On this weekend's syndicated Chris Matthews show, the host of MSNBC's Hardball endorsed Hillary Clinton for...Majority Leader. In his final commentary Matthews said the election afforded Clinton "a great new career option," that she was "a natural," and leading the Senate would prove, she has the "necessary ability to bring us together." Matthews puffed up the Senator from New York as an expert on health, education, the economy and even defense issues: "Not only does Hillary Clinton know her stuff, she cares about it, especially the issues that cut so close to daily life in this country: health, education, economic opportunity. And ask the generals who say that this member of the Armed Services Committee could well be the best prepared senator there is in that life-and-death world."

The following is the complete transcript of Matthews' endorsement from the November 12th Chris Matthews Show:

Chris Matthews: "Hillary Clinton won a great new career option this week. I know she's thinking about running for president this time but I think Senator Clinton would make a great Senate majority leader. She's a natural. I'll never forget what I saw sitting in the Senate press gallery in one of Clinton's first days as member of that body. There she was standing in the back of the Democratic side, surrounded by other senators. It had the look of a football huddle and she was calling the signals. Not only does Hillary Clinton know her stuff, she cares about it, especially the issues that cut so close to daily life in this country: health, education, economic opportunity. And ask the generals who say that this member of the Armed Services Committee could well be the best prepared senator there is in that life-and-death world. As Senate majority leader, she could make things happen. Why? Because she works well with others. While her husband can woo the crowd, she has a proven ability to win over colleagues. Where he loves the spotlight, she knows the power of the chance meeting in the Capitol hallway, the success that comes from patience and seeing things from the other senators' side. The need to decide early to share the prize. Yeah, she could run for president, but the modern world offers evidence that the greatest female leaders - Thatcher, Meir, Gandhi - all did so through the same tried and true path. To champion a country, you must first be seen piloting a parliament. By bringing the Senate together, she'll demonstrate that she has the grand and necessary ability to bring us together."

—Geoffrey Dickens is the senior news analyst at the Media Research Center.