Is Chris Matthews going crazy? He has really gone off the rails of late attacking, more viciously than usual, Rep. Michele Bachmann, and comparing the Tea Party movement to Egypt's Islamofascist group the Muslim Brotherhood.
While we at NewsBusters are more likely to ascribe these knee-jerk attacks to Matthews's intense partisanship, others have their own theories. FreedomWorks chairman Dick Armey, for one, thinks Matthews might be losing it. "I'm kind of sad for Chris," Armey "Fox and Friends" host Brian Kilmeade on Monday. "[H]e just seems to be slipping out of touch with reality" (video and transcript below the break).
KILMEADE: MSNBC host Chris Matthews taking his criticism of the Tea Party to a whole new level. Listen.
MATTHEWS: So the Muslim Brotherhood has a parallel role here with the Tea Party. They're the ones that keep you honest and decide whether you give states too long when you've got a sell by date looming.
KILMEADE: Incredible. So he compares it to the Muslim Brotherhood, the Tea Party. Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey is chair of FreedomWorks and co-author of the book "Give Us Liberty: a Tea Party Manifesto". First off Dick, do you think it's apt comparison, the Tea Party and the Muslim Brotherhood? How do you feel about that?
ARMEY: I’m kind of sad for Chris. This is the kinda uninformed pejorative that he’s been guilty of repeatedly in recent years. I don’t know whether it’s his age or what, but he just seems to be slipping out of touch with reality.
KILMEADE: So you're not insulted? You feel worse for him?
ARMEY: I feel bad for him. Chris had a pretty good career. He's a fairly decent fellow personally, but for some reason he's fallen into this sort of attack mode where he just comes out with things that are crazy.
Matthews is all but sure to stoop to another insult-laden tirade directed at Armey during Monday night's "Hardball." That will add to his ever-growing list of frantic attacks on conservatives. So far this year, those attacks have included Matthews:
- Calling Glenn Beck "absolutely crazy,"
- Repeatedly implying that Republicans just don't like black people,
- Comparing the Tea Party to "Nazi stuff" (moments after decrying "violent rhetoric," no less),
- Doing his part to tie Sarah Palin and Michele Bachman to the January 8 shooting in Tucson,
And all this in addition to his more recent comments on Bachmann and the Tea Party. Make sure you visit our Chris Matthews archive for a longer list of "greatest hits."
And feel free to make your own diagnoses in the comments.
