As a former aide to Tip O'Neill, Chris Matthews is accustomed to offering advice to Democratic Speakers of House. With President Bush's announcement of a surge apparently imminent, Chris Matthews made clear his marching orders for Nancy Pelosi this morning: don't fund it.
Interviewed by Meredith Vieira on the "Today" show, Matthews opined:
"She better have, it seems to me, a strong voice about the war. And that's not just putting Jack Murtha out there to lose. And she's gotta get out there and win on this argument. This is going to come down to funding, whether anybody like it or not. The purse strings are now controlled by the Democrats; they cannot abdicate that. They have to choose, whether they're for the president's position with this new escalation that seems to be coming or they're not with him. They can't fall back and tut-tut and hiss the president. They've got to do something about it."
View video here.
Matthews' earlier remarks left no doubt as to just what that "something" is that he demands Democrats do:
- "[The surge] runs completely against American public opinion . . . the American people aren't going to like it."
- "The American people want to leave Iraq and [Pres. Bush] is taking us deeper into it."
- "For the president to go Wrong-Way Corrigan on this thing and increase the number of troops, take us deeper into Iraq, would be to reject the opinion of the American people."
Alright then, Speaker Pelosi; you heard Chris. How about it: will Democrats have the courage of Chris's convictions?
Mark was in Iraq in November. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Actually, I agree with Matthews on this issue.
January 3, 2007 - 09:38 ET by acaiguanaActually, I agree with Matthews on this issue.
It is put up or shut up time.
Of course the President will veto any bill not funding the war on his levels until they get it right.
ACA
...
Acaiguana says: "Which city is next?"
Matthews knows everything, so
January 3, 2007 - 12:03 ET by mattmMatthews knows everything, so they should listen to him.
Adolescent
January 3, 2007 - 09:39 ET by iveseenitallMatthews is an adolescent who claims to speak for the American people. Who's funding this child?
NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal
Chris Matthews On Imus
January 3, 2007 - 09:45 ET by P.J. GladnickMark---I hope you can get both the video and transcript of today's Don Imus show. Imus was interviewing Chris Matthews and both were fantasizing about how various members of the Bush administration would react on the scaffold as they are about to be hung. It has to be heard to be believed.
That is disgusting.Imus doing
January 3, 2007 - 09:55 ET by Dave RThat is disgusting.
Imus doing this doesn't really surprise me, as I consider him to be only 1/2 notch above Howard Stern on the low-life totem pole (which means they both are still several notches below whale excrement) but Chris Matthews should be ashamed of himself.
But that would require a certain amount of class, which Mr. Matthews is apparently devoid of.
Liberals
January 3, 2007 - 10:01 ET by iveseenitallI mentioned this yesterday on a blog. When I wrote it , I had a passing thought that maybe I was going too far. But here it is.These sick bastards would be cheering on the sidelines upon the hanging of our president. Moreover, these are no more than perverted adolescent sexual fantasies being aired in public. Imus and Matthews are juveniles who keep our nation in a constant state of immaturity.
NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal
Chris Matthews is nothing mor
January 3, 2007 - 09:49 ET by donsalesChris Matthews is nothing more than Keith Ohlbermann with slightly more "gravitas"......he is the shrill schill for everything that is wrong with America these days.....his former boss Tip O'Neill was an old-time gentleman....Chris ain't no gentleman......
Nowhere to Run....Nowhere To Hide.....
Now that you mention it Kei
January 3, 2007 - 10:02 ET by MightyMouthNow that you mention it Keith and Chris are sounding more and more alike. Perhaps there is more going on there than first meets the eye. Perhaps they are sharing pillow talk a bit? Maybe?...somewhat? Naw... probably just drinkin' "buddies"...
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
There will be a surge in troo
January 3, 2007 - 10:00 ET by truth_missileThere will be a surge in troop levels in Iraq.
It will be funded by the Democrats, every dollar.
It will also be tied to a humongous social spending bill that will rival the Great Society.
Democrats will do everything they can to have it both ways, and regardless of what happens the media will spin it as a victory for Democtrats.
Here's a news flash for Chris
January 3, 2007 - 10:01 ET by dscottHere's a news flash for Chris Matthews, the budget for 2007 started in October 2006, all spending priorities are cast in stone until Sept. 30th, 2007. So if a surge occurs, it will be long over by the time Nancy and her so called New Direction has anything to do with the Iraq. How's that for feeling castrated Chris? I'm so glad you set up Nancy and Harry for a fall with the ultra libs, who needs Karl Rove when you shoot yourselves so willingly?
“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.” – Marcus Aurelius
Posturing
January 3, 2007 - 10:09 ET by allanfMatthews is just posturing. If the increase is not funded, the onus for any future problems in Iraq falls onto the shoulders of the Democrats. Pelosi is too astute a policitican for such a basic faux paux.
As for Matthews, he is trying hard to be as obnoxious as possible. See his recent O'Reilly Rant. I doubt Matthews and MSNBC's lame attempts for attention will translate into higher ratings.
Why Do MSM and Libs Want US to Lose?
January 3, 2007 - 11:15 ET by ChasvsJust why do they want us to give up the fight and surrender? Do they believe that we can't win or that we shouldn't win? These are the vilest people in the World and the MSM and Libs want us to give up and go home so they can take over the middle east and from there the rest of the World! How F*cking SICK is that?
Because it wasn't their idea.
January 3, 2007 - 11:28 ET by dscottBecause it wasn't their idea. Any idea that is supported by a conservative must be bad, it's an axiom of the Lib Dem Party. Of course perversely, the corollary is any idea the libs come up with is automatically genius and good for everyone.
“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.” – Marcus Aurelius
Because it wasn't their idea.
January 3, 2007 - 11:28 ET by dscottduplicate
Apparently Chris Matthews h
January 3, 2007 - 11:27 ET by james789Apparently Chris Matthews has read some history. He realizes that today too many people in America want
Bread and Circuses
and believes that if he panders both to his viewers, he will get what he is after. Personally I believe that he like many people we see today who are blathering on about current events with no regard for the facts are vain, shallow attention seekers who could care less, but not much less about our Country or the people of it.
The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price,
peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of
soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life.
Theodore Roosevelt
Who did Chris have to have se
January 3, 2007 - 12:16 ET by sembyWho did Chris have to have sex with to obtain such credibility at NBC; I mean NBC/BSNBC loves this person; but this guy is a crack head who has lower ratings than KO;
His family must be cringing and ready to bolt to leave this idiot, I mean I tell you who hires these jerks?
While the rest of us celebrat
January 3, 2007 - 12:22 ET by FastEdWhile the rest of us celebrate the red, white and blue, Chris and his kind love the blu, blanch, and rouge. Unfortunately, we helped them out - twice, and they still won't allow fly-overs when goin gafter terrorists.
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad
What about the Children?
January 3, 2007 - 12:37 ET by PSPCplChris reminds me of that woman in the crowd on one of the Simpsons' shows who keeps yelling out, "What about the children? Will no one think about the children??!!"
chrisie limpdick is one tough
January 3, 2007 - 14:01 ET by buddycchrisi limpdick is one tuff dude. you tell them chrisi.
olberman, scarborough, mathews, russert? what balance. can you really inform when you only give one perspective?
Shut Up Matthews
January 4, 2007 - 00:27 ET by emjem24Yeah, Chris, let's just sell our military down the river, you pacifist patsy. Man, these MSM'ers just keep getting away with this crap. When will America the lazy, overindulged, and stupid wake up and call these people out for what they are: anti-American, anti-military, anti-Bush. No, they won't, because most Americans, I'm afraid, are brain-washed zombies who can't form any independent opinions on their own. The 2006 election was proof of that.
The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer. Air Force Motto