Former Arkansas Governor and possible 2012 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has produced a cartoon series that offers a decidedly conservative alternative to the typical liberal bilge that kids are inundated with on TV and in schools across the nation and Chris Matthews is not happy about it.
On Thursday's Hardball Matthews played a clip from the kids show that featured an animated Ronald Reagan imparting some inspiring words to the children, after which the MSNBC host railed: "that's right from a Cambodian re-education camp or it's chairman Mao's little red book. What propaganda!"
(video, audio and transcript after the jump)
The following excerpt was aired during the Sideshow segment of the May 13 edition of Hardball:
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Next up, through the looking glass. 2012 contender Mike Huckabee is producing animated history lessons for children. What was America like before Ronald Reagan? Here's the conservative spin.
(Begin clip from cartoon entitled Time Travel Academy)
ANIMATED CHARACTER#1: The downturn in the economy is killing us, people are out of work, and some of their morals are just gone.
MUGGER: Give me your money.
CHARACTER#2: And in Iran Islamic fundamentalists stormed the U.S. embassy and took 52 American diplomats hostage.
CHARACTER#3: Oh no it's bad, really bad.
CHARACTER#4: That guy's gotta gun! C'mon!
CHARACTER#5: Do something!
CHARACTER#6: Ahh!
CHARACTER#4: Why is everybody so excited?
CHARACTER#7: Because they see hope.
RONALD REAGAN IN ANIMATED FORM: God had a plan for America. I see it as a shining city on a hill. If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be one nation gone under.
[On screen: Go back in time to see how one man transformed a nation...And the world."]
(End clip)
MATTHEWS: You know I don't know whether that's right from a Cambodian re-education camp or it's chairman Mao's little red book. What propaganda!
