as part of her health care?"

The Hardball anchor didn't explain how "society" was keeping women from obtaining birth control or whether institutions, (including religious organizations) should be forced to pay for it.

Talking to feminist Gloria Steinem and Obama aide Stephanie Cutter Matthews hyperbolically added, "Do you hear the 1950s in Romney's voice?
 
A transcript of the October 22 exchange can be found below: 


5:40

CHRIS MATTHEWS: A young woman who works in her 20s or 30s and is not ready to have a child, that's her decision, I think we all agree on that. She wants birth control. Isn't it in society's interest for her to get that as part of her health care?

STEPHANIE CUTTER: Absolutely.

MATTHEWS: Is it in society's interests for her boss to be able to be the birth control Nazi to decide who gets it and who doesn't?

STEPHANIE CUTTER: No, it's not. Women take contraception for a lot of different reasons. It's not just birth control. It has to do with preventing cancer and other diseases. It's a preventative medication. That's why the Affordable Care Act includes it as part of preventative measures for women and that's why insurance companies are now required to provide contraception for women with no out of pocket costs. It does not make sense to put employers in charge of that decision. Women should be able to make that decision. If their insurance plan offers contraception, which by law now they have to with no out of pocket costs, that's between women and their insurance companies and it should be in the women's court to make that decision, not employers. So, if I work at any fast food restaurant, they're making the decision about whether I have access to contraception, absolutely not.

MATTHEWS: Do you hear the 1950s in Romney's voice? I hear it all the time. It's this, "Women have children. They got to go home to feed the kids."

GLORIA STEINEM: I'm not sure he's up to the 1950s.