So what if he disclosed information that potentially threatened American lives and security interests? Manning's a "frail guy who doesn't look threatening to anyone." So you have to question the length of his sentence.
Such was the bizarre logic that Chris Matthews—guest hosting for Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC today—employed as he bemoaned Bradley Mannings' sentence--which could in practice see him freed in less than 10 years. Matthews was also moved by the fact that in military prison, Manning will be surrounded by people "who won't like him." View the video after the jump.
NBC military correspondent Jim Miklaszewski didn't fall for Matthews' sob story, observing that many in the military justice community feel that the judge's sentence was too lenient.
CHRIS MATTHEWS: I'm just wondering about the human thing here. You know, people who are not in the military or in espionage, they're always amazed at the classic role of justice where spies are executed even though they're the most courageous warriors. These sort of rules of warfare are so harsh. Here you have this guy, this frail guy who doesn't look threatening to anyone, who may be naive beyond belief who couldn't possibly have realized what he was walking into is now going to lose -- spend the rest of his life practically in Fort Leavenworth surrounded by people who won't like him. That's my question. This punishment is really something.
JIM MIKLASZEWSKI: It depends on which side of the aisle you're talking about. Many within the military justice community think that the judge was actually lenient on Bradley Manning.
