Chris Matthews Praises Bill Clinton’s Rant on ‘Fox News Sunday’

Forget about the concept of journalists sticking together to protect one of their own, for on Sunday, Chris Matthews showed that when it comes to members of his profession, he’s a Democrat first, and folks in his field that don’t throw softball questions to and fawn over the same politicians he does aren’t deserving of his respect or his support (video link and transcript follow).

Such was the case on “The Chris Matthews Show” when the host closed his Sunday program praising former president Bill Clinton for his disgraceful behavior during his now infamous interview with Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday.”

Matthews’ extraordinarily hypocritical position: “[T]he biggest mistake that Mike Dukakis made in fighting the first President Bush in 1988 was believing that voters out in the country wouldn’t be swayed by all the Willie Horton stuff. The biggest mistake the John Kerry campaign made was not blasting the Swift boaters out of the water.”

Somehow, in Matthews' view, this explains the former president's behavior: “The message of this past week is that Bill Clinton stands ready as the first responder to any attack on him or the person he dearly wants to succeed the current President Bush,” meaning Hillary.

The problem with this logic, Chris, is that Bill Clinton isn’t currently running for office, or hadn’t you noticed? Furthermore, neither is Chris Wallace. He’s a journalist doing his job, asking a question that has been on the minds of most Americans for five years, and until this point, not one of you has had the nerve – or the professionalism, for that matter – to pose to the former president.

Alas, it’s not about journalism, or finding out the truth for people like Chris Matthews. It’s about politicians that he reveres winning elections, and not being challenged by members of the press...the truth be damned. How sad for our nation.

What follows is a full transcript of this truly unprofessional closing monologue, and a video link courtesy of our good friend at GOP Video.

Matthews: There’s a new sitcom out the called “Twenty Good Years.” It’s about some middle-aged guys who decide to make the best of the time that’s left for them. That’s why Bill Clinton is fighting for his legacy. (Clip runs of Clinton admonishing Wallace.)

This is the first time we’ve seen a guy who was president out there fighting personally for what kind of a job he did, defending himself against the charge from the other side that he failed when it was his watch to protect the country. This isn’t just the Bill Clinton rear-guard, of course. It’s the Hillary Clinton vanguard. It’s the war room all over again. Whack back at the Republicans before they Swift boat you.

Look, the biggest mistake that Mike Dukakis made in fighting the first President Bush in 1988 was believing that voters out in the country wouldn’t be swayed by all the Willie Horton stuff. The biggest mistake the John Kerry campaign made was not blasting the Swift boaters out of the water. The message of Bill Clinton’s successful run for president against the first George Bush is “You either get your war room firing, or lose the war. The message of this past week is that Bill Clinton stands ready as the first responder to any attack on him or the person he dearly wants to succeed the current President Bush.